Introduction
Coding and Testing are two different segments that are dependent on each other. So, the other sector needs to progress if one must advance. For more than a decade, the development community has welcomed a “low-code” application development platform.
So, how’s the testing community coping?
To create low code development platforms, trailblazers in the software industry leverage automation powered by self-intuitive drag and drop element. A development or testing platform with low code functions keeps the whole team aligned as everyone can understand it contextually and conceptually.
In this blog, we will cover how these low-code platforms impact testing activities in a DevOps driven development environment.
DevOps is here to automate the agile methodology. Its purpose is to provide programmers and developers with the tools to respond to future business needs. Simply put, it aims to shorten software development life cycle and fasten software product launches.
Today, DevOps-based automation is evolving towards cloud-centric automation. As a result, significant public and private cloud service providers enable DevOps on their platforms by regularly integrating development tools.
Such integrated systems lower the costs of DevOps on-premises automation while allowing centralized control for dependable DevOps operations.
DevOps foster
Collaborative development: An interface that’s easy to understand for all the departments keeps the team aligned for collaborative development. In addition, most of the low-code solutions are adaptable, with direct connectivity with critical suppliers and the ability for IT departments to turn APIs, commands, and web services into reusable infrastructure.
Automation: Today no technological advancement is leaving the aspect of automation. Low-code platforms and DevOps tools together speed-up automated tasks and end-to-end processes.
Improved Productivity: Low-code tools simplify the process life cycle. Such tools monitor processes and notify if there is a bug. Additionally, the technologies can aid in the elimination of process bottlenecks and needless delays.
Continuous deployment: According to Gartners’ IT Automation Trends for 2022,Through 2024, enhancements in analytics and automatic remediation capabilities will refocus 30% of IT operations efforts, from support to continuous engineering.
Low code helps address one of the most challenging aspects of DevOps, which is continuous deployment. Low code testing tools enable the QA team to write test cases for user story as it progresses in the development stage and incorporates the tests in the CI/CD process, enabling test execution in a single click.
Continuous testing: Low-code testing provides several advantages in quality engineering, particularly when migrating from manual to test automation Low-code testing helps to simplify a procedure that might otherwise need manual intervention. This transformation will help manual testing teams to do continuous testing and focus on upskilling personnel, assuring quality, and making transitions.
Continuous feedback and iterations: Enterprises demand rapid evolution to suit customer expectations, and Low-code platforms provide tools to aid developers in iterating and changing current processes.
Why does low code test automation make more sense in DevOps?
- Relying on custom scripts cannot support the diverse yet integrated needs. To optimize any system, you must start with aligning goals across distinct departments, followed by integrated platforms to support cross-functional and cross-platform businesses to digitalize their operations.
- There is a shortage of experienced developers who can manage end-to-end processes. Hence, automating regular steps can help developers focus on more critical tasks to learn and upskill.
- Constant releases are vital, but it requires continuous testing and the writing of new test scripts each time. With DevOps, you can automate scanty tasks.
- And finally, the need to deliver more in less time is achievable with low code test automation.
How Low-Code Test Automation Accelerates DevOps?
1. Transcribe the experience into an automation script
Low-code test automation reduces the time and cost involved and simultaneously decreases our dependence on test automation engineers.
In addition, inexperienced coders and even non-coders can now generate test scripts. Low-code test automation enables testers to focus on the business needs and ensure a customer-centric process.
2. Improves the speed of execution of UAT
The speed boost you get from not having to code your tests makes it possible to cover new features with different tests quickly.
User acceptability testing (UAT) isn’t just about business stakeholders exploring the program, trying new features, and identifying problems. Instead, like any other test, a successful UAT demands meticulous preparation and execution.
In Agile projects, when changes are frequent, keeping UAT in sync with requirements is challenging. Therefore, rapid building and changing tests are critical benefits of no-code/low-code testing technologies. Furthermore, not engaging with coding your tests allow you to quickly cover new functionality with tests.
3. Facilitate the BDD approach
BDD is a collaborative technique that aligns the requirements between the business and agile teams. BDD tests are customer-facing scenarios that characterize distinct behaviors from the user’s perspective and BDD’s goal is to aid development by reducing rework and increasing flow.
BDD makes the transition from functional testing to automated testing easier by using a simple language that avoids the need for complicated test script syntax (TDD).
By offering a keyword driven approach, many no-code/low-code testing systems support the BDD technique. Test cases written in a keyword driven approach are legible to users of all levels, including Product Owners, QA Managers, and other stakeholders. It implies that any team member may look at the test cases and, if necessary, evaluate them.
In today’s Agile environment, the impact of employing no-code/low-code automation technologies are distinguishing between the teams that are using it and the ones who refuse to implement them in their scrum teams.
4. Empower the scrum team to achieve in-sprint test automation
Usually, when the agile tester is unable to complete the testing of a user story in a particular sprint, it causes a sprint backlog, pushing the scrum team further away from the delivery deadline.
By leveraging a low-code test automation tool like TestingWhiz, the testing team can easily convert manual test cases into an automated script, ensuring automation of test cases within a sprint and allowing the scrum team to execute complete development and testing for a user story in one sprint.
5. Enable the agile testers to focus more on exploratory testing
Exploratory testing is a cyclical process. It executes a function in a loop following the steps mentioned below:
Step 1: Design | Step 2: Execution | Step 3: Analysis | Step 4: Learning | Step 5: Go to step 1
Exploratory testing cannot be automated, as we know; instead, Agile testers must design the exploratory testing session on the fly, requiring the tester to utilize their skill set fully.
Exploratory testing allows testers to get as close to an application as possible. It’s a technique to observe if you have a functional application, and it will enable testers to spot flaws that might otherwise go undetected by conventional testing methods.
Agile testers who use no-code/low-code testing technologies can invest more time for exploratory sessions, ensuring a wider test coverage and effective UAT testing.
6. Lower technical debts
Low-code test automation offers integration of process and alignment of the long-term goals.
To reduce technical debt, adopting a low-code approach to integration will facilitate long-term thinking. As a result, you will build a system that drives teams to think about delivering projects on time in the short-term and building a long-term vision for future projects.
7. Offer a codeless approach to automate test cases
Codeless testing refers to automated testing in which the tester doesn’t need to write code. When low-code/no-code testing options were few and the automation testing concept was new, “Record and Playback” and “Codeless” were interchangeable terms. However, many automated testing products on the market provide genuine codeless testing now.
A codeless approach has a low learning curve as the production of test cases involves codeless testing. In addition, learning and generating test cases takes little time for the user. So, even if the user has no prior experience with coding or programming languages can write test cases with a self-intuitive drag and drop command. As a result, even non-technical stakeholders in a project may readily evaluate these test cases.
8. Enable test execution with a single click with CI/CD
No-code/low-code automation solutions tackle the problem of simplifying testing for Agile QA teams at various levels and dealing with the increasing complexity of software.
In addition, introducing CI/CD and continuous testing procedures in the Agile environment has revolutionized how product development teams deal with updates in numerous ways, including releasing more and quicker than previously.
As a result, today’s test automation solutions must make testing accessible to individuals with and without coding abilities.