Web Test Automation Framework with Open Source Tools powered by Google WebDriver

摘要

Building test automation harness on open source libraries often causes more pain than pleasure. Factors like application complexity (variety in web elements used on a web page, nested frames, iframes, etc), project scope (number of web pages), test automation team size, learning curve of automation libraries, etc... lead to high maintenance and less adaptable solutions, in such cases principles of abstraction and design patterns come to rescue and help us attain better maintainable, adaptable and thus sustainable solutions. This paper will demonstrate how application these principles of abstraction and design patterns can aid us in building flexible test automation harnesses. When we looked at QuickBooks Online for first time for automating its testing we knew that we were facing a daunting task. Some of the challenges we were confronted with were supporting automation for more than 100 web pages, carrying out testing on modal windows, handling AJAX controls, testing Java Script error handling, coping up with constantly changing product and User Interface with changes going into the web application once every 6weeks, managing contributions from geographically spread teams in US and India. Our exercise evolved with time into an operational test automation harness. This paper will provide some context on various factors which make tailoring a test automation harness challenging and measures which will make your solution work. We will also propose a Blue Print for test automation harnesses.