An essential element of the development process for software applications that meet the highest quality standards, software testing can be a complex operation. With the growing number of features available in today's applications, not to mention the enormous number of platforms and browsers to consider, the chances of bugs and issues getting unreported are increasing. However, in today's highly competitive market, software developers cannot afford to let products with even minor glitches reach the market.

Key Software Testing Challenges

The following are the key challenges that come with software testing in the current scenario, where the market demands constant application updates.

• Without a realistic test environment, testers will only identify defects that are mirrored under very particular situations, lowering the chances of finding real-world or difficult-to-find bugs.
• Testers frequently operate in complete isolation and communicate with other team members only intermittently.
• The presence of unstable test environments, which may cause the overall release process to be disrupted.
• Inadequate or insufficient requirements analysis is also a common difficulty for testers, which has a number of negative effects for the quality of the product.
• Testing at the last minute, due to the development process taking longer than intended.
• Changes in the requirement at the last minute that can be tough for testers to deal with.
• Developing new test data is too time-consuming, which means testing is based on inconsistent existing test data.

Choosing the Right Test Automation Tool is the Solution

In this situation, software engineers have turned to automation testing to speed up the testing process and boost test coverage. The best part about automation is that it not only improves the quality of testing and speeds it up significantly, but it also lowers the cost. So, how does one choose the right test automation tool? Here we bring to you the things you should consider.

1] The Programming Language(s) Supported

Various technical test automation solutions are built to handle different programming languages, therefore it's critical to pick a test automation tool that your team will feel most at ease with. Selenium-based tools are recommended because it supports a wide range of programming languages, including Python, Java, PHP, and Perl, among others. You should keep in mind that converting to automation testing entails a learning curve, which is made easier if the tool supports the programming language your team is currently comfortable with.

2] Testing Requirements

It's critical to assess your testing objectives before investing in an automation testing platform. After all, how can you pick the best decision if you don't know what you want the automation testing tool to perform for you? Look for a test automation solution that is built to fit your needs after you know what to expect from the automation of the testing process. If your project is largely focused on mobile application testing, for example, you'll need a different tool than a QA team focused on online application testing.

3] Platforms Supported

This is significant when looking for a test automation solution, since not every project has the same requirements for the number of browsers and platforms that must be supported. While some projects just need to consider a few browsers, others may need to consider a variety of browsers and systems. Because complex testing can be costly, you should be clear about the level of help you require from your test automation tool. If your project necessitates extensive testing across many browsers and systems, you should invest in a solution that supports both.

4] External Integrations

Tools for advanced test automation nowadays support easy interface with a variety of different tools, each of which is meant to enhance the tool's performance and capacity. So, you've got Sauce Labs, BrowserStack, BrowseEmAll, and a few additional integrations. It's vital to look at each one and see which ones can help you achieve your goals. It will be easy to find a test automation tool that matches your needs once you know what you want.

5] The Costs Involved

Last but not least, you should set a budget for how much you want to spend on an automation testing tool and stick to it when looking for one. After all, there are a lot of test automation tools out there with fantastic capabilities, but staying to a budget is crucial. The goal is to locate an automation testing tool that has all of the capabilities you require while remaining within your budget.

Want to witness what makes QARA Enterprise the complete test management platform that can help your QA team overcome the challenges of software testing? Visit www.qaratest.com or drop an email on info@qaratest.com and our team will get in touch with you.