The integration of Robotic Process Automation (RPA) with Artificial Intelligence (AI) has managed to revolutionize business process automation. It's led to improvements in operational efficiency and pioneered the establishment of new standards for test automation. By...
Introduction to End-to-End Testing
End-to-end testing (E2E) examines the real-world scenarios of an application from start to finish, touching as many functional areas and parts of the application’s technology stack as possible. Compared to unit tests, which are narrow in scope, E2E tests have a broad scope, and so are sometimes called “broad stack” or “full stack” tests. E2E tests focus on validating the workflows of an application from the perspective of the end-user, which makes them highly valued by management and customers. E2E testing is usually performed last in the testing process, following lower-level unit, integration, and system testing.
Despite their value, automated E2E tests can be complex to build, fragile, and challenging to maintain. As a result, a common approach is to plan a smaller number of E2E tests than unit and integration tests, as shown in the test automation pyramid. E2E testing is conducted in as realistic an environment as possible, including the use of back-end services and external interfaces such as the network, database, and third-party services. Because of this, E2E testing can identify issues such as real-world timing and communication issues that might be missed when units and integrations are tested in isolation.
E2E Example
Assume that you are testing a web shopping platform that requires a third party to validate payment details. This application might contain E2E tests such as the following:
- User logs on, searches for an item, puts the item in the cart, selects payment and shipping details, and then checks out and logs off.
- Use logs on, searches for an existing order that has been shipped, reviews the tracking information, and receives a detailed response on the delivery of the order, then logs off.
- User logs on, searches for an existing order that has been shipped, requests a return of the order, receives a shipping label to return the item, and logs off.
- User logs on, opens their account information, adds a new payment type, receives verification that the payment type is valid, and logs off.
These tests will access third-party services such as payment verification and shipment tracking, as well as one or more databases for customer information, inventory, orders, and more.
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Best Practices for E2E Testing
A typical E2E test can be complex, with multiple steps that are time-consuming to do manually. This complexity can also make E2E tests difficult to automate and slow to execute. The following practices will help manage the costs of automated E2E testing while maintaining the benefits.
Keep an end-user perspective
Limit exception testing
Apply risk analysis
Given the relative expense of performing E2E tests manually or automating them, concentrate on your application’s high-risk features. To determine a high-risk feature, consider both how likely a failure is to happen, and the potential impact that it would have on end users. A risk assessment matrix is a useful tool in identifying risk. Read more about risk analysis in the Ranorex Testing Wiki.
Test in the right order
Manage your test environment
Separate test logic from your UI element definitions
To make your automated E2E tests more stable, separate the logic of your tests from the UI element definitions. Use an object repository or a page object pattern to avoid having your test logic interact directly with the user interface. This makes your tests less likely to fail due to changes in the structure of the UI. Ranorex Studio includes an object repository for separating automated tests from UI element definitions, or you can use the page object pattern when testing web applications with Selenium.
Handle waits for UI elements appropriately
Don’t allow an E2E test to fail unnecessarily when waiting for a page to load or a UI element to appear on the screen. In Ranorex Studio, you can add an action that waits for a UI element to exist, for a specified period. If that period is exceeded, then the test fails. The wait time should be at least as long as the normal time that it should take for the UI element to appear. But don’t make it too long. Excessively long wait times may indicate a problem with the application, interfaces or environment, and are annoying to end-users. In addition, allowing long wait times in your automated tests can also affect the overall execution of your E2E testing. In general, set a wait time that is just little longer than the normal time it takes for a UI element to appear.
Choose the right devices
Optimize your setup/teardown process
Conclusion
It’s important to plan manual and exploratory testing as part of your E2E testing, to address difficult-to-automate aspects such as usability and user experience. And, to ensure that you have a complete and well-balanced set of tests,
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