When Should a Test Be Automated? 02

angelcc216

Brian Marick

Testing Foundations
marick@testing.com


Scenarios


In order for my argument to be clear, I must avoid trying to describe all possible testing scenarios at once. You as a reader are better served if I pick one realistic and useful scenario, describe it well, and then leave you to apply the argument to your specific situation. Here’s my scenario:


1. You have a fixed level of automation support. That is, automation tools are available.You know how to use them, though you may not be an expert.Support libraries have been written. I assume you’ll work with what you’ve got, not decide to acquire new tools, add more than simple features to a tool support library, or learn more about test automation. The question is: given what you have now, is automating this test justified? The decision about what to provide you was made earlier, and you live with it.


In other scenarios, you might argue for increased automation support later in the project. This paper does not directly address when that’s a good argument, but it provides context by detailing what it means to reduce the cost or increase the value of automation.

chw1225

Very Good