Low Code/No Code Testing Approach for Salesforce Testing

Functional testing of Salesforce as a platform and applications built on Salesforce can be a challenging task, given the highly dynamic nature of Salesforce. In this article, we will discuss what challenges Salesforce presents for quality engineering and how we can leverage a low code/no code approach for automation testing in Salesforce.

First, let's have a look at what are prime challenges salesforce presents due to its highly dynamic nature.

Challenges in Salesforce Testing

Salesforce is a powerful platform offering various business applications, but it also presents unique testing challenges that require careful consideration while test planning. There are four significant challenges: frequent system updates, dynamic elements, Shadow DOMs and hidden element identifiers, and highly customizable interfaces.

1. Frequent System Updates

Salesforce frequently receives system updates to introduce new features, enhancements, and bug fixes. But these upgrades bring a set of problems from a tester's point of view.

• Test Maintenance: Due to constant updates, existing test cases may become obsolete or require modifications. As a tester must stay updated with the latest changes and ensure that their test cases align with the updated functionalities.
• Regression Testing: System updates can potentially impact existing functionalities. Performing comprehensive regression testing becomes crucial to identify any unintended consequences or compatibility issues introduced by the updates.

2. Dynamic Elements

Salesforce applications often have dynamic elements that change their attributes or locations based on user interactions or system events happening while the system is in use. Testing these dynamic elements presents unique challenges like Element Identification for test step execution, Synchronization between test scripts, and element availability.

3. Shadow DOMs and Hidden Element Identifiers

Salesforce Lightning Experience uses Shadow DOMs, which encapsulate the internal components and hide them from direct access. Additionally, hidden element identifiers can pose challenges; testing components within Shadow DOMs requires specialized techniques like JavaScript injection, which offers native support for Shadow DOM interactions.

Hidden Element Identification: Salesforce applications often hide elements or utilize complex identifier patterns, making it challenging to locate and interact with hidden elements during testing.

4. Highly Customizable Interface

Salesforce offers a highly customizable interface to tailor applications to specific business needs. However, this customization introduces testing complexities:

Test Coverage: Highly customizable interfaces can result in a vast number of possible configurations. Ensuring comprehensive test coverage becomes a challenge due to the numerous combinations of customization options.

When we implement Script-based testing tools, it's possible to automate the Salesforce test process but using scripting-based testing tools for Salesforce testing can present some challenges.

• Complex Test Setup: Salesforce often requires specific data configurations, such as defining custom objects, populating records, and configuring dependencies. With scripting-based testing tools, setting up the test environment can become complex and time-consuming, as we will need to write scripts to create and manipulate test data.
• Script Maintenance: Due to the Salesforce application's evolution over time, the core data model, workflows, and processes may change. With scripting-based tools, you may need to keep updating and maintaining test scripts to accommodate these changes.
• Limited Reusability: Scripting-based tools often require writing custom scripts for each test case. While you can reuse certain components, such as login scripts or data setup scripts, you may need to write specific scripts for different test scenarios.
• Code Expertise: Scripting-based testing tools typically require testers to have coding knowledge and skills. A salesforce expert may not be well versed with many programming languages used in scripting-based tools; even if he is sound in salesforce concepts, his lack of exact programming language used in scripting tools can be a challenge.
• Fragile Tests: Scripting-based tests can be sensitive to any changes in the Salesforce application's user interface or underlying code. If any slight modification occurs, such as a change in element IDs or page structure, the tests may break and require updates.

Given all the above challenges with using Scripting based test automation tools for salesforce low code/ no code approach comes up be one option that can be explored and leveraged for salesforce test automation.

There are some promising low code/no code tools that can be applied to achieve salesforce test automation.

Provar 

Provar is a comprehensive test automation tool specifically built for Salesforce. Provar offers a code-free, point-and-click interface, making it easy for testers to create, execute, and maintain automated tests. With its deep integration with Salesforce, Provar enables robust end-to-end testing, including UI testing, data-driven testing, and API testing."

Accelq 

Accelq is a powerful cloud-based testing platform that provides seamless testing capabilities for Salesforce applications. Accelq offers AI-driven test automation, allowing testers to create intelligent, self-healing tests that adapt to changes in the Salesforce environment. With its intuitive interface and natural language-based test creation, Accelq simplifies and accelerates Salesforce testing."

Tricentis Tosca 

TOSCA is an all-in-one test automation suite that includes Salesforce testing capabilities. Tosca enables end-to-end functional testing, test data management, and performance testing for Salesforce applications. With its model-based approach and AI-powered test automation, Tosca empowers testers to achieve high test coverage and accelerate testing cycles. Tosca has a dedicated Salesforce scan feature allowing testers to scan the entire Salesforce org in a single scan and created modules (application objects) that can later be used to build and customize test cases.

Several other tools with low code/no code approach for salesforce testing are also present in the market today, which can be used for salesforce test automation.

Conclusion

While we can also use script-based tools like Selenium for salesforce automation testing given the buzz around low code/no code approach, now we have tools that can provide end-to-end salesforce testing without scripting. But even with their low code/no code approach, these tools do provide some degree of scripting to implement customized solutions for Salesforce if needed.