Manual Versus Automated Testing. Which Is Better?

When it comes to testing a particular software, it can be done in two ways – manually and automatically. So 'Which is better – manual testing and automated testing” has always been a hot topic to be debated on, over a cup of coffee or two. Let us discuss the pros and cons of both the types of software evaluation to come to a credible conclusion. May be that will stop this continuous discussion and settle the dust of war to some extent.

Before we start the comparison, let us at first define the two types of evaluation.

Manual Testing

This type of assessment involves evaluating a particular software manually, or in other words, without the use of any automatic tool or any type of script whatsoever. During this type of software debugging, the tester plays the role of the end user and evaluates the software to ascertain as well as identify any loophole, unanticipated behaviour or presence of any bug. The entire process of manual evaluation involves certain stages viz. Unit Testing, Integration Testing, System Testing and finally, User Acceptance Testing. Testers use various types of test plans, test cases, and/or test scenarios to evaluate the efficacy of a software before it is made live. This particular method of software appraisal also involves exploratory testing for exploring as well as identifying the errors or defects (if any).

Automated Testing

Automatic S/W debugging, also referred to as Test Automation, involves a process of S/W evaluation, wherein the tester writes down a script and uses any other S/W for evaluating a particular software. Automated evaluation is generally used for simulating certain scenarios that were performed repeatedly, quickly and at the same time, manually.

Besides regressive evaluation, automated evaluation also involves testing applications from perspective of load, performance as well as stress. Technically speaking, automatic evaluation improves accuracy, helps in more time as well as money savings, when compared to manual evaluation.

Now, let us discuss the pros and cons of manual and automated debugging.

Advantages of Manual Testing

• Manual appraisal is a fantastic option when a test case turns “twice a coding milestone'. In these cases, opting for automatic appraisals will result in unnecessary expenses.
• This type of evaluation would allow the tester to perform increased number of ad-hoc or random evaluation. This type of assessment would help in detection of more bugs as well as defects than automated debugging. The more time the tester spends in going through the features of the S/W, the greater will be the odds of identifying real user loopholes or bugs.

Disadvantages of Manual Testing

• Running S/W debugging manually can be at times, extremely time consuming
• Every time the software is modified, the tester has to go through the entire process, rerunning all the tests yet again. This after some time, can get extremely tiresome as well as mundane. This, at the end of the day also causes fatigue to creep into the back of the tester's mind, dropping the perfection level by a considerable extent.

Advantages of Automated Testing

• In case there is a need to run a series of tests repeatedly, automated debugging is the best choice.
• It helps the tester by providing the option of running automation against the codes that time and again changes. This helps to timely catch the regressions.
• This type of evaluation provides a tester the option of running automation in the mainstream scenarios for timely catching regressions.
• This mode of S/W evaluation also helps in relatively larger test matrix (different languages for different Operating System platforms). Another advantage of this type of evaluation is that they can be conducted on different machines simultaneously. Manual tests on the other hand, can be conducted sequentially.

Disadvantages of Automated Testing

• The expenses involved in automated testing is definitely more than manual debugging. Writing down test cases, configuring or writing automatic framework will invariably cost more than running manual evaluation.
• In spite of its number of benefits, one little problem with automatic testing is that it is unable to automate the visual references.

Let us discuss a few other deciding factors relating to automated and manual software testing.

• The tools that are used to determine what is to be automated. If there are any limitations in the tools, the tests are supposed to be manual.
• It is also to be decided if there is considerable ROI with automation. Again, it should be evaluated whether switching to automatic S/W evaluation will yield results that will justify the decision.

Since, majority of companies prefer automated software evaluation, let us discuss a few things about the same:

Things to Automate

Automating everything in a particular software package is virtually impossible. However, there are certain areas that can be automated to make certain transactions less cumbersome as well as faster. Generally, the areas of a package that is dealt by a large number of users (for e.g. Login Form, Registration Form) are automated, so that multiple number of users can have access to these areas simultaneously.

Besides, all the Graphic User Interface items, connections with various databases and field variations and the likes can be tested properly with the use of automated process rather than with manual process.

Time to automate

Automatic software evaluation can be conducted in the following situations:

• At the time of processing huge and critical projects
• During projects that need repetitive testing of the same areas
• When the objectives and requirements do not change that frequently and remain more or less constant.
• While accessing applications with multiple virtual users for load as well as performance appraisal
• While testing a stable software package

You can hire testers from top automation testing companies in India who can help you to test your projects within allocated budgets and time schedules.

We provide test automation services. If you would like to hire certified automation testers for your projects, please contact us at Mindfire Solutions.