Scriptless test automation is the way of the future in today’s world of technology! The days when programmers write huge lines of code before the product is tested are long gone.
Scriptless test automation is business user-friendly as it helps save expenses and enhance quality from the beginning of the development process. Along with requiring active participation from stakeholders, test automation frees testers to concentrate on designing and executing test cases rather than trying to build a framework and write/rewrite code to support rapid testing.
Many software development companies are switching from scripted automation testing to scriptless automation testing. Today in this article, we’ll talk about Scriptless testing, its features, and its advantages and list some of the best scriptless testing tools.
What is Scriptless Test Automation and Why Use It?
Scriptless test automation is a method of automating tests using tools instead of codes. These codeless automation tools offer abstraction from the underlying test automation code, allowing the creation of tests to be more concentrated on business logic validation.
Scriptless test automation methodology enables users to automate test cases without having in-depth knowledge of the code. This procedure generates automated tests by validating the test automation logic.
Users rarely need to write a line of code for the automated test case. Instead of creating the code themselves, they need to indicate which step should execute next.
Nevertheless, scriptless test automation does not imply that coding or test scripts are eliminated. It simplifies the entire process to make it easier for humans to perform.
When using a scriptless automation test framework, testers will have less involvement with the code, as the amount of code required to perform the test cases is created automatically at the backend.
How Does Scriptless Testing Work?
The record and playback technique is the most commonly used method for performing scriptless automation testing. In this process, the tests are recorded on-screen and then played back as an automated test.
The test stages are generated simultaneously with the tester’s online application prompts in record and playback. Additionally, a tester can choose to execute these test methods through a browser.
The scriptless automation tool automatically recognizes each step when recording a workflow, saves the object locators for each element, and links action to it. When the execution for the record tests takes place, the related action is carried out on the saved object locator.
A recorded test can also be reused in other tests as a process to reduce test length and easy maintenance in most of the recent scriptless automation tools.
Benefits of Scriptless Test Automation Methods Over Script-Based Testing
Script-Based Testing
- The testers should have knowledge about automation.
- Test cases are difficult to reuse in various contexts.
- It’s possible that dashboards, reporting, and test schedules are not always available.
- It is significant to create custom third-party integrations.
- It takes a long time and mundane testing efforts to set up the testing infrastructure.
Scriptless Testing
- The tester primarily requires application and business knowledge.
- It has greater flexibility for reusing test cases in different scenarios.
- Dashboards, reporting, and test schedules are easily accessible.
- Often includes out-of-the-box third-party integrations.
- It requires little effort to set up and start.
General Features of Scriptless Platforms
Complex script development for automated testing has called for professionals’ engineering skill sets through the traditional approach. Additionally, these test scripts are frequently “brittle,” meaning they break when the app changes or is used on a new device.
This is why scriptless automation platforms are appealing. They give business users a low-complexity and affordable way to use the power of automated testing without having to worry about the difficulty or expense of developing scripts.
Therefore, it is crucial to make sure of the following while choosing a mobile Scriptless Automation platform:
- Test scripts can be easily written using “no-code” techniques.
- The test scripts can run flawlessly on various operating systems and devices.
- To avoid vendor lock-in, test scripts can be exported in an open standard (e.g., Appium).
The Structure of a Scriptless Test Automation Framework.
Knowing the key components that make up a scriptless test automation framework might help you to understand how it works. It has at least three essential components which are:
- Frameworks brain: The most important part of the entire scriptless test automation framework is the brain. This is because it completes all necessary tasks including automating the logic, validating key areas, checking for integration with other areas, and examining all integrated third-party apps.
- The input module: It is the section where the user provides the test inputs to be processed. These could be the testing process, setup data, criteria, and predicted outcomes. The interpreter, whose job it is to pass test data to the framework’s brain, might also be considered one of these input components.
- Output module: The final component is the output module, which can take many various forms. Dashboards, reports, results, and logs are a few examples of output modules.
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5 Top Scriptless Test Automation Tools.
Here are some of the best codeless test automation tools mentioned that provide various features:
Ranorex Studio
Ranorex Studio offers a comprehensive set of codeless testing tools for testing desktop, web, and mobile platforms. Test automation can be done in half the time as traditional testing.
Feature:
- Record every interaction you have with your app using Ranorex. In the capture window, you can adjust steps, add validation actions, and pause and continue recording.
- Edit recorded steps, add validations, define execution variables, and use test data from an Excel file or a database without writing test scripts using the Action Editor.
- Drag and drop UI elements into your test case using Ranorex Spy after identifying them with a single click. Ranorex Studio will automatically manage any dynamic web elements.
ACCELQ
Without writing a single line of code, ACCELQ automates API and web testing. Additionally, it is the exclusive platform for continuous testing in the cloud. ACCELQ is the greatest option for IT teams of any size since it can automate many crucial processes like planning, designing, execution, and test generation.
Feature:
- The tool ensures to provide the end-to-end API and UI validation.
- It offers high-quality test and manual lifecycle management
Selenium IDE
Selenium IDE is an open-source test automation tool that records and replays. It is appropriate for startups and freelancers and is available as a Chrome or Firefox plugin. The Selenium IDE’s Command-line Runner supports cross-browser execution.
Feature:
- There is support for control flow structures like if, while, and times.
- Plugins can be used to extend the tool.
- You can reuse the Selenium IDE test cases that you create.
- It will enable you to create a test suite.
- For each element it interacts with, it can store a variety of locators.
- You will also be able to modify the test script.
Leapwork
Another cloud-based, codeless automation tool is Leapwork, which supports a variety of applications including SAP, Windows, and Web. Leapwork’s foundation is automation, which they executed with built-in building blocks and default libraries to assist teams to save time and be more productive.
Features:
- Drag and drop visual flow builder with building blocks
- For testing teams, codeless capabilities reduce the learning curve.
- ability to use the same automation flows for many test cases.
- supports parallel executions and cross-browser testing.
- Early adopters can access a well-documented knowledge base that includes videos and documents.
- Simple integration with the current DevOps tools.
- Smart recorder to automatically execute test steps after they are captured.
- supports multiple test data sources and can handle enormous data volumes.
Perfecto
Another top testing tool for online and mobile applications is Perfecto. It is a cloud-based automation tool for testing mobile and online applications that is compatible with a wide range of devices, browsers, and software testing platforms. Perfecto provides self-healing features to update test scripts regularly and run them with the least amount of maintenance. It also has AI capabilities for error classification.
Features:
- Provides continuous testing by automating the entire software testing lifecycle (STLC).
- It can support a live testing environment.
- It offers features for scalability and security at the enterprise level.
- AI-driven capabilities for test maintenance.
- Functionalities for reusing tests.
- It provides constant feedback.
Advantages of Scriptless Test Automation
The following are the main benefits of creating a Scriptless Framework:
- The testers are not required to have any programming or scripting knowledge.
- The rapid development of automation testing that integrates seamlessly with the Agile process.
- It provides versatility for both new and experienced users. Additionally, it enables development teams to stick to strict project timetables and testing coverage requirements.
- The underlying scriptless framework would have been fully tested, resulting in fewer errors attributed to testing. This reduces the response time that needs to analyze and debug test-related problems.
- The entire test automation suite will be simpler to maintain.
Scriptless Test Automation – Final Words
Scriptless test automation is one of the latest technologies in recent years. Scriptless Test Automation is an on-demand, modern approach that is used to achieve its goal and maximize the scalability of test automation.
The reusability of a Scriptless test automation solution directly impacts the efficiency gains realized through its use. In comparison to traditional test automation scripting approaches, the centralized stored objects, shared step sequences, object change detection mechanisms, and self-healing locators found in scriptless tools will collectively and noticeably reduce the creation and maintenance efforts associated with testing.
The ability to create tests in a simpler interface has the apparent benefit of decreasing test creation time, but the value does not end there. Even non-technical personnel can participate in the design and creation of tests because they can generate without understanding coding.
When using codeless testing strategies, the number of people who can create tests increases because the entry barrier is minimized. This makes it easier to practice the basic principles of Agile, where everyone is responsible for the quality and ensures that the requirements for business goals are met by the software that implements them.
Streamlining with the right scriptless test automation is the ideal solution to automating significant backlogs of manual testers. The previously stressful maintenance of those automated tests becomes more manageable, and the typical obstacles with provisioning test execution are well enough abstracted and handled, allowing you to concentrate on what you need to test rather than how those tests will run.
