Thorough testing is crucial to the success of a software product. If your software doesn’t work properly, chances are strong that most people won’t buy or use itat least not for long. But testing to find defects – or bugs – is time-consuming, expensive, often repetitive, and subject to human error. Automated testing, in which Quality Assurance teams use to run detailed, repetitive, and data-intensive tests automatically, helps teams improve software quality and make the most of their always-limited testing resources. Test Automation tools such as and help teams test faster, allows them to test substantially more code, improves test accuracy, and frees up QA engineers so they can focus on tests that require manual attention and their unique human skills. Use these top tips to ensure that your software testing is successful and you get the maximum return on investment (ROI):.
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Decide what Test Cases to Automate. Test Early and Test Often. Select the Right Automated Testing Tool. Divide your Automated Testing Efforts. Create Good, Quality Test Data. Create Automated Tests that are Resistant to Changes in the UI Decide What Test Cases to Automate It is impossible to automate all testing, so it is important to determine what test cases should be automated first.
The benefit of automated testing is linked to how many times a given test can be repeated. Tests that are only performed a few times are better left for manual testing. Good test cases for automation are ones that are run frequently and require large amounts of data to perform the same action. You can get the most benefit out of your automated testing efforts by automating:. Repetitive tests that run for multiple builds.
Tests that tend to cause human error. Tests that require multiple data sets. Frequently used functionality that introduces high risk conditions. Tests that are impossible to perform manually.
Tests that run on several different hardware or software platforms and configurations. Tests that take a lot of effort and time when manual testing. Success in test automation requires careful planning and design work. Start out by creating an automation plan. This allows you to identify the initial set of tests to automate, and serve as a guide for future tests.
First, you should define your goal for automated testing and determine which types of tests to automate. There are a few different, and each has its place in the testing process. For instance, unit testing is used to test a small part of the intended application. To test a certain piece of the application’s UI, you would use functional. After determining your goal and which types of tests to automate, you should decide what actions your automated tests will perform. Don’t just create test steps that test various aspects of the application’s behavior at one time.
Large, complex automated tests are difficult to edit and debug. It is best to divide your tests into several logical, smaller tests. It makes your test environment more coherent and manageable and allows you to share test code, test data and processes. You will get more opportunities to update your automated tests just by adding small tests that address new functionality. Test the functionality of your application as you add it, rather than waiting until the whole feature is implemented.
When creating tests, try to keep them small and focused on one objective. For example, separate tests for read-only versus read/write tests. This allows you to use these individual tests repeatedly without including them in every automated test. Once you, you can group your tests into one, larger automated test. You can organize automated tests by the application’s functional area, major/minor division in the application, common functions or a base set of test data.
If an automated test refers to other tests, you may need to create a test tree, where you can run tests in a specific order. Test Early and Test Often To get the most out of your automated testing, testing should be started as early as possible and ran as often as needed.
The earlier testers get involved in the life cycle of the project the better, and the more you test, the more bugs you find. Automated can be implemented on day one and then you can gradually build your automated test suite. Bugs detected early are a lot cheaper to fix than those discovered later in production or deployment. With the, developers and advanced testers are now empowered to build and run tests. Tools such as TestLeft allows users to run functional UI tests for web and desktop applications from within their favorite IDEs. With support for Visual Studio and Java IDEs such as IntelliJ and Eclipse, developers never have to leave the comfort of their ecosystem to validate application quality - meaning teams can quickly and easily shift left to deliver software faster. Start Shifting Left and Automate now with TestLeft Select the Right Automated Testing Tool Selecting an automated testing tool is essential for test automation.
There are a lot of automated testing tools on the market, and it is important to choose the automated testing tool that best suits your overall requirements. Consider these key points when selecting an automated testing tool:. Support for your platforms and technology.
Are you testing.Net, C# or WPF applications and on what operating systems? Are you going to test web applications? Do you need support for mobile application testing? Do you work with Android or iOS, or do you work with both operating systems?. Flexibility for testers of all skill levels. Can your QA department write or is there a need for?. Feature rich but also easy to create automated tests.
Does the automated testing tool as well as manual creation of automated tests; does it include features for to verify values, databases, or key functionality of your application?. Create automated tests that are reusable, maintainable and resistant to changes in the applications UI.
Will my automated tests break if my UI changes? For detailed information about selecting automated testing tools for automated testing, see. Divide Your Automated Testing Efforts Usually, the creation of different tests is based on the QA engineers’ skill levels.
It is important to identify the level of experience and skills for each of your team members and divide your automated testing efforts accordingly. For instance, writing automated test scripts requires expert knowledge of scripting languages. Thus, in order to perform these tasks, you should have QA engineers that know the script language provided by the automated testing tool. Some team members may not be versed in writing automated test scripts. These QA engineers may be better at writing test cases. It is better when an automated testing tool has a way to create automated tests that do not require an in-depth knowledge of scripting languages, like TestComplete’s keyword tests feature. A keyword test (also known as keyword-driven testing) is a simple series of keywords with a specified action.
With keyword tests, you can simulate keystrokes, click buttons, select menu items, call object methods and properties, and do a lot more. Keyword tests are often seen as an alternative to automated test scripts. Unlike scripts, they can be easily used by technical and non-technical users and allow users of all levels to create robust and powerful automated tests. You should also collaborate on your automated testing project with other QA engineers in your department.
Testing performed by a team is more effective for finding defects and the right automated testing tool allows you to share your projects with several testers. Create Good, Quality Test Data Good test data is extremely useful for data-driven testing. The data that should be entered into input fields during an automated test is usually stored in an external file. This data might be read from a database or any other data source like text or XML files, Excel sheets, and database tables. A good automated testing tool actually understands the contents of the data files and iterates over the contents in the automated test.
Using external data makes your automated tests reusable and easier to maintain. To add different testing scenarios, the data files can be easily extended with new data without needing to edit the actual automated test. Typically, you create test data manually and then save it to the desired data storage.
However, TestComplete provides you with the Data Generator that assists you in creating Table variables and Excel files that store test data. This approach lets you generate data of the desired type (integer numbers, strings, boolean values and so on) and automatically save this data to the specified variable or file. Using this feature, you decrease the time spent on preparing test data for data-driven tests.
For more information on generating test data with TestComplete, see the Using Data Generators section in TestComplete’s help. Creating test data for your automated tests is boring, but you should invest time and effort into creating data that is well structured. With good test data available, writing automated tests becomes a lot easier. The earlier you create good-quality data, the easier it is to extend existing automated tests along with the application's development. Create Automated Tests That Are Resistant to Changes in the UI Automated tests created with scripts or keyword tests are dependent on the application under test. The user interface of the application may change between builds, especially in the early stages.
These changes may affect the test results, or your automated tests may no longer work with future versions of the application. The problem is automated testing tools use a series of properties to identify and locate an object. Sometimes a testing tool relies on location coordinates to find the object. For instance, if the control caption or its location has changed, the automated test will no longer be able to find the object when it runs and will fail. To run the automated test successfully, you may need to replace old names with new ones in the entire project, before running the test against the new version of the application.
However, if you provide unique names for your controls, it makes your automated tests resistant to these UI changes and ensures that your automated tests work without having to make changes to the test itself. This also eliminates the automated testing tool from relying on location coordinates to find the control, which is less stable and breaks easily. TestComplete allows you to divide your test into individual test parts, called test items test items, and organize them in a tree-like structure.
It lets you repeatedly use individual tests and run them in a certain order. TestComplete supports keyword-driven testing. These automated tests can be easily created by inexperienced TestComplete users or when a simple test needs to be created quickly. TestComplete supports five scripting languages that can be used for creating automated test scripts: VBScript, JScript, DelphiScript CScript and C#Script.
With TestComplete, QA engineers can share a test project with their team. TestComplete offers a Name Mapping feature that allows you to create unique names for processes, windows, controls and other objects. It makes your object names and tests clearer and easier to understand, as well as, independent of all object properties and less prone to errors if the UI changes. This feature allows you to test your application successfully even in the early stages of the applications life cycle when the GUI changes often. There are a lot of other features that TestComplete provides to help you get started quickly with your automated testing.
Adapting these recommended best practices and using TestComplete’s features can help you avoid common mistakes and improve your automated testing process. This helps you test faster, save money and get your products released on time. If you haven’t tried TestComplete,. Discover More Tips & Tools for Automated Testing Check out our for more resources to help you optimize your automated testing process. You'll learn how to outline an efficient roadmap for transitioning from manual to automated testing, build a robust framework, find downloadable guides to help you choose a tool, and an ROI calculator for you to leverage and show your boss or team the monetary savings you'll realize by automating, and so much more. Whether you're just getting started or have already implemented an automation strategy, there's something in there for you.
Build a Successful Automated Testing Strategy.
Short on time? Timesheets have played an important role in the workplace for a long time. For instance, in the 1950s, they were used by law firms to charge their clients an appropriate amount of money. Lawyers started tracking time shortly after the American Bar Association noticed that income for lawyers was falling behind income for doctors and dentists. The ABA’s logic was that well-run factories operate on a unit basis (getting paid for each item produced) and law firms should operate similarly.
Nothing should be provided for free or at a discount, they reasoned. Every unit made, or every hour worked, would be paid for. This would increase income for firms and lawyers. Switching to billing for units of time, would also allow firms to manage their staff’s productivity.
Pen and paper no longer required Flash forward to today and many companies—not just law firms—charge and bill on an hourly basis. If they don’t, they often to get a sense of how often employees are working and how productive they are. No one would deny that time is the most valuable resource in any aspect of business. That’s why it’s important to pay close attention to how we organize our time. Fortunately, time logging doesn’t have to be done with pen and paper anymore.
Today, an employee timesheet app automatically inputs employees’ work time and creates an organized deliverable. Business owners with clients can also use timesheets as an invoicing asset.
The quest When you first start looking for an employee timesheet app, one of the first things you’ll notice is the wide array of choices. This comes with both positives and negatives. The main positive aspect is the increased chance of finding software that suits your needs. On the other hand, the abundance of software solutions can easily overwhelm you if you’re not exactly sure what you’re after. Characteristics & benefits of a good timesheet app It may take some trial and error to find the perfect software solution.
Not every timesheet solution will live up to its claims. If you know what to look for, rest assured that you’ll find the perfect software for your team. Employee timesheets are used by companies of all sizes for a variety of reasons. However, the secret to excellence lies in the details.
Improve overall time management Timesheets used to help determine payroll, but not much else. Nowadays, they’re used for detailed time organization as well. They provide data that can be used for invoicing, billing, and pinpointing time-hogging tasks. Modern employee timesheets software solutions have advanced time tracking features. This will help your team work at its best. No matter how complicated things get, you’ll always remain in control of the situation.
Get the big picture A timesheet app can offer automated billing and invoicing, as well as make payroll processing much more efficient. These features are not only efficient in terms of financial costs. Automated timesheets will eliminate the focus you would put on things that are now done manually. As a result, you’ll have more time and energy to tackle issues that actually require attention. In fact, timesheet data can also help you get much into the working process. It’s easier than ever to keep all facets of projects in perspective. Data provided by timesheets will make also it much easier to plan your next steps.
Monitor employees All modern employee timesheet solutions include. You can see which of your employees is working on a specific task at any time. Some software solutions can even provide you with screenshots while they’re tracking the time. Employee monitoring features are especially handy if you’re working with a remote team.
But even if your team is located in an actual physical office space, this feature will boost employees’ focus. In this post, we’ll review some of the best options for automating timesheets. Best employee timesheet software solutions Whether you’re about to start using an online timesheet for multiple employees for the first time, or you’re thinking about switching from your current software solution, you should research your options. To help you with this, we’ve collected the five of the best solutions. The idea to create the Hubstaff time tracker came from the personal needs of the founders.
In 2012, Dave Nevogt decided he needed a better way to monitor and manage his remote teams with automatic employee timesheet software. One of the best things about Hubstaff is its operating system compatibility. As a desktop time tracking app, Hubstaff can run on devices. It also has an and that can track locations and GPS while your employees track time from a mobile device.
You can set up Hubstaff to take screenshots and record mouse and keyboard activity levels while employees are tracking their billable hours. Among other benefits, this reduces the amount of catch-up meetings you need to have each day. Or, you can turn this feature off altogether.
Hubstaff allows for manual and automatic timesheet entries. Managers can review timesheets through calendar, daily or weekly views. In-depth reporting gives businesses a clearer view of how much time is tracked toward a project, which allows you to better estimate projects in the future. Built-in approval processes allow you to see every timesheet and approve it, saving you time and allowing you to make payments directly through Hubstaff. Hubstaff’s premium plan offers a full suite of time-saving features, and starts at under $10 per user per month. Founded in 1996, Journyx is one of the first companies to release a web-based timesheet system. The products offered by Journyx today work with QuickBooks, Microsoft Dynamics, Microsoft Project and more.
The web-based Journyx app provides time tracking, expense tracking, report generation, automated billing, and payroll. There is a business version and an enterprise version. The enterprise version, called Journyx PX, is aimed at businesses tracking larger time periods and includes additional features like forecasting. Journyx pricing depends on the features and solution you choose so the company recommends contacting them for details.
This employee timesheet software was created in 2004 as TimeClockOnline.com. Timesheets is a web-based service. It can be used on any operating system of your choice because it only requires a web browser to run. However, this means you can’t track time while offline or from a simple app. With Timesheets.com, your employees can track time using timers or enter their data manually on a daily or weekly basis.
Timesheets allows generation of customizable reports for any period of time. You can set your bill rates per employee, or on a global level. You can try this tool for one full payroll cycle, free of charge. If you choose to continue using it, you can pay month to month on a per user basis. Flat rate pricing starts at $9/month for 1-2 users and increases with the size of your team. Timesheet Xpress is a productivity tool that provides a timesheet system with project organization features and time tracking.
This software s Windows-based, and can be run on one PC or across a network. Project budgeting, reporting, and billing are easy to do with this software. Timesheet Xpress offers a simple way for Windows users to collaborate and keep the work process under control. You can customize and export timesheets in many formats including PDF, CSV, XLS, HTML, as well as create invoices.
Timesheet Xpress offers a 35-day trial version. Yearly licenses for this software start at $102 for up to four users. There’s also a 50% discount for academic institutions and charity organizations. Toggl is project management and time tracking software that started out as a software solution for internal company use. Now, it’s used by teams all around the world. Toggl can be used as a web application across all operating systems.
You can also download apps for iPhone, iPad, or Android. Toggl lets you track time offline, as well as generate, export, and share timesheets and work reports that can be used for billing. Toggl’s free user plan is available for teams of up to 5 members. The Premium and Enterprise plans have some additional features, including unlimited users. Toggl’s Starter plan costs $10 per user on a monthly basis. ClickTime is time tracking software that prides itself on ease of use.
The software started as a division of a IT consulting firm in San Francisco in 1997, and broke into its own company in 1999. Their timesheets are designed primarily for agencies, nonprofits, consultants, universities, architects, IT, and healthcare companies. Time can be tracked online, on mobile devices, through Google Calendar and Chrome. The Starter Plan is $12 monthly, with features and plans going up from there.
Best employee timesheet apps summary. How Hubstaff can help you and your team The project management features of Hubstaff allow you to in the most efficient way. Assigning user roles, delegating tasks and tracking the time spent working on all your tasks and projects are only some of Hubstaff’s many handy features.
You can ask your employees to add time manually, or use the automatic time tracker. The Hubstaff time tracker can provide the most accurate insight into how billed hours are being spent. You can adjust the screenshot frequency to one, two, or three screenshots every 10 minutes. You can turn this feature off altogether, or blur these screenshots for privacy or other reasons. The app can automatically generate work reports, which can be customized to fit your specific needs. You can export reports as PDF, download or email them.
Work reports are very useful for keeping track of progress over a longer period of time. Timesheets can provide a very convenient overview of the work you and your team have been doing in the longer run. You can easily see what every billable hour has been spent on. Billable hours can be exported to CSV, Quickbooks, Paypal MassPay and Payoneer. Compatibility and integrations The Hubstaff solution works equally well on any operating system. Whether you and your employees prefer using Windows, Linux or macOS, Hubstaff will do its job.
Hubstaff also has iOS and so you can track time from anywhere. Another great feature of Hubstaff is the ability to with a number of other software solutions and apps.
You don’t have to worry if any of your collaborators or partners happen to have different preferences when it comes to software of this kind. Here’s a full list of the software apps integrable with Hubstaff.
activeCollab. Pivotal Tracker. Podio.
Basecamp. Producteev.
Breeze. Redbooth. GitHub. Redmine.
Gitlab. Teamwork PM. Insightly. Trello.
Jira. Unfuddle. LiquidPlanner. Wrike.
Mavenlink. Zoho Projects Why choose Hubstaff? There are numerous employee timesheets software solutions. However, Hubstaff is the only software solution that helps you and your team every step of the way. Try Hubstaff for 14 days, free of charge, and see for yourself. This post was originally published January 20, 2017, and was updated July 2018.