The Future of Testing: Key Trends and Predictions

software development companies are gearing up to meet the overwhelming demand. However, with the steep escalation in software development, the software quality has decreased drastically.

There have been many instances in recent times where users have rejected many apps due to technical glitches or malfunctions. The best example is that of Nissan in 2015, which had to recall more than 3 million of its cars due to a defect in its software.

Organizations slowly realize that software testing cannot be overlooked in such a scenario. It lets you identify any issues and defects with the written code that can be rectified before the software product is publicly launched.

Software companies are waking up to the reality that effective software testing techniques should mandatorily be incorporated into the software development process.

This has led to unprecedented growth in the software testing industry worldwide, and this is only the beginning. As per Global Market Insights, the software testing market was valued at an astonishing USD 40 billion in 2021 and is poised to record a CAGR of more than 6% between 2022–30.

As we enter 2024, new trends in software testing are emerging thanks to continuous research and the discovery of modern technologies that will allow organizations to release perfect software free from bugs and glitches.

Companies today favor replacing manual testing practices with agile methodologies like scriptless test automation since they are more accurate, less costly, and time-saving.

The competition is fierce, and familiarizing yourself with the emerging trends in software testing is important to remain on par with your competitors.

Top 9 Key Trends and Predictions

Here are the trends currently happening in the software testing industry:

Scriptless testing
Test Cloud Infrastructure
AI-Powered testing
Improved collaboration between developers and testers never like before
Security Testing is a critical aspect of the testing process
Augmented reality testing
Performance testing
AI testing
Data testing

Let us analyze the key trends in software testing today and see what the future holds for this industry.

1. Scriptless Testing

Scriptless testing is the future of the testing industry. The days are gone when testers have to write huge lines of code to test their software. A majority of software developers are replacing manual testing with scriptless automation testing, and here is why:

• Automating the testing process without coding
  Scriptless automation tool lets you perform testing without having any coding knowledge whatsoever. All you need is a test case scenario and steps to write a scriptless test case in your testing tool.

• Faster and easier test creation
  With a quality scriptless tool, you can easily create tests using its simple and easy-to-use interface and features like drag and drop or record and playback.

• Simplifies the testing process
  The best part about scriptless testing is that the tester need not have automation expertise. Scriptless tools require only a little time to set up and get started. You also get more flexibility for reusing test cases in different scenarios.

• Improving efficiency
  When using a scriptless tool, you can relax knowing it can test even any complex application accurately. The chances of finding a bug after the product launch are zero.

2. Benefits of Test Cloud Infrastructure

No more setup or maintenance worries
Now, you no longer need to worry about updating and maintaining your hardware. Cloud computing makes testing cheaper and more manageable. Hence we expect to see more companies using a mix of both on-prem and cloud-hosted test infrastructures in the future

• Access to a wide range of devices and platforms
  Public cloud infrastructure gives you access to real physical devices on the cloud for testing your apps. You can also test your apps’ functionalities on various platforms. The best part is you do not have to worry about setting up hardware or buying devices.

• Scalability and flexibility
  Cloud testing allows you to quickly scale up or down the number of testing resources you need without investing in additional hardware or infrastructure. It provides the flexibility to respond quickly to evolving business needs or demands. You can access resources and devices from anywhere, anytime.

• Lower cost and time for setting up and maintaining the testing environment

Testing becomes cost-effective with a cloud infrastructure since you only pay for the resources you use. Since your cloud provider will handle everything, you need not worry about procuring, setting up, or maintaining the hardware or testing infrastructure.

3. The Rise of AI-powered Testing

AI is changing the dynamics of software testing. We are gradually moving to a scenario where machines are used to make testing more efficient.

Here are the top benefits of AI testing:

• Automated testing processes
  AI tools let testers automate repetitive tasks like creating test cases and help prevent duplication of test cases, thus saving precious time and resources

• Identifying defects
  These AI-based automation tools can pinpoint glitches and bugs in even complicated applications that conventional testing tools may overlook

• Improving efficiency
  AI-powered tools are more accurate when it comes to dynamic or unusual data. It can easily verify if the colors, shapes, and sizes are right, thus saving testers time and increasing efficiency.

• Speeding up the test process
  AI tools improve the test data management flow by ensuring high-quality data reaches the test cases first. All these lead to speedier test processes and quicker results.

• Enhancing accuracy
  Unlike traditional test automation, AI-powered testing helps identify bugs and glitches quickly in even highly complex apps, thus enabling you to rectify them in time before the product launch

• Better quality software
  AI in software testing ensures your software is bug-free and will perform to the user’s expected level. Thus AI helps test automation maximize its full potential and helps you deliver better software every time

4. Increased Collaboration between Development and Testing Teams

• DevOps and agile methodologies
  Organizations embrace DevOps and follow agile principles and practices while testing their software. We can see more focus on increased automation, continuous testing, and better collaboration between development and operations teams

• Focus on continuous testing
  More organizations are in favor of continuous testing, which ensures participating teams get immediate feedback enabling them to lessen as many risks as possible throughout the software development lifecycle

• Integrating testing earlier into the development process
  Companies are ensuring that testing is incorporated at an early stage of development so that potential bugs are found early and rectified before they reach the end-users

• A shift in mindset for testing teams
  Testing teams are now focused on finding as many errors as possible at an early stage of development before the software is released for production

• Working closely with development teams
  Testers now work closely with the development and operations teams, eliminating silos and ensuring communication transparency

• Delivering quality software at a faster pace
  DevOps and agile methodologies ensure that companies can develop, test, and release software quickly using modern tools and automated processes

5. Security Testing as a Critical Aspect of the Testing Process

• Rise of cyber-attacks and data breaches
  With the steady increase in cyber crimes, security testing is indispensable to software testing to find weaknesses and vulnerabilities before hackers can exploit them

• Ensuring software is secure
  Regular security testing has become vital to identifying bugs or defects in the software that can hamper the software performance and even lead to the loss of sensitive and confidential data

• Greater focus on testing for vulnerabilities
  It has become necessary to detect vulnerabilities in the application and identify which of them pose a real and significant risk

• Security testing integrated throughout the development cycle
  Instead of conducting security testing at the final stage, organizations are testing the application from the initial planning stage to the release stage of the development cycle. A risk analysis is often created at the early design stage of the SDLC

6. Augmented Reality Testing

• Emerging technology
  Augmented reality is no longer a fantasy but a huge part of the consumer market. AR software testing is more time-consuming and complex than other types of testing. Testers need to set up suitable environments and test the app under different conditions to ensure the software is functioning as expected by users

• Testing AR applications
  Testing augmented reality applications can be complex. Testers must test the AR app on factors like how it affects the device performance and other aspects like illumination and reflection testing, animations, or gestures.

• Ensuring compatibility
  Testers need to ensure that the AR apps they test are compatible with different devices, like iPhone 7 or iPhone 65

• Enhancing user experience
  The tester needs to ensure that the AR app provides a good immersive experience to the user on all devices, whether a smartphone, tablet or any other

7. Performance Testing

• Beyond Load Testing: Capacity Planning, Scalability, and Reliability
  Performance testing will no longer be limited to load testing. Organizations must conduct scalability testing to measure the app’s capacity to scale up or out when needed. Capacity planning is to be done to plan for future growth, such as increases in user base or data volume. Reliability testing will ensure that the app performs optimally in different environments

• Advanced Tools and Technologies: Pushing Software to Its Limits
  Using AI-based automation tools, testers should conduct performance testing on apps and test them on different load conditions to see how the app deals with these expected and unexpected loads

8. AI Testing

AI in software testing is here to stay. However, as AI keeps evolving, there is an increasing need to test AI algorithms and models to ensure they are accurate and reliable.

To test AI-based systems, an in-depth understanding of the underlying technologies and a meticulous selection of the test data are crucial to ensure the algorithms are tested under different conditions and scenarios.

AI testing will also lead to new methods like adversarial testing, which involves deliberately misleading algorithms to pinpoint weaknesses in the system’s design and implementation.

9. Data Testing

With data in software development assuming great significance, data testing is poised to become a vital aspect of the testing process.

Data testing will ensure the data’s accuracy, consistency, security, and privacy of the data being processed.

However, with data becoming more complex and varied, testing teams should rely on advanced data testing tools and techniques to validate the data being used and ensure its quality.

Conclusion

The future of testing is shaped by automation, AI integration, and continuous testing practices. Scriptless automation tools, AI-driven test creation, and predictive analytics will streamline processes. Testing will become more collaborative, with DevOps integration and faster feedback loops ensuring quality software delivery in increasingly complex, agile environments.

Source: This article was originally published at testgrid.io.