Scriptless Test Automation: A Beginner’s Guide to Codeless Testing

Overview 

Automation has always been fascinating as it optimizes and facilitates the testing process by eliminating tiresome testing tasks. Nowadays, practically all businesses automate test cases. However, it's not always easy to predict the ROI. Although the tools are frequently responsible for poor ROI, the real causes of failed test automation include the lengthy time spent developing the test automation suite, the requirement for specialized development resources, the difficulty of scripting and maintaining the system, the absence of a test data management strategy, and the absence of subject matter experts. 

This study helps the test team estimate the following activities: 

• What is scriptless test automation?
• Challenges involved with automation.
• Advantages of scriptless automation over script-based.
• Scriptless test automation approach.
• Scriptless test automation tools.
• Scriptless automation example. 

 

What is Scriptless Test Automation? 

The term "scriptless" or "codeless testing" refers to an approach for automating tests without building test scripts. Most of the tools are based on Selenium-like test automation frameworks. The actions of a tester while exploring features can be recorded using a scriptless testing tool. The tool will produce identical test steps by recording the actions you would typically include in a test script. However, scriptless test automation does not imply that coding or test scripts are eliminated. It simplifies the entire procedure to make it easier for humans to perform it. 

A method used to maximize test automation's scalability is scriptless test automation. Without having to worry about code, testers and business users may automate test cases with scriptless test automation. It expedites processes and reduces the time required to comprehend the code. 

Challenges Involved with Automation 

• Choosing the appropriate test automation tool: There are many test automation tools available, but it might be difficult to choose the right one for your project or business needs. 
• Choosing the most suitable test automation approach: Since every business is different, there is no one-size-fits-all solution to automation testing strategy. 
• Investment costs up front: The initial cost of test automation is considerable because it may be necessary to invest in buying tools and creating frameworks. 
• False positive and negative results: False positives and negatives, which lead to faulty tests, are one of the major difficulties that testers have with test automation.

 

Advantages of Scriptless Automation Over Script-Based

Script Based	Scriptless
Testers must be proficient in automation.	The only prerequisite for testing is business and application understanding.
In many situations, it is impossible to reuse test cases.	Significantly more adaptable in terms of using test cases across circumstances.
It might not be possible to access dashboards, reports, and test scheduling.	Possible to access dashboards, reports, and test scheduling.
Custom third-party integrations must be built.	Generally includes third-party integrations.
The infrastructure for testing needs to be put up with more time and effort.	Takes little time and effort to begin going.

Other advantages of scriptless automation over script-based are: 

• Faster test creation: Testers can create test scenarios quickly by making use of the graphical interface. 
• Increased productivity: Instead of spending too much effort on test case scripting and debugging, testers can focus on test case design and validation. 
• Wider test coverage. 
• Simplified debugging. 
• User-friendly interface. 
• Vendor support and updates. 

 

Scriptless Test Automation Architecture 

The diagram below depicts the high-level architecture of scriptless test automation. The three main parts of the framework are the Brain, the Input, and the Output Module.

 

Core Framework: A framework's core is its primary component and acts as the brain. It completes all the essential responsibilities, including automating logic, validation, and analyzing how effectively the other components and any third-party programs integrate. 

Input Module: The user enters the test inputs, such as the test steps, conditions, setup data, expected outcomes, etc., at this stage. The interpreter, which uses certain techniques to send the data to the Framework's Brain, is also one of the input components. 

Output Module: Several distinct outcomes are possible at this stage. A few examples of outputs are logs, outcomes, reports, and dashboards. 

Scriptless Test Automation Approach  

The most popular way for implementing scriptless automation testing is record and playback. In this procedure, the tests are captured on-screen and then run automatically. The test phases are generated simultaneously with the online application prompts for record and playback for the tester. Additionally, a tester has the option of using a browser to carry out these test techniques. 

When recording a workflow, the scriptless automation tool automatically detects each step, records the object locators for each element, and associates an action with it. The relevant action is completed on the saved object location during the execution of the recorded tests. In the majority of the most recent scriptless automation technologies, a recorded test can also be reused in additional tests as a method to shorten test duration and facilitate maintenance. 

 

How Does an Automated Scriptless Testing Tool Work? 

The revolutionary method of scriptless test automation provides a very simple yet effective interface for testing. Learning a new programming language or coding style doesn't have to take a lot of time. All the foundations of automated testing, including modularity and keyword driving, may be used by simply operating a drop-down mechanism. You may manage test cases, submit results, and address errors all within the automated script setup. 

• Easy To Use Interface: The best test automation ideas are combined with scriptless automated testing. This contains data driving, keyword driving, keyword sequence, data per step, keyword sequence, specification of UI objects, and modularity. A user-friendly interface is provided for all of these. 
• Reduces Time-To-Automate: You can quickly automate extensive test suites with scriptless automated testing, which also speeds up product delivery. The time that is saved can be used to find and correct issues in the early stages of the product development lifecycle. 
• Reduces Cost of Automation: You would have to pay a lot of money to teach your internal resources automated scripting techniques. Going scriptless, however, spares you from having to pay for training sessions. 
• Easy To Maintain Scripts: An extensive technique for conducting automated tests is scriptless automated testing. The maintenance phase of the product development lifecycle is one of the crucial components, hence the fact that scriptless test suites are simple to manage. Agility and rapid response times are considered when optimizing the product being tested. Additionally, you may have noticed that during the maintenance process, scripts made for automated testing frequently malfunction. Simply said, this is because the framework is typically not developed with reusability or traceability in mind. The traceability of all reusable parts is a property of scriptless automated testing, on the other hand. 
• Removes Tool-Specific Coding: The overall QA and automated testing process becomes more effective if the tool dependency is successfully removed. Instead of requiring specialized Selenium or experts of similar tools, scriptless automated testing empowers your testers or business users to write their own scripts using objects and actions. They won't have to deal with any hassle caused by complicated tool or linguistic requirements later when it becomes necessary to switch technologies in your project. 
• Participation Of Business Analyst and Experts: Non-technical individuals, such as business analysts and stakeholders, are usually far removed from coding. These individuals rarely appear to be discussing their opinions on the extremely complicated automated testing setups. Business analysts and subject matter experts, on the other hand, can actively participate and monitor progress with the aid of scriptless automated testing. You obtain the ideal combination of technical expertise and non-technical domain specialists in this way. 

Scriptless test automation tools 

 

1. ACCELQ 

The only continuous testing platform that seamlessly automates API and web testing without requiring programmers to write a single line of code is ACCELQ. With ACCELQ, IT teams of all sizes can speed up testing by automating vital stages such as test design, planning, generation, and execution. 

 
Key Features:     

• Automating the design and lifecycle using visual application modelling. 
• UI automation and codeless API in the same flow. 
• Data planning and test case generating automation. 
• Multiple abstraction layers for in-sprint automation. 
• Built-in tools for planning and managing tests. 
• Jira/ALM interface with natural traceability for seamless CI/CD. 
• No vendor lock, extendable framework that supports open source. 

Other features of AcceIQ: 

Cross-Browser Testing: 

AccelQ allows testers to perform cross-browser testing to ensure that web applications work correctly on various browsers and versions. 

Visual Validation Testing: 

It provides visual testing capabilities to detect visual defects and differences in the application's user interface. 

Collaboration and Workflow: 

AccelQ includes features for collaboration among team members, including testers, developers, and business analysts, to streamline the testing workflow. 

AI-Powered Test Generation: 

The tool may employ artificial intelligence (AI) to help generate test cases and identify potential test scenarios.

Accessibility Testing: 

It may include features for accessibility testing to ensure that applications are compliant with accessibility standards. 

Security Testing: 

AccelQ may offer security testing capabilities to assess an application's security vulnerabilities and compliance with security standards. 

 

2. Kobiton 

The quickest method for mobile test automation is Kobiton scriptless test automation. This advanced test automation platform offers tools for developing and running scriptless automation on any device. 

Once the manual test is run on one device, Kobiton's AI testing framework may automatically run it in the background on additional real devices. 

 

Key Features: 

• Automatic creation of test cases based on the manual session. 
• On iOS and Android devices, app functioning can be manually tested. 
• The new automated scripts will be simpler to perform across a variety of devices thanks to the AI-based assertions & remediations functionality. 
• Automated feature for detecting crashes. 
• The effortless execution of the tests with the best test coverage is made possible with the aid of Kobiton DDT. 

Other key features of Kobiton: 

Parallel Testing: 

Parallel execution of tests on multiple devices simultaneously, speeding up the testing process and enabling broader test coverage. 

Device Lab Management: 

Users can manage device labs, configure device groups, and organize devices for efficient testing. 

Remote Manual Testing: 

Live interaction with remote devices for manual testing and debugging. Testers can access devices in real-time from their own machines. 

Custom Device Profiles: 

Users can create custom device profiles to match specific device configurations, screen sizes, operating systems, and other parameters. 

Network Simulation: 

Simulate real-world network conditions, including various network speeds and scenarios, to test how the app performs under different network conditions. 

Appium and Espresso Integration: 

Seamless integration with Appium and Espresso frameworks, allowing users to write and run their automation scripts directly within the Kobiton platform. 

Collaboration and Integration: 

Integration with collaboration and issue tracking tools such as Jira, Slack, and others to streamline communication among team members. 

Custom Test Environments: 

Create custom test environments with specific device configurations, software settings, and network conditions. 

Geolocation Testing: 

Simulate different geolocation settings on devices to test location-based features of mobile apps. 

Security and Compliance: 

Features to ensure the security and compliance of mobile applications, such as data protection and encryption. 

 

3. Cerberus Testing 

The only test automation platform that supports testing for Web, Mobile, APIs (REST, Kafka), Desktop, and Databases is Cerberus Testing, which is 100% open-source. The user-friendly online interface, which is available in the Cloud and doesn't require coding skills, makes automated testing available to the development, quality, and business teams. 

Key Features: 

• Web interface that is simple to use and available to cross-team collaboration. 
• Low-code test library for desktop, database, web, mobile, and API. 
• Reusable test components, data, and modules. 
• Rapid iterations between the test execution, reporting, and repository. 
• Monitoring and support for web performance. 

 

 
4. ZeuZ 

 
Web, mobile, API, and cloud apps are all supported by the test automation platform ZeuZ, which is on-premises and cloud-based. 

Key Features: 

• Create & deploy thousands of test cases. 
• Configure and deploy to environments – staging, qa, prod, etc. 
• Speed up execution by parallelizing into multiple nodes. 
• Create API & performance tests without any coding. 
• Secure your infrastructure by enabling support for SSO using Azure Active Directory or Google for password-less logins. 
• Kanban view of work items. 
• Automatability report for Automation vs Manual progress of project. 
• CI/CD pipeline integration with GitHub Actions, Jenkins, Azure DevOps, etc. 

 
    

5. Selenium IDE 

                                    
An open-source tool for test automation is Selenium IDE. It functions by recording and playing back. It functions as a plugin for the Firefox or Chrome web browsers. It allows the use of Command-line Runner for Selenium IDE for cross-browser execution. 

 
Key Features: 

• Supports control flow structures such as if, while, and times. 
• Expandable through plugins. 
• Create a test suite. 
• Customize the test script. 
• Selenium IDE works on the record-and-play-back functionality. Though the tool has limited functionalities, it can be a perfect basic scriptless Test Automation Tool. 

Demo: 

1. Install Selenium IDE: Download and install the Selenium IDE extension for your preferred browser, either Chrome or Firefox.

 

     2. Create a New Project: Click the "Create a new project" button to create a new project for your test suite. 

 

    3. Set Base URL: Specify the valid Base URL for your project 

 

     4. Record User Interactions: Open the web page you want to automate and start interacting with it as you would normally. Selenium IDE will automatically record your actions as Selenium commands. 

 

     5. Save Recorded Test and Execute Test Script: Click the "Save" button to save your recorded test case and copy the exported test script into your programming environment and execute it to run your automated test case. 

6. Ranorex Studio 

For testing desktop, online, and mobile applications, Ranorex Studio comes with a full suite of scriptless test automation tools. Automate tests to complete them in half the time. 

 

Key Features: 

• Ranorex Recorder: Capture every interaction with your application. Pause and resume recording, edit steps, and add validation actions, right in the capture window. 
• Ranorex Spy: Identify UI elements with a single click, then drag and drop them into your test case. Ranorex Studio automatically handles any dynamic web elements. 
• Action Editor: Edit recorded steps, add validations, specify conditions for execution (IF statements), and use data from an Excel file or a database – all without coding.  
• Build-in Selenium WebDriver. Execute cross-browser tests on WebDriver endpoint, a local Selenium Grid or a cloud-based provider. 
• Built-in Test Run Report and video reporting of test execution. If a test step fails, simply replay the video to see what happened. Click on a failed step in the test report to jump directly to the test case and debug it.  
• Built-in Test Run Report and video reporting of test execution. If a test step fails, simply replay the video to see what happened. Click on a failed step in the test report to jump directly to the test case and debug it.  

 

 

7. TestCraft 

A test automation framework for continuous and regression testing is called TestCraft. It also enables monitoring of online apps in addition to these. It is artificial intelligence (AI) that can automatically adapt to any modifications made to the app and assists the teams by reducing costs and maintenance time. 

 

Key Features: 

• No extra plugins required. 
• Run tests on multiple browsers simultaneously. 
• Create flows easily for application monitoring. 
• Detailed reports for every execution. 
• Multiple built-in integrations including Test Management, Issue Management, Notifications & Communication. 
• Reuse elements and flows across scenarios. 

 

Other tools are: 

1. Katalon Studio 
2. Tricentis Tosca 
3. Eggplant 
4. Appium Studio 

All of these are really popular scriptless automation tools. 

Best Practices for Scriptless Test Automation 

 

Understand the tool: Familiarize yourself with the scriptless automation testing tool you are using. Learn its features, capabilities, and limitations. This will help you leverage the tool effectively and make the most out of its functionalities. 

Plan your tests: Clearly define your test objectives, scope, and test scenarios. Identify the key functionalities and areas of the application that need to be tested. A well-defined test plan will guide you in building your scriptless automation tests. 

Create reusable components: Create reusable components such as keywords, functions, and libraries to reduce maintenance efforts and increase efficiency. 

Use descriptive names: Use descriptive names for your test cases, keywords, and functions to make it easier to understand what they do. 

Keep your tests simple: Keep your tests simple and easy to understand. Avoid complex logic or unnecessary steps that can make your tests difficult to maintain. 

Collaborate with developers: Collaborate with developers to ensure that your scriptless automation tests are aligned with the development process. 

 

Some of the other best practices 

• Understand your application. 
• Select the right too. 
• Maintain consistency and follow the naming conventions. 
• Implement error handling. 
• Parallel execution. 
• Test enviornment setup. 

By following these best practices, you can improve your scriptless test automation process and achieve better results. 

Scriptless Automation Example 

Here is a test execution example, 

1. Open webpage. 
2. Enter Email id in the Email address or Phone number field. 
3. Enter Password in Password field. 
4. Click Login button. 

Each of the above is a keyword supported by scriptless frameworks. As a tester, you have to pass the values as shown below: 

Open webpage “www.facebook.com.” 
Enter user email address dummy user. 
Enter password dummy pwd, mask=true. 
Click Login. 

The keywords accepting arguments to carry out actions are those in italics. 

Note: The Enter Password command takes two arguments. The second one is an indicator that lets you know if characters are being masked when you type them into the password field. 

Scriptless Test Automation Future Trends  

Scriptless test automation is a relatively new approach to software testing that has gained popularity in recent years. According to a report by GMinsights, the automation testing market is valued at USD 20B and is expected to exhibit 15% CAGR between 2023 and 2032.  

Here are some future trends of scriptless test automation: 

1. AI-powered testing: The use of artificial intelligence and machine learning algorithms in scriptless test automation can help improve the accuracy and efficiency of test cases. 

2. Shift-left testing: Shift-left testing is a practice that involves testing early in the software development lifecycle. By incorporating scriptless test automation into shift-left testing, organizations can identify and fix defects earlier in the development process. 

3. Geolocation testing: Geolocation testing involves testing applications in different geographic locations to ensure that they function correctly across different regions. Scriptless test automation can help automate this process, making it easier for organizations to test their applications across different locations. 

4. Microservices testing: Microservices architecture is becoming increasingly popular in software development. Scriptless test automation can help organizations test their microservices-based applications more efficiently and effectively. 

5. Blockchain testing: Blockchain technology is being used in various industries, including finance, healthcare, and supply chain management. Scriptless test automation can help organizations test their blockchain-based applications more effectively. 

 

These are some of the other trending areas: 

• Improved reporting and analytics. 
• Self-healing scripts. 
• Scriptless mobile testing. 
• Serverless testing. 
• Scriptless Devops and AI Ops. 
• Cross browser & Cross platform support. 

By keeping up with these trends, organizations can improve their software testing processes and stay ahead of the competition. 

 

Conclusion 

Scriptless test automation is a transformative innovation in testing, offering numerous benefits to software development teams. Organizations adopting this approach can achieve a faster time to market, improved accuracy, and a significant reduction in the technical complexities typically associated with script-based testing. 

If you're looking to harness the power of scriptless test automation and accelerate your testing processes, we can help. With our expertise, we can guide you in implementing scriptless test automation as part of a comprehensive hyperautomation strategy. Connect with us at marketing.valorem@reply.com to learn more about how we can support your test automation goals.