Experiences of Test Automation

Automated testing—it’s the Holy Grail, the Fountain of Youth, and the Philosopher’s
Stone all rolled into one. For decades, testers have looked to automated testing for
relief from the drudgery of manual testing—constructing test cases and test data, setting
system preconditions, executing tests, comparing actual with expected results,
and reporting possible defects. Automated testing promises to simplify all these
operations and more.
Unfortunately, successful, effective, and cost-effective automated testing is difficult
to achieve. Automated testing projects are often initiated only later to stumble,
lose their way, and be thrown onto the ever-growing pile of failed projects.
Automation fails for many reasons—unachievable expectations is perhaps the
most common, followed by inadequate allocation of resources (time, people, and
money). Other factors include tools that are poorly matched to needs, the sheer
impatience for success that hinders quality work, and a lack of understanding that
automated testing is a different kind of software development, one that requires the
same professional approach as all other development efforts.
Dorothy and Mark’s previous book, Software Test Automation: Effective Use of
Test Execution Tools, published in 1999, set the standard for books on this topic. The
first part detailed practices found in most successful automation efforts—scripting
techniques, automated comparison, testware architecture, and useful metrics. The
second part described the experiences of a number of organizations as they implemented
test automation efforts. Now, with an additional 10 years of industry knowledge
behind them, Dorothy and Mark provide another set of organizational and personal
experiences to guide our automation work. It brings us up to date, describing
both the classical and most modern approaches to test automation. Each chapter
tells a story of a unique automation effort—including both successes and failures—to
give us guidance.
Certain themes reoccur in Experiences in Test Automation: reasonable and
achievable objectives; management support; metrics, including return on investment;
required skills; planning; setting expectations; building relationships; tools; training;
and politics—all necessary to make test automation successful. However, these same
themes are equally applicable at both the project and personal levels. One great benefit
of this book comes from stepping outside the test automation realm and considering
these themes in the larger context.
I first met Dorothy and Mark at the 1998 EuroStar conference in Munich. I
was impressed with both their knowledge of and passion for helping others do great
automated testing. I congratulate them for their outstanding accomplishment and
commend this book to you.

--
Lee Copeland
December 2011