What are different tools used for smoke testing?

The success of a software testing methodology depends a lot on the quality and type of tools that are being used to carry out that particular test. 

In this article we have discussed about the tools that are used for smoke testing. One can find so many tools around that are available for automating the smoke tests. 

Functions performed by these tools

Using these tools a lot of functions can be performed few of which have been mentioned below:

1. Using these smoke testing tools one can easily and quickly write the test cases and scripts as well as automate them and guess what? These tools do not require any programming.
2. With these smoke testing tools, the validation of all the builds can be carried out easily before any changes are introduced in to them.
3. Nothing comes as handy as these smoke testing tools when one needs to stabilize the whole build process.
4. The available tools make it easy the verification of a build to determine its readiness for further full scale testing.
5. The smoke testing tools help in conducting lightening fast tests determining whether or not the major functionalities are intact and still working as expected.
6. The tools help in reducing the drudgery of the testers as well as the developers by helping in the early detection of the problems and errors.
7. These tools help a great deal in cutting down the overall development costs by significant margins providing the team with sufficient time period for developing the software system or application.

Tools for Smoke Testing

- So many tools are available using which you can perfect your tests like advanced web recorder, object recorder, editor and so on. 

- The tools provide so many actions to be performed for editing the tests if it is required to make any changes in the software system or application. 

- Such an approach to testing i.e., using tools allows flexibility between the test and testers and eliminates the need of creating new tests. 

- There are tools called “work flow designers” that come with an intuitive graphical representation and using which you can easily create as well as manage the work flows of high level of the entire suite of your smoke tests. 

- There are testing tools available that help you introduce check points in the application so that at any point your software application functionality can be further verified. 

- There is one tool available for testing methodologies that is perhaps the most sought after testing tool. 

- This tool lets you convert a test script in to an executable code and then run it on multiple systems without installing testing application on each and every machine. 

- This feature of this tool facilitates an automation that never existed before. 

- Any of the test scripts can be run and with any inputs operating from any data base or application software and almost in every kind of environment. 

- Some reporting and log tools have been introduced which possess advance reporting features like:

1. Time lines
2. Report customization tools that are quite easy to use.
3. Report dash board
4. Audit trail capability (this feature provides you with a complete data base of all the events that took place in the automated testing environment.)
5. Visual logs

- With a tool having all such features a tester can easily analyze the reports with visual aids and fix them quickly.

- These tools provide the testers with a more complete view of the smoke test runs. 

- Though smoke testing can be carried out manually also it is advisable to use automated test tools which initiate tests by a similar process that generates the build itself.