Transform Manual Test Scripts to Automation for Better Test Coverage

In the era of automation, each company is on a path to convert their manual test cases to automated tests to increase efficiency and to make the process cost-effective. It’s relatively easy to embark on the automation journey; simply select the proper test cases and determine your Return on Investment (ROI). However, automation does not overshadow manual testing; in fact, it augments manual testing.

Automation also needs proper structure, meticulous planning, monitoring, and maintenance, just like manual testing. It helps in routine tests and preparing test cases. Automation begins with carrying out one round of manual testing — meaning that manual test cases must already exist and are executed at least once.

Here’s how you can select the proper test cases for automation testing:

• Identify the parameters based on which you can select the test cases.
• Applications should be divided into modules. For each module, test cases that need to be automated are checked and analyzed.
• Integrate and combine test cases for each module.
• Calculate ROI achieved through automation testing.

Translation of Manual Test Cases into Automation Scripts

Step 1: Perform and Execute

This step is essential in two scenarios:

• To begin the test
• To execute a certain test

Step 2: Divide Manual Test Cases

Manual test cases can be divided into three groups:

1. Data entry: This is where we enter information as input to automated tests.

2. Change of automation state steps: These methods will make a change in your automated test. It might include going another page, or making a particular field distinct.

3. Combination: As the name implies, this is a mixture of both the above fields. Take an example of a checkbox: when clicked on, it will make a particular field dynamic. All things analyzed, you are entering the regard “Valid” for the checkbox field and it moreover brings a condition of your AUT.

Step 3: Perform Logical Steps

Data entry steps are similar in automation and manual testing. Since it is the machine which is going to perform the steps, one must simply ensure that the fields referred in the automated test are understood by the machine. Using a logical name as is used in the code is preferable. In automation, we must add steps for action and verification.

Step 4: Verify and Validate

It is very important to verify and validate the field; without this, the purpose of testing is lost. You must use checkpoints like conditional statements and loops to build the logic.

Step 5: Test the Requirements

Here are some questions that should be considered for testing the requirements:

• Where should you place them?
• Whether to hardcore or not?
• What are the security concerns?
• What are the reusability concerns?

When you will look back at the manual test scripts, you will see that having test automation, username, and password are pre-conditions to begin the test.

Step 6: Evaluate Test Results

In manual testing, you can keep the result of each step in an actual result column, whereas, in automation, the result is stored when executed.

Step 7: Post-Operation

When you finish the test, there is no need to close the program in manual testing, but for automation, one has to clean up by executing every association that you made, closing the program, and freeing the memory.

Automation testing acts as a backbone for manual testing. Automation also increases efficiency, effectiveness, and coverage of testing. As a result, an effective test automation methodology improves the ROI.

Challenges Faced in Transforming the Test Cases from Manual to Automation:

• The need for automation: Even if you cannot change an established practice, you may change a practice to suit the need. Because of this, automation requires the collaboration of both management and development team.
• Automating an application as a whole: To automate an application completely is a difficult task which requires a lot of time, proper planning, and monitoring.
• Manual-to-Automation mentality: Criteria should be ascertained wherein test cases can be segregated based on demographics or other categories the client has in mind, like business logic, risk factors, and more.
• Designing framework: Designing and using the proper framework is the most important factor of testing. Rather than focusing on scripts, we should pay attention to how to design a framework that will make scripting and maintenance easy.
• Knowledge of the team: The team needs to be well-versed and fully assume the responsibility of automation as this will enhance the skill of each resource.

Various  automated software testing tools play a very vital role to achieving the desired ROI. We can choose phase-wise automation, and we can follow a proper prototype model for automation. It’s important to convert manual test cases to automation test cases to increase efficiency and decrease cost. It also helps in delivering the required and bug-free end product on time.