UI is essential in the rapidly growing software development industry as it ensures that the developed application’s interface looks as intended.
It is at this point that Automated Visual Testing comes in handy.
In contrast to functional testing, where the correctness of the program’s logic is examined, visual testing verifies the application’s look.
In this particular post, automated visual testing will be defined and its approaches, instruments, and necessity in the SDLC process will be explored.
Understanding Automated Visual Testing
Automated Visual Testing is the process of confirming whether the visual aspects of a developed web or an application resemble the ones intended.
It verifies several GUI elements, including the text boxes, the buttons, the icons, the images, and other graphical objects, to confirm that they are well rendered as per the set standards.
However, this technique differs from traditional visual regression, where testers compare the application’s user interface against a set of design mockups or previous states.
In Visual testing, capturing and comparing checkpoints merits the use of automation tools, specifically on the screenshots of the Application’s UI.
This approach helps to get the most accurate outcomes, as the human factor is subtracted, and it provides the finally checked and time-proved way of UI tests application.
The Relevance of Automated Visual Testing
- Accuracy: Automated Visual Testing means that compared to manual testing, the accuracy is pixel-perfect; this is especially good. When done manually, one may easily dismiss the slight variation which can’t even be traced by devops, whereas, with the aid of an automated tool, even the tiniest change in the pixels can be detected, making the process very precise in the context of UI testing.
- Speed: Thus, automation can intensify the testing process several times. What a human tester can do in a matter of hours can be accomplished in minutes or even seconds by an automated tool. This rapid feedback is especially beneficial in the sphere of agile development since iterations are often performed.
- Cost Efficiency: while starting the Automated Visual Testing, certain expenses need to be covered; however, it is evident that such costs are compensated over time. In contrast, automated tests are reusable in that they can be run many times without the need for other extra efforts, which would be time-saving and, hence, cost-effective in the long run.
- Transparency: Automated Visual Testing creates automatic reports available to the whole team. These reports provide an understanding of what has been taken through testing, the problems that have been identified, and where they are located, hence enhancing effective and efficient communication and collaboration among the members of a particular team.
- Repeatability: Whenever an automated test is written, the same can be used many times, and that also maintains the reliability of the test. This repeatability is critical in regression testing, whereby previous test cases are repeated to check for new faults that may have been introduced by newer code.
Approaches for Automated Visual Testing
- Create Dedicated Visual Tests: In this method, testers carry out tests, particularly on the look and feel of the application. These combinations are developed initially from form, and it takes time to develop them with accurate results. If extensive webpage testing is required, they are convenient, although the set may take considerable time to establish.
- Insert Visual Points in Existing Functional Tests: This method entails the integration of visual checks into other functional tests. It builds on top of the functionally oriented testing paradigm and adds steps based on visual testing. This method may have the drawback of covering a smaller number of test cases, yet it is a simple and fast approach to including visual testing in the testing strategy.
- Insert Implicit Visual Validation into Existing Testing Frameworks: This approach allows generic visual validations to be run by adding a few lines of code to existing tests. It is simple to perform but might not be as specialized as desirable for the intricate validation of the visual component.
Applications to check the Aesthetic Quality
The following are some of the tools that are used in visual automation testing. Here are some popular options:
- Spectre: An actual visual comparison of elements of a Web page where the application takes a screenshot of the selected elements and then compares it with the constructed selector at a specific screen size.
- Needle: An application that asserts how various elements of a website are rendered, including images, layouts, buttons, CSS, SVGs, and more, by taking screenshots of the parts of the website and comparing the outcome to screenshots of known good outcomes.
- Galen Framework: An approach that aims to evaluate the usability of layout in web applications across different interfaces of devices. It verifies the position and orientation of elements about other elements to conform to certain stipulated rules.
- CSSCritic: Compares the current layout of the web page to a template image to gauge for visual differences.
- Backstop JS: Scans the whole layout or certain parts of the UI and then looks for deltas with the screenshots of the DOM.
Automated visual testing has the following benefits:
- Increased Quality of Code and UI: Reduces the cases of defective user interfaces by ensuring that several aspects of the interface lack homogeneity in its appearance, which will improve the quality of the software.
- Rapid Bug Detection: Concisely realizes the differences in appearance, thus affirming the timely rectification of the problem.
- Control of Views on Different Devices and Browsers: This allows one to have a uniform interface no matter the device in use.
- Fast Implementation: Automated tests give quick results, and they do not take much time to complete.
- Reduction of Code: Automated visual tests allow for decreasing the volume of the manual test scripts.
- Efficient Feedback: Reporting from these automated tools is comprehensive, providing much detail regarding the results of the tests.
Downsides to Automated Visual Testing
- Detection of Smaller Defects: It should be noted that some tools may fail to identify very tiny issues relating to the visage.
- Skill Requirement: However, the establishment of automated visual tests and their functioning are possible only to some extent with the help of professionals.
- Video Recording Clarity: At other times, videos employed in the visual tests may not be sharp enough to help identify problems.
- Possibility of Overlooked Defects: Automated visual tests can only detect scenario-based defects, and therefore, they cannot find all the defects.
- Surface-Level Testing: Mainly works on the components that can be seen and heard but may overlook problems within the application.
Conclusion
Automated Visual Testing is an essential subcategory of the SQA since it is aimed at identifying the visual issues of the interface of an application.
Therefore, it brings quality to the overall look and feel of the software and the user’s experience while using it
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Thus, integrating visual automation testing into the development process is not just about following the requirements of a standard but about delivering outstanding software that not only performs well and meets functional specifications but also looks good and sends a positive message to the customers, positively impacting brand image.
