How to Use UI Test Automation Correctly

UI or user interface is the first point of contact of the users with the app, hence, it is important to have a great UI experience to create first best impression. There are millions of apps on both Google app store and Apple store, with this immense option there are high chances of users uninstalling the app and moving to the competitors when the app doesn’t create a connect with the users. Apps like WhatsApp, Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram are successful with millions of users due to the simple and self-explanatory user interface they offer. Hence, the success of an app majorly depends on the UI.

UI testing can be cumbersome and not yield expected results when done manually. Automating the process can remove the occurrence of manual errors and create a great UI experience. To get the best results from automated UI test automation, the process has to be carried out correctly with the right test suite, framework, and resources.

Best Practices to Use UI Test Automation Correctly

Whether a web app or a mobile app, UI is the point where the users interact with the app. The quality of the UI decides if the app is going to succeed or not. Let’s say, you want to send a text message to a friend, the interface should allow you to open the messaging interface, type the text, and send it to the receiver in the most simple and easy manner. Every feature or screen that the user interacts with the app is UI, hence, creating a great user interface is important. To produce the best UI design, a thorough UI testing has to be conducted. UI test automation identifies any error and offers scope for the developers to fix them.

Here's are some ways to use UI test automation correctly that will help to yield best results:

• It is important to remember that UI Test automation is important, but not solely responsible for the success of the app. In addition to UI test automation, one should also consider other unit testing aspects
• Keeping testing independent from the development process will help improve the quality. However, testing can be incorporated early and simultaneous to the development process.
• When performing UI test automation, the quality of test data created should be high to ensure the end-results are as expected
• In UI test automation, a consistent naming convention should be followed for test cases. This approach will make the process streamlined and finding test cases gets easier
• When a UI automation is performed, do not press pause. In case, pressing pause becomes inevitable, ensure the device doesn’t go into the sleep mode
• Behavior-driven development (BDD) framework can be considered for more accurate and realistic results
• Tests can be kept simple, complex tests may lead to unnecessary inference causing discrepancies
• Data-driven testing can be followed for improved quality
• Different tests can be used for different target browsers
• Extensive recording to analyze and investigate failure
• There are a number of tools available in the market, it is important to understand the requirement and use the best test automation tool
• Use the right UI automation testing tools to handle browser testing

Benefits of UI Test Automation

Automating UI testing has a wide range of benefits, some of the include:

• Automating UI testing makes it easier to identify and fix the bugs faster
• UI test automation offers high test coverage
• It makes the tests reusable, hence, saving on cost
• The tedious nature of manual testing can be eliminated by implementing UI automation
• Automation makes the process easy and effortless
• It speeds up the whole process and saves immensely on cost

Choosing the Right UI Automation Testing Tools

The complex UI testing can be easily and accurately performed by test automation tools. There are plenty of tools available in the market claiming to offer the best UI test automation solutions. However, all of them may not be the right tool choice for you. Test automation tools should be selected based on the individual requirement.

One can consider the following points while choosing the right tool for UI automation

• Easy test script creation and maintenance
• Allows versatile test script development
• Capability to test complex interface features
• Supports various languages such as Java etc.
• Supports all UIs – web, tablets, desktop, and phones
• Allows effortless entry of huge test data even during heavy load
• Should be easy to execute even by a non-technical person
• Allow seamless integration with the CI/CD workflow
• Offer extensive reporting facility
• Offer easy maintenance
• Cost-effective

When UI test automation is done correctly with the right tools, it helps to improve the users’ interaction with the app. An impressive UI will connect with the user, increase his time spent on the app, retains existing users, attracts new ones, creates a loyal customer base, and eventually improve the business ROI. Hence, implementing UI test automation correctly can help improve the quality of the application considerably.