Helo everyone. This article is for aspiring young lads who are looking to venture into tech and have been thinking about where to start from. Software testing is a branch of software development that deals with testing an application before it is launched to the market. Basically, the word “testing”, you will be testing software that developers have worked on. We all know that a product cannot go into the market without it being tested thoroughly hence, the word “tester”. A software tester tests a software or a web application to ensure every part, features, buttons and links of the software functions properly and according to the laid down strategy.
Like I said earlier, software testing is a branch of software development. So, a software tester is the one who tests the features, functionality and performance of a software or web application before it’s been launched to the market. Now, there are two types of software testing and they are manual and automated software testing and today this article will be focusing on these two types of software testing. We will be discussing which one is better between the two, which one’s most efficient and which of them should you start your career in and to do that we will define both separately then go in to the difference.
What is Manual Testing?
Manual Testing is a type of Software Testing where Tester(s) are required to manually execute test cases without using any automation tool(s). Manual Testing is the most primitive of all testing types and helps find bugs in the software system. A new application or update must be manually tested before its testing can be automated. Manual Testing requires more effort but is necessary to check automation feasibility. Manual Testing does not require knowledge of any testing tool. One of the Software Testing Fundamental is "100% Automation is not possible". This makes Manual Testing imperative
What is Automation Testing?
In Automated Software Testing, testers write code/test scripts to automate test execution. Testers use appropriate automation tools to develop the test scripts and validate the software. The goal is to complete test execution in a less amount of time. Automated testing entirely relies on the pre-scripted test which runs automatically to compare actual result with the expected results. This helps the tester to determine whether or not an application performs as expected. Automated testing helps to execute repetitive task and regression test without the intervention of manual tester. Even though all processes are performed automatically, automation requires some manual effort to create initial testing scripts
To make it easier for you to understand, let me differentiate them using a table.
*Manual Testing Pros and Cons *
Pros of Manual Testing: Get fast and accurate visual feedback It is less expensive as you don't need to spend your budget for the automation tools and process Human judgment and intuition always benefit the manual element While testing a small change, an automation test would require coding which could be time-consuming. While you could test manually on the fly
Cons of Manual Testing: Less reliable testing method because it's conducted by a human. Therefore, it is always prone to mistakes & errors. The manual testing process can't be recorded, so it is not possible to reuse the manual test. In this testing method, certain tasks are difficult to perform manually which may require an additional time of the software testing phase. i.e Load Testing, Regression Testing. 90%
*Automation Testing Pros and Cons *
Pros of Automation Testing: Automated testing helps you to find more bugs compare to a human tester As most of the part of the testing process is automated, you can have a speedy and efficient process Automation process can be recorded. This allows you to reuse and execute the same kind of testing operations Automated testing is conducted using software tools, so it works without tiring and fatigue unlike humans in manual testing It can easily increase productivity because it provides fast & accurate testing result Automated testing support various applications Testing coverage can be increased because of automation testing tool never forget to check even the smallest unit
Cons of Automation Testing: Without human element, it's difficult to get insight into visual aspects of your UI like colors, font, sizes, contrast or button sizes. The tools to run automation testing can be expensive, which may increase the cost of the testing project. Automation testing tool is not yet foolproof. Every automation tool has their limitations which reduces the scope of automation. Debugging the test script is another major issue in the automated testing. Test maintenance is costly.
*Which one should you go for? *
Speaking from my own experience and perspective, I will say you should go for both. I analyze it like this; every web developer or web designer was once a graphics designer or a UI/UX designer but upskilled themselves to the position of a web developer. So now, speaking in line with our topic, I will it’s best you start out as a manual tester then go for automation texting skills afterwards. Both is actually needed in the industry trust me, so I will say go for both skills. Learn manual testing and when you are done start automation testing. And I will encourage tech schools to always focus on the two, don’t just tech one out of the two but rather focus on the two for the betterment of the student. Using myself as an example, I am both a manual and automation software tester, So, why not be like me?
Conclusion
Software testing skills are skills required if you are considering to start a career as a tester or a quality assurance engineer. You need them both to increase your chances of being at the top of your career in the industry. And like I stated above, start with manual testing skills then move in to automation immediately. Do not learn one without learning the other. Next time I will be talking about tools and programming skills you need for automation testing. See you in my next article. Cheers!!!
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