In the world of quality assurance, it’s always important to make sure that the vision is brought to life at the best possible level. That means that every individual who works as a software tester needs to know how to identify any bugs or problems that can arise as quickly as possible. You have two options for that, either automated software testing, or you opt for manual software testing. Each one of them has its pros and cons, and here we will cover them to see which is the better option.
What is Manual Software Testing?
As you test for bugs or problems that can arise, it’s very important to handle some of these tasks manually. Manual software testing is designed to help identify any possible defects or bugs and verifies that the software works as required. This is very important because it will give you the value you expect and the results you want without any possible hassle. Despite the fact that automation exists, you still have to realize that manual testing has its place in the world. It conveys a vast range of benefits and it’s super powerful too.
The main advantage of manual testing is that you don’t need advanced programming and you can ensure everything is ready to go and without issues. It’s very good, especially after smaller updates. Plus, it can deliver a very accurate setup for automated testing. There’s still the human error factor, but you can obtain incredible value from it.
Key points:
- Tests are executed by a software tester manually
- No programming knowledge required
- It is a repetitive task and can be annoying
- It is time-consuming
- Human error is possible
- Software tester generates the reports itself
What is Automated Software Testing?
There are times when you have too many things to test out or repetitive tasks that must be done when the product increment is shipped to the client and you just can’t do everything yourself. At that point the quality assurance team has to design scripted tests based on the previously created test design procedure that runs automatically and which offer very accurate results. That’s what Automated Software Testing does, it helps you ease the pressure from manual testing, can be integrated into your SDLC process and it also compares the results you get with expected results too. This is a very effective way to improve testing overall and save a lot of time and effort.
Aside from that, Automated Software Testing can be performed with limited resources. Although manual testing can still be great, the main issue is human error. With Automated Software Testing you remove that very quickly. You get to rely on accurate coding that eventually saves you plenty of time. Since Automated Testing can be implemented on a vast range of projects, it’s appealing and it can deliver a tremendous range of ideas.
Key points:
- Tests are executed by an automated tool
- Requires an additional investment
- Repetitive tasks are fully covered by the tool
- Faster than the manual testing
- Reports are generated in a more readable format
- Constant maintenance is required
Conclusion
Which is the better option? It all depends on what you need to do. Automated Testing is a very good idea if you need to perform time-consuming, repetitive tasks, functional testing, or load testing, even GUI testing. Manual testing is better for small or short term projects at the beginning of the development phase, when testing the UI or for physical products. No matter the situation, manual Automated Testing still has an impact and you shouldn’t treat it lightly. Both options are great, you just have to learn when to use them for the best outcome!
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