Skip to content
 

Difference between Manual and Automated Testing

Difference between Manual testing and Automated Testing

Before we start to know about manual testing and automated testing, let us know some concepts on software testing. Software testing can be defined as task from planning to execution. These software programs help you to easily identify any bugs or errors in the program.

Test plan is first step to software testing

Planning is most appropriate step when you have to start the testing. You need to carry on with manual testing or automated testing easily. Whether you go for any one of the types of testing, you need to follow the following things:

1.      Test planning

1.      Writing test cases

2.      Executing test cases

3.      Reporting results of test cases

Let us know about both the tests in details.

Manual testing: Any test engineers who test the software manually use this testing technique. The test engineer is responsible for carrying out all test cases and executing the application manually. When he carries all test cases systematically, he can identify whether any particular step has been successful or failed. One basic information that is required while doing manual testing in test cases, how to implement those manually. In this way when the test completed, it gives you an opportunity to easily create and manage manual testing while testing your application. When you add manual testing project item to your project then it helps you to create a collection of steps that can be performed when application is being tested. According to test strategy of test plan, you can write test cases for all kinds of testing. Generally, test engineers write test cases according to design document of software. Whenever any testing is performed, manual testing is its part. It is the initial phase of testing that is useful for software development.

Advantages of manual testing

1)      It is used in both big and small projects

2)      According to project movement, test cases can be added or removed.

3)      Within a limited cost budget, it is covered.

4)      Manual testing is better than automated testing in terms of reliability.

5)      Tester is able to perform more adhoc. You will find that more bugs and errors are found with adhoc than the automation.

 

Disadvantages of manual testing

1)      In manual testing, you cannot find GUI object size difference and color combination easily.

2)      In this type of testing, for large number of fusers you cannot cover actual load and performance.

3)      Manual testing is time consuming.

 

Automated testing: Automated testing is a type of testing where test engineers are responsible for running script on any testing tool for testing. This process of using tools to test software using scripts is not so easy. It requires good programming knowledge by the engineer. This would be helpful for them to write any script for any test case. Here they make good plans and scripts for various test cases. Here complete time is devoted to write scripts. There is a set environment on tool to run the test cases, and these are important as any kind of small errors may cause failure in test result. All detailed information is good even GUI small objects of screen are key information in it.

Advantages of automated testing

1)      Within a limited time, you cover all major test cases.

2)      Using tools, you can check all kind of case like load and performance of software.

3)      It is best choice in case of regression testing

4)      Sometimes certain website requires immediate evaluation, and this testing is the best choice during this time.

5)      This testing can be performed on different operating systems within same time

6)      For volume testing, this kind of testing is used as easier tools

7)      Within short period, you can obtain test results of many test cases.

Disadvantages of automated testing

1) Initially it is a time taking work, as it requires test cases to be resolved in to scripts.

2) When you compare it to manual testing, this testing is expensive.

3) Not all tools support all languages, as there is much software for different language testing.

4) This kind of testing is not able to detect color related issues.

5) As it cannot read tags, hence automated testing is not able to identify missing heading tags.

6) This test cannot identify the descriptive attributes.

7) To determine whether a website is comprehensible or functional if browsers do not support style sheets and scripts or even if user disable these, are not easily identified by automated testing.

8) This testing does not support any video or mp3 file.

 

There are specific situation where you should use either manual testing or automation testing. However, in some situation, you can make use of both the tests. Here are those situations:

1)      Functional: Functionality test is something that must be done manually as well as in automated.

2)      Use cases or user scenarios. Here you can string together functional tests in to overflow and this can create realistic user scenarios whether you use it manually or automatically. If the workflow involves human intervention, then trick is here is that automated testing must be avoided.

3)      User interface: You can test the user interface using automated testing but you have to keep track of costs as changes required frequently may result in high costs.

4)      Date and time handle: If test cases can easily reset computer’s clock then you can automate these tests.

Both of these testing will help you to test application with specific technique. On one side testing manually is based on concepts and functions of project and automated testing is based on tool support for specific languages. Manual testing is preferred for small projects and automated for big projects to save money and time respectively. With so many automation testing tools available in market, you can easily get rid of all errors and bugs in program with easy means. Both of these testing tools have their own respective share of responsibilities in testing projects. With best of tools available in market, you can get ahead of competitors easily.

Save on DeliciousDigg This
Submit to StumbleUponTweet

Leave a Reply