Abhay Chaturvedi
Irrespective of what kind of (web-based) business you run, how many pages your website contains, the kind of layout and visibility it offers, or what web-apps you offer your clients to access your services from, automated CBT will bring in measurable benefits and accurate results. Let’s understand some benefits of automating cross-browser testing for your website.
Automated CBT offers you higher test coverage in a shorter span of time. One of the major challenges with manual CBT is in case of any reoccurrence of error(s), the entire testing needs to be repeated across all browser types and devices. Often in between two successive tests any error or including a newer devices/platforms will require the tester to re-initiate the test.
Automating these procedures makes it efficient to conduct CBTs without having to worry about error occurrences or limited time spans.
When it comes to automated testing, there’s nothing more accurate and precise. Manual testers can sometimes skip a few details here-and-there by oversighting or under strained testing conditions.
Cross-browser testing with automation on the other hand scans the smallest of small details, goes by the script and leaves nothing unturned. Unlike human emotions with automation there is no fatigue, or boredom by repetitive tasks, which makes it more accurate and reliable.
Cross-browser testing often requires repeated testing, that if done manually can be boring and excessively time consuming. However by identifying the problem areas that need to be investigated companies can schedule automated testing that not just saves time but also all the resources – from office infrastructure to salaries – that go into testing manually. Automation thus provides a better ROI.
Automation testing also allows you to create a reporting dashboard using APIs and capture the smallest of malfunctioning reports. These analytics can be then studied, improved and shared ahead with clients and responsible decision makers. The same becomes a tedious task from the perspective of manual testers, which otherwise with automation is normally very easy and efficient.
As testing deep dives it also needs to be carried across the different versions of each of these platforms. Further ahead, as any build or hotfix emerges, it again requires running a test across various combinations of browsers and platforms all over again. Here is a quick glimpse of usage shares of the different browsers worldwide.
Automatic cross browser testing helps scale ‘n’ number of platforms, websites, OS and devices simultaneously in real time.
Manual testing in proportion to speed would require more resources (testers) to be deployed. However, in the case of automated testing, a single test-script takes care of all the checkpoints across which the website or app needs to be tested.
Automation isn’t just quicker but also accurate as sometimes human attention can skip some minute details while undergoing rigorous testing.
Automated CBT is of immense help while running multiple tests. Often with addition of newer codes to the application the need for repeated tests arise. Manually addressing these require clearing off a buffer period and then running the tests. Considering there are 10 scenarios across which the new codes are to be tested, it would require a handful of testers to effectively carry out these tests. With automated testing this buffer is significantly cut short and testing can be attained without any delay.
