Low-Code Testing

Software testing should be simple yet effective enough to provide accurate results. This is mainly due to the ever-growing requirements of users, causing testers to work harder to build more test cases to verify the system.

So, scaling such an application with manual testing is impossible. That’s where low-code testing comes into play.

What is Low-code testing?

Low-code testing is a software testing approach that involves using testing tools that simplify the testing process while minimizing the need for coding.

Simply put, it’s a test automation tool that lets you create test cases without actually coding anything.

Benefits of Low-Code Testing

Because of this simplicity, using low-code testing is quite advantageous. It provides advantages like:

Ease of use: The tools needed to do low code testing are very user-friendly. That means it is unnecessary to involve only developers in the software testing process; non-tech people can also be involved.
Minimal coding knowledge: This is the primary advantage of low code testing. Therefore, there is no need to hire specialized developers or testers to create and execute the software testing process.
Speedy testing process: Since the need for coding is low, the software testing process becomes faster. It enables the software products and features to be pushed to the market quickly.
Cost reduction: Since there is minimal coding in the testing process, the maintenance cost of complex coding is reduced. Therefore, time and effort are reduced for updates and bugs.

Why are you not adopting low-code testing?

Even though low code testing provides benefits, organizations do not try to adapt to it because of misunderstandings and myths. Some of these reasons include:

Skill gaps: Most of the time, developers or testers unfamiliar with low code testing think they should learn new skill sets to adapt low code testing to their testing process. But in reality, low code testing tools are very user-friendly and require minimal technical expertise.
Testing quality is better in written test cases. However, in reality, low-code testing can improve software testing quality by offering better test coverage, version control, and easy CI/CD integrations.
Scalability: As the size and complexity of the software increase, many think that low code testing tools cannot manage it. But this is so wrong. Low code testing tools can handle large-scale applications without any issues since they are often modular and easy to maintain.
Testing tools are expensive: However, in reality, most tools provide flexible pricing based on usage and provide cloud or local infrastructure options.
Insufficient for complex testing: They think low code testing tools can only test straightforward testing scenarios. However, those tools can handle more complex testing scenarios by providing advanced features such as complex workflows and integrations with other tools.

Features of low-code software testing

There are several features of low code testing. Some of these include:

Drag and drop interface: This user-friendly interface for the testing tool lets users drag and drop different actions to create tests. Therefore, there is no need to do the coding to create tests.
Record and playback: This feature records your interactions with the software and then automatically turns these actions into test scripts. Testers can use these scripts or add more logic to the script if needed.
Visual testing: This feature is very helpful in identifying what can affect the UI. It is done by visually comparing the captured screenshots of the software.
Cross-platform compatibility: This feature supports cross-platform testing on mobiles, webs, etc. It ensures that software can run on various devices.

How does low-code testing work?

If you’re adopting low-code testing, you should know that it comprises five key steps. These include:

Gather testing requirements: Get a clear understanding of the software testing requirements. Developers should understand what needs to be tested, how the application should work, and the business goal of the software.
Planning: The testing team should set clear objectives and decide which part of the system should be tested and what kind of testing is needed (load testing, performance testing, security testing, etc).
Modularity design: Test cases should be grouped based on their functionalities. For example, one test case group should check the input values from minimum to maximum while considering the possible values, which can include negative values. This ensures it behaves as expected.
Test execution: This is the step where the tests are run on the software. This can be done sequentially or in parallel. Parallel testing is widely used because it can run multiple tests at once, thus saving more time.
Test reporting: The testing team can document any bugs or issues they found and how much software is tested. Therefore, it can help improve the software and keep development on track.

Choosing the Right Low-Code Testing Tools

There are a lot of low-code testing tools available for you to use. The most common low-code testing tools are Katalon Studio, QEngine, BrowserStack, and qodo.

However, knowing which tool to use in your project is difficult. Here are some tips that I can recommend that you should consider when choosing the right low-code testing tool:

Security: It’s important that the testing tool be secure. For example, your testing tool will likely interact with system data, so it’s important to ensure that it doesn’t transfer your data outside your environment.
Integration options: The tool should be able to integrate and work seamlessly with other existing systems, such as CI/CD Pipelines.
Cross-platform capabilities: The tool should be able to test software in various platforms such as web browsers, mobiles, etc. This helps generate test cases with broader coverage.
Scalability: The testing should seamlessly expand and handle the growth of the software. When software grows, the number of tests also grows.

Concluding Thoughts

Low code testing improves software quality, reduces complexities, and supports efficient software testing with minimal coding. However, uncertainties still prevent most companies from leveraging low-code testing tools.

However, it’s important to note that these uncertainties can be avoided by following the tips on selecting the right low-code testing tool. So, always consider the tool’s overall security, integration options, cross-platform capabilities, and scalability to ensure that you’re leveraging the right tool for your project.

By doing so, you can drastically improve the overall testing efficiency and help streamline the testing workflow.

Thank you for reading.