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Test Automation and the SDET: Explore the Possibilities

In reaction to the COVID-19 virus, most TSI software developers were instructed to work from home in March 2020. Software Testing Certified Courses, which later became the Test Automation Virtual Conference, piqued my curiosity. It took place between April 21 and May 6, 2020. My supervisor suggested that another QA member and I attend remotely as travel was no longer required (or effectively allowed).


Examine the possibilities of test automation and the SDET.


The conference featured a wide range of subjects related to software testing, with an emphasis on test automation, such as:


· When should you automate?


· Reusability, Reliability, and Risk


· Benefits of API Testing


· SDET's Function


· In a scrum structure, automation is important.


· For mobile testing, use Appium and Espresso.


· The architecture of the automation framework


· Synthetic data and test data management


· DevOps and automated testing


· Testing in a controlled setting


· Developers and testers must communicate with one another (soft skills)


· evaluating the efficiency of test automation


· Scalability


· Machine learning and artificial intelligence


· Creating a high-quality culture


· Quality in Continuous Integration/Continuous Deployment (CI/CD) and DevOps


· CI/CD pipeline modernization, and more.


It's easy to see why this meeting lasted ten days!


What are SDET's test strategies and tools?

There were QA Engineer Course , methodologies and tools described. J Meter, Appium, Espresso, and Pester, among others, were among the tools considered. Some of them I recognised, while others I had never heard of.

While listening to the speeches and viewing the slides, it was clear that the speakers were talking about the SDET from the start. I didn't recognise the term, or at least not in the way it was being given to me. I had a feeling I knew what that meant, but I wasn't sure. "What is an SDET?" I asked my valued colleague using TSI's preferred instant messaging application, WebEx Teams. It was the Software Development Engineer in Test, he said. It made sense now; I knew what the position was and what its responsibilities were, but I had no idea it was employed as a separate position or had its own abbreviation! As speaker after speaker mentioned the SDET in some form, it quickly became a well-known term for me as well. And I realised, wow, that's a key player on the squad!


Why do people use automation tools?


The software team (development and QA) at TSI uses automation tools for a variety of projects. I'm currently utilising TestComplete to create automated tests for one of our Windows-based older products. This device, like many others, is fighting COVID-19, the virus that has forced so many of us to work from home. TestComplete is also used by other TSI QA engineers for various products.

Cypress is a next-generation front-end testing tool that can be used for end-to-end tests, integration tests, and unit tests on the modern web. Anything that runs in a browser can be tested by Cypress. Cypress tests are written at TSI for one of our web interfaces for a compact, lightweight, low-cost air quality sensor that can be easily installed in or around a problem area.

Another TSI developer is actually using two distinct automation technologies for different platforms on a new product (which will be published soon!). For desktop applications, Spectron automation is utilised, while for mobile applications, Appium is employed (IOS and Android). Here are a few instances of TSI's test automation initiatives.


There are more questions than answers here.


While I knew how to utilise JavaScript in TestComplete to build automation code and use it to test my application under test, I quickly realised how difficult it was to use the test scripts as effectively as possible. When, where, and how would the results be used if they were to run? What role would they play in software development? Integration and development on a continuous basis? What would be the versioning scheme and how would the code be maintained? How could the software be produced, distributed, and tested on a continuous basis?


Other issues arose. Is the tool I'm using the proper one, and what will my future issues be with new products? How can the automation team use best practises even when we're testing multiple products with different tools? What are the most effective DevOps practises?

Are these topics of interest to you? Could you please advise on the best tools and procedures for test automation? If that's the case, we'd love for you to join our software engineering team!

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