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Test Automation

Benefits of using screen recordings/videos to share information between business and dev teams

by Yadwinder Sharma
June 23, 2024
  1. Visual Clarity: Screen recordings can capture visual information, such as software interfaces, user interactions, and workflows. This visual clarity can help business users convey their requirements with precision.
  2. Step-by-Step Demonstration: Screen recordings can be used to provide step-by-step demonstrations of specific tasks or processes. This is particularly valuable when explaining complex software functionalities.
  3. Visual Documentation: Visual documentation through screen recordings can serve as a reference point for developers. It allows them to see exactly how a particular feature or process should work, reducing ambiguity.
  4. Bug Reporting: Screen recordings are effective for reporting and demonstrating software bugs or issues. Developers can view the recording to understand the problem and work on resolving it more efficiently.
  5. Training and Onboarding: Screen recordings can be used for training purposes, especially for onboarding new team members. They provide a visual guide for understanding software features and usage.
  6. User Experience Feedback: Business users can record their interactions with software to provide feedback on the user experience. This can help developers identify areas for improvement.
  7. Efficient Communication: Visual demonstrations often lead to more efficient communication, as developers can see exactly what the business users are referring to, reducing the need for lengthy explanations.
  8. Quality Assurance: Screen recordings can be used in quality assurance processes to ensure that the software meets the specified requirements and functions correctly.
  9. Visual Validation: Business users can visually validate that their requirements have been implemented correctly through screen recordings, reducing the risk of misunderstandings.
  10. Collaboration: Screen recordings facilitate collaboration between business users and developers, allowing them to visually review and discuss specific elements of the software.
  11. Accessibility: Team members who were not part of the initial conversation can access screen recordings to gain insights into the project and contribute effectively.
  12. Accountability: Screen recordings help establish accountability by showing how specific user interactions or functionalities were requested and should be implemented.

While screen recordings offer several advantages for visual communication, it’s important to remember that they may not always be suitable for conveying certain types of information, and they should be used in conjunction with other communication and documentation methods as needed.

Please try the free Nimbal User Journey Chrome/Edge plugin (Only Windows OS supported for now) to capture the videos of your user journeys to experience the above benefits. It will download the screen recordings in your Downloads folder with an additional feature text file with the details of the steps taken during the video.

Test Automation

Mastering the Art: Imperative and Declarative Ways of Writing Gherkin Tests

by Yadwinder Sharma
June 23, 2024


Imperative Gherkin Tests: The Step-by-Step Approach

Imperative Gherkin tests are centered around a step-by-step approach, providing explicit instructions on how to perform each action and validate the expected outcome. This style can be ideal for complex scenarios that require detailed scripting. Here’s an example:

 Scenario: User Login Given the user is on the login page 
When the user enters valid credentials 
And clicks the login button 
Then the user should be redirected to the dashboard

In this example, every action and its expected outcome are explicitly defined, guiding the automation tool or tester through each step. Imperative Gherkin tests are ideal for precise execution and debugging, as each step can be isolated and analyzed individually.

Declarative Gherkin Tests: The What, Not the How

Declarative Gherkin tests, on the other hand, focus on describing the intended behavior without explicitly defining the implementation details. They express the “what” rather than the “how” of a scenario, allowing for a more high-level, business-focused approach. Let’s see an example:

Scenario: User Login Given the user has valid credentials 
When the user attempts to log in 
Then the user should be granted access to the dashboard

Notice how the declarative style emphasizes the desired outcome rather than the specific actions. This approach promotes collaboration between business stakeholders and testers, as it abstracts away technical complexities and keeps the focus on business requirements. Declarative Gherkin tests also tend to be more resilient to changes in the user interface or underlying implementation, making them easier to maintain in the long run.

Choosing the Right Approach

Now that we’ve explored both imperative and declarative styles, you might be wondering which one to choose. Well, it depends on your testing goals, the complexity of your scenarios, and the collaboration dynamics within your team.

Imperative Gherkin tests shine when you require precise control over each step, want to isolate issues quickly, or have complex workflows that demand explicit scripting. On the other hand, declarative Gherkin tests excel in scenarios where collaboration and maintainability are crucial, such as when involving non-technical stakeholders or when the system’s implementation details are subject to change.

A hybrid approach can also be effective, blending both styles to strike a balance between clarity and maintainability. You can choose declarative statements for high-level scenarios and introduce imperative steps for specific critical actions that require detailed control.

In Conclusion

Gherkin tests offer a powerful way to document and automate behavior-driven scenarios, and understanding the imperative and declarative styles allows you to leverage their full potential. Each approach has its strengths, so choose wisely based on your testing goals and collaboration requirements.

Remember, testing is an iterative process, and the best approach might vary from project to project. So keep experimenting, learning, and adapting your testing strategies to ensure robust and efficient test automation.

Test Automation

Playwright-BDD: Playwright and BDD for Agile Teams

by Yadwinder Sharma
June 17, 2024

Introduction

Integrating robust automation tools with effective development methodologies is crucial for modern web development. Playwright-BDD stands out by combining Playwright’s cutting-edge automation capabilities with the structured approach of Behavior-Driven Development (BDD). This integration not only enhances testing efficiency but also ensures that tests are easily understandable and maintainable. It also removes the hassle of integrating Cucumber JS and Playwright manually and loosing on some key benefits of playwright test runner in process of doing that.

What is Playwright?

Playwright, developed by Microsoft, is an automation framework that supports browser automation across multiple platforms. It’s designed to handle modern web applications with ease, offering features such as:

  • Cross-browser testing: Supports Chrome, Firefox, and WebKit, ensuring broad compatibility.
  • Headless mode: Allows for faster execution of tests without a GUI.
  • Auto-waiting: Automatically waits for elements to be ready before interacting with them.
  • Network interception: Enables mocking network requests and responses, providing more control over the test environment.

Benefits of Using Playwright

Playwright’s robust features make it an ideal choice for web automation. Its ability to handle complex interactions, coupled with auto-waiting and network interception, reduces flakiness and improves the reliability of tests. Additionally, its support for multiple browsers ensures comprehensive test coverage.

Understanding Behavior-Driven Development (BDD)

Behavior-Driven Development (BDD) is a development approach that encourages collaboration between developers, testers, and business stakeholders. BDD uses natural language constructs to define test scenarios, making them more accessible and easier to understand for non-technical stakeholders.

Key Concepts of BDD

  • Gherkin syntax: A domain-specific language for writing test cases in a readable format.
  • Scenarios and Steps: Tests are divided into scenarios, each with a series of steps (Given, When, Then).
  • Collaboration: Encourages communication and understanding among all project participants.

Advantages of BDD

BDD improves the quality of the software by ensuring that all stakeholders have a clear understanding of the requirements. It bridges the gap between technical and non-technical team members, facilitating better communication and collaboration.

Playwright-BDD Overview

Playwright-BDD is a powerful package that seamlessly integrates Playwright with BDD. It allows for the execution of BDD scenarios using Playwright, leveraging the strengths of both frameworks.

Core Features

  • Automatic browser initialization and cleanup: Simplifies the setup and teardown process.
  • Capturing screenshots, videos, and traces: Provides detailed insights into test runs.
  • Parallelization with sharding: Enhances efficiency by running tests in parallel.
  • Auto-waiting for page elements: Eliminates the need for manual waits.
  • Visual comparison testing: Ensures pixel-perfect accuracy in UI tests.
  • Flexible Playwright fixtures: Allows for complex test setups and customizations.

Setting Up Playwright-BDD

Installation Steps

To get started with Playwright-BDD, follow these steps:

  1. Install Playwright: npm install playwright
  2. Install Playwright-BDD: npm install playwright-bdd
  3. Set up Configuration: Create a playwright.config.js file and configure Playwright settings.

Initial Configuration

Configure your test environment and specify the browsers to be used. Customize the setup according to your project’s needs, ensuring that all necessary plugins and dependencies are included.

Advantages of Using Playwright-BDD

Browser Initialization and Cleanup

Playwright-BDD automates the initialization and cleanup of browsers. This feature ensures that each test starts with a fresh browser instance, reducing the risk of flaky tests and making the testing process more reliable.

Capturing Screenshots and Videos

The package automatically captures screenshots, videos, and traces of test runs. These artifacts are invaluable for debugging and reporting, providing a clear visual record of the test execution.

Parallelization with Sharding

Benefits of Parallel Execution

Parallel execution significantly reduces the overall test runtime by running multiple tests simultaneously. This is particularly beneficial for large test suites, as it enhances efficiency and speeds up the feedback loop.

How Sharding Works in Playwright-BDD

Sharding divides the test suite into smaller chunks, each executed independently in parallel. Playwright-BDD manages this process seamlessly, ensuring that tests are evenly distributed and executed efficiently.

Auto-Waiting for Page Elements

Importance of Auto-Waiting

Auto-waiting is crucial for reliable test execution. It ensures that tests only proceed when the necessary elements are fully loaded and ready for interaction, preventing common synchronization issues.

Implementation in Playwright-BDD

Playwright-BDD incorporates auto-waiting for page elements, eliminating the need for manual waits and improving the stability of tests. This feature simplifies test writing and reduces the likelihood of intermittent failures.

Visual Comparison Testing

Introduction to Visual Testing

Visual testing involves comparing the current state of the UI against a baseline to detect visual regressions. This ensures that the application’s appearance remains consistent across updates.

How Playwright-BDD Handles Visual Testing

Playwright-BDD provides built-in support for visual comparison testing. It captures screenshots during test runs and compares them against predefined baselines, highlighting any discrepancies and ensuring visual integrity.

Powerful Playwright Fixtures

Customizing Fixtures

Fixtures in Playwright-BDD allow for flexible and reusable test setups. They enable the definition of shared setup and teardown logic, which can be customized to fit specific testing needs.

Benefits of Using Fixtures

Using fixtures simplifies test maintenance and enhances code reusability. It allows for consistent test environments and reduces redundancy in test setups, leading to more efficient and manageable test suites.

Cucumber Reporters

Overview of Cucumber Reporters

Cucumber reporters provide detailed and customizable test reports. They enhance the readability and comprehensiveness of test results, making it easier to understand and analyze test outcomes.

Integration with Playwright-BDD

Playwright-BDD supports Cucumber reporters, enabling users to generate rich, informative reports. This integration provides greater insight into test performance and facilitates better communication of test results.

For any questions and support please contact Nimbal Team and check out our Case Studies

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