What is keyword driven testing framework and methodology?

Keyword driven testing is one of the testing methodologies which is gaining popularity in the area of the test automation. Well, in this article, we are going to discuss regarding the frame work and methodology of the keyword driven testing. 

What is Keyword Driven Testing?

- The key word driven testing methodology is actually dependent on frame work. 

- It depends on such a frame work that calls for the development of the key words and data tables.

- But there is one condition which is that it should be independent of the test automation tool which is to be used for their execution. 

- Another condition is that it should also be independent of the test script code which is used to drive the application under test or AUT as well as the data. 

- In this testing methodology, the functionality of the application under test or AUT need to be documented in a table. 

- Also, the functionality needs to be stated as in step by step instructions for each and every test. 

- This then actually becomes a frame work approach for creating automated regression tests. 

- The frame work approach thus obtained proves to be successful in achieving many benefits of the automated testing when compared to the traditional methodology for capture and playback of the custom scripts. 

- Whenever automated testing is required, two sets of requirements come in to existence namely:

1. Business Requirements: This category included the following requirements:

a) Maintainability: The maintenance of the tests should be easy as well as there should be a minimum need for updating scripts with changes made to the application and newer versions.

b) Selective testing: Less requirement of in depth testing. Also it should be easy to select test scenarios for a much targeted regression.

c) Recovery: It should be possible for the test suite to resume testing from the point where it failed or crashed at a later point of time. The need for re- testing the functionality should be eliminated.

d) Scalability: For gaining the time efficiency the execution of the tests from different machines at the same time should be possible.

e) Inter environment portability: All the environments must support the test scripts without making nay changes to them.

f)   Usability: Minimal amount of training must be required by employees to learn to execute the automated suite. There should be no manual intervention in the execution of the scripts.

g) Reporting: The status of each test script must be known easily.

2. Technical requirements: This category includes:

a) Data abstraction: There should complete isolation of the test data for the execution of the scripts from the actual script code.

b) Separation of concerns: Concerns at each layer must be addressed by the distinct layers of the architecture.

c)  Portability

Methodology of the keyword driven testing lies in two different phases namely:

1. Planning phase and
2. The implementation phase

The planning phase involves the analyzation of the application and determination of operations and objects to be used in the business processes. The requirement of customized keywords is determined for the following purpose:

1. Additional functionality
2. Business level clarity
3. Maximizing efficiency
4. Maintainability

The second phase i.e., the implementation phase operates around a collection of objects or references usually known as repository which saves the info for unique identification of the objects. This phase also involves the development and documentation of the keywords of the business level in function libraries. Development of customized functions is required for the creation of the functional libraries. This is all done for the application under test or AUT.

The methodology of the keyword driven testing calls for more advance planning and time investment.

What is the built-in recovery system in Silk Test?

With the in – built recovery system of the silk test automation tool it has been made possible to restore the application under test to its stable state which it was in before it crashed, failed or hanged. The stable state to which the recovery system of the silk test restores the application under test or AUT is called the base state of the application software. 

The test automation counterpart of the silk test i.e., the winrunner does not support this feature. The recovery system comes in to action whenever the application under test fails ungracefully. 

For client server based applications there are 4 major tasks that are carried out by the built – in recovery system of the silk test. Those 4 major tasks have been listed below:

1. Ensuring the continuous running of the web browser.
2. Restoring the application back to its default size if it has been minimized by the user.
3. Setting the working status of the application as active.
4. Closing the other dialog boxes or child windows that have popped up.

On the other hand the below mentioned are the tasks that are carried out by the built – in recovery system of the silk test for the application software that are browser based:

1. Waiting for the browser to restore itself to the active mode if it has been inactive for a long time.
2. Ensuring that the various below mentioned elements are displayed:

a)   Status bar

b)   Text field

c)   Location

d)   Browser tool bars and so on.

- The data regarding this built – in recovery system is stored in a file by the name of defaults.inc which can be found in the same directory where the silk test has been installed. 

- Most of the actions that are carried out on the application under test are when the application is in the default base state. 

- In this state, all the actions are based up on the default properties.

- So, whenever a test case or script is executed the recovery system gets invoked automatically.

- However, the flow of control is different when the tests are run based up on some main function or a test plan. 

- Here, when a test case starts executing via the silk organizer the same test case gets the control first. 

- But before the execution of any test case, a function is called namely “default test case enter”. 

- This function is called with the purpose of calling the set app state function which in turn will invoke the default function “default base state”. 

- Following this the execution of the test case begins. 

- In any of the either cases the control is passed to the default test case exit function:

1. If the test case finishes with its execution or
2. If the test case encounters an error while execution

- The default test case exit function keeps the record of the logs for the exceptions in the test case execution and later calls the set base state function which in turn calls the default base state function. 

- Whenever the tests are run via a main function instead of one two recovery functions are invoked in the same way. 

- But here the difference is that instead of calling default test case center the function called is “default script enter” before the scripts start running. 

- The value of this function is NULL by default. 

- When the last test case has finished executing the “default script exit” function is called. 

- The purpose of this function is to log the errors or faults that occurred outside the test case. 

What is Automated Testing Framework (AUT) ?

The organization needs a testing framework that provides a end to end approach for implementing testing activities.It is necessary to provide a flexible, scalable and cost effective ‘on-demand’ testing approach for all non-functional and functional testing needs and setup the overall testing process. It increases the long-term success of a project.Also, testing activities are easier to manage.

The automated tools require the test engineer to understand a scripting language (VB Script, Java Script, etc.) to write their automated test cases. These tools usually have the ability to create the scripts using record and playback, but this does not always write the most efficient scripting code and is not as re-usable and maintainable.
Automated Testing Framework is a collection of libraries and utilities designed to ease unattended application testing in the hands of developers and end users of a specific piece of software. An AUT is :
- set of abstract concepts,
- processes,
- procedures and,
- environment in which automated tests will be designed, created and implemented.

Automated Testing Framework will achieve the fastest time to value by implementing automation on a foundation of proven processes, technology and knowledge and to reduce total automation costs, increase the quality, focus on quality.