Test automation framework

A test automation framework is a set of assumptions, concepts, and practices that provide support for automated software testing. A choice for an automated testing team that's just getting started might be to use a test automation framework, defined as a set of assumptions, concepts, and practices that constitute a work platform or support for automated testing.

Test Script Modularity Framework:- The test script modularity framework requires the creation of small, independent scripts that represent modules, sections, and functions of the application-under-test. These small scripts are then used in a hierarchical fashion to construct larger tests, realizing a particular test case.

Test Library Architecture Framework:- The test library architecture framework is very similar to the test script modularity framework and offers the same advantages, but it divides the application-under-test into procedures and functions instead of scripts. This framework requires the creation of library files (SQABasic libraries, APIs, DLLs, and such) that represent modules, sections, and functions of the application-under-test. These library files are then called directly from the test case script.

Keyword-Driven or Table-Driven Testing Framework:- Keyword-driven testing and table-driven testing are interchangeable terms that refer to an application-independent automation framework. This framework requires the development of data tables and keywords, independent of the test automation tool used to execute them and the test script code that "drives" the application-under-test and the data. Keyword-driven tests look very similar to manual test cases. In a keyword-driven test, the functionality of the application-under-test is documented in a table as well as in step-by-step instructions for each test.

The Data-Driven Testing Framework:-Data-driven testing is a framework where test input and output values are read from data files (datapools, ODBC sources, cvs files, Excel files, DAO objects, ADO objects, and such) and are loaded into variables in captured or manually coded scripts. In this framework, variables are used for both input values and output verification values. Navigation through the program, reading of the data files, and logging of test status and information are all coded in the test script.

This is similar to table-driven testing in that the test case is contained in the data file and not in the script; the script is just a "driver," or delivery mechanism, for the data. Unlike in table-driven testing, though, the navigation data isn't contained in the table structure. In data-driven testing, only test data is contained in the data files.

The Hybrid Test Automation Framework:- The most commonly implemented framework is a combination of all of the above techniques, pulling from their strengths and trying to mitigate their weaknesses. This hybrid test automation framework is what most frameworks evolve into over time and multiple projects.