Manual testing to automatic testing A formal training programme for testers at Bands 3 to 7

8.1.4 Summarize Opportunities for Use of Test Automation Tools

Part of 8 Continuous Improvement, 8.1 Continuous Improvement Opportunities for Test Automation.

Learning objective: TAE-8.1.4 (K2).

In short

Test automation tools can do useful work beyond testing: setting up and cleaning environments, keeping test data current, and producing screenshots and videos.

Key ideas

  • Environment set-up and control: scripts can create test data and users in a new environment, for example by calling a web service to register users with different profiles, and clean up afterwards, such as removing old logs and testware.
  • Data ageing: automation can keep test data current, for example moving date fields forward so that records stay within the right year.
  • Screenshots and video: most user interface tools can capture screenshots and videos, which can serve release documentation, training, or marketing.

In this programme

The FHIR sandbox loads its synthetic patients at start-up: environment set-up by automation. A Selenium script that walks through a new feature and saves screenshots at each step can produce the pictures for the team's release notes, using only synthetic data.

Teach it (20 minutes)

Pairs list three repetitive, non-testing chores in their team's work, such as preparing demo data or taking release screenshots, and sketch how a script could do each.

Check yourself

  1. How can test automation help set up a new test environment?
  2. What is data ageing?
  3. Give one use of automated screenshots beyond testing.

Previous: 8.1.3 Restructure the Automated Testware to Align with System Under Test Updates · Contents

Based on the ISTQB Certified Tester Advanced Level Test Automation Engineering (CTAL-TAE) syllabus, version 2.0, section 8.1.4. The syllabus is © International Software Testing Qualifications Board (ISTQB®); ISTQB® is a registered trademark of the ISTQB. Copyright © 2024 the authors of the syllabus: Andrew Pollner (Chair), Péter Földházi, Patrick Quilter, Gergely Ágnecz, and László Szikszai. This page explains its concepts in our own words, for teaching, and is not an accredited course or a substitute for the syllabus.

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