Manual Testing vs Automation Testing

Manual Testing vs Automation Testing, Manual Testing Process, Automation Testing Process, and Comparing Automated Testing and Manual Testing.

Software Testing is the process of verifying a system with the purpose of identifying any defects, gaps, or missing requirements versus the actual requirements.

Software Testing can be done in two ways, they are Manual Testing and Automated Testing.

Manual Testing is a process of testing computer software, in which Testers find defects manually without using any test tools or automation scripting.

Automated Testing is a process of testing computer software, in which Testers find defects using test tools or automation scripting.

Manual Testing vs Automation Testing

Table of Content

1. Advantages of Manual Testing
2. Drawbacks of Manual Testing
3. Advantages of Automated Testing/Test Automation
4. Drawbacks of Automated Testing/Test Automation

1. Advantages of Manual Testing

a. No Environment Limitations

Irrespective of the AUT (Application Under Test) environment we can use Manual Test Process, If it is Test Automation so many environment limitations,

Example:

UFT/QTP doesn’t support Linux Operating Environment.

Selenium doesn’t support Desk Applications Test Automation.

b. Programming Knowledge is not required.

In the Manual Testing process, Understanding Requirements, Documenting Test Cases, and Executing Test Cases are important tasks, but Programming is not used.

If it is Test Automation every tool uses anyone Programming language to enhance test cases, so programming knowledge is mandatory for Test Automation.

c. Recommendable for Usability Testing.

Human users only can judge the look & feel accepts, We cannot check the User-friendliness of the System (AUT) using Test tools.

d. Manual testing allows for human observation, which may be more useful to find potential defects.

In Manual Testing, Users / Testers interact more with the AUT then it is easy to find defects and the Tester can provide suggestions to the development team.

2. Drawbacks of Manual Testing

a. Manual Testing requires more time or more resources, sometimes both Time and Resources.

Covering all areas of the Application requires more Tests, Creating all possible Test cases, and executing Test cases takes more time. If it is Test Automation, the Test tool can execute Tests quickly.

b. Less Accuracy

Human Users (Testers) may make mistakes, so we cannot expect more accuracy in Manual Testing,

If it is Test Automation / Automated Testing, if you provide the correct logic then the test tool can provide the correct output.)

c. Performance testing is impractical in manual testing.

Organizing Thousands of Machines / Computers and human Users is impractical, If it is Test Automation, we can create thousands of Virtual users, and using 3 or 4 Computers we can apply the Load and test the performance of the Application.

d. Comparing a large amount of data is impractical.

Comparing two Databases that have thousands of records is impractical, but it is very is in Test Automation.

e. Processing change requests during software maintenance take more time.

f. Batch Testing is possible, but human user interaction is mandatory for each test execution.

Batch Testing means executing series of tests, In Batch Testing for every test case execution User / Tester interaction is mandatory, If it is the Test Automation Test tool can execute series of Tests without human user interaction.

g. GUI Objects Size difference and Color combinations etc.. are not easy to find in Manual Testing.

h. Manual Test Case scope is very less, if it is an Automated test then the scope is more.

In Manual Testing, the Test case scope is very limited why because the Tester/user can concentrate on one or two Verification points only, If it is Test Automation, the Test tool (Tool also Software) can concentration on multiple verification points at a time.

i. Executing the same tests, again and again, is time taking process as well as Tedious.

Sometimes we need to execute the same tests using multiple sets of Test data, for each test iteration user interaction is mandatory, In Test Automation using Test Data data file (either Text file or Excel file, or Database file) we can easily conduct Data-driven Testing.

j. For every release you must rerun the same set of tests which can be tiresome.

We need to execute Sanity Test Cases and Regression Test cases on every modified build, it takes more time. In Automated Testing / Test Automation once we can create Tests then Tool can execute Tests multiple times quickly.

Manual Testing vs Automation Testing

3. Advantages of Automated Testing/Test Automation

a. Fast:

Tools are faster in Test execution than human users (Software Testers).

In Software Testing 2 import tasks are there,

i. Test Design

In Test Design no time saving, it may take more time than Manual testing, only testers generate Tests (Test scripts using Test tool IDE features (Example: Recording, Inserting Checkpoints, etc,) and Programming features (Example: Flow Control, Functions/Methods, etc,), and Test design is a one-time activity.

ii Test Execution

Test Tool can execute Tests (Single Test or Series of Tests) quickly than human users (Testers).

Test design is a one-time activity, but we have to execute Tests multiple times, so we can save time.

Example: Sanity Tests and Regression Tests can be executed multiple times.

b. Reusable:

Tests(Test Scripts) can be reused on different versions of Software easily.

Example: Sanity Tests, Regression Tests

If it is Manual Testing User/Tester interaction is mandatory for every test iteration.

c. Repeatable:

Tests can be repeated with multiple sets (multiple values) of Test Data without user/tester interaction.

Example: Data-Driven Tests

d. Accuracy / Reliable:

If the Testers provide the correct logic then the tool can execute Tests correctly. In the case of manual Testing, human users may make mistakes (in case of complex calculations).

e. Programmable:

Programming features (Variables, Operators, Conditional Statements, Loop Statements, Functions etc…) can be used for enhancing Tests/Test scripts.

Computer programming allows us to work with different types of Files and Databases for Testing activities (Ex: Data-Driven Testing, Generating Test Reports, etc,).

Testers can apply programming logic to tests, so they have the facility to insert multiple verification points in a test.

Note: If it is manual testing, human users can concentrate on one or two verification points only (In a test case execution).

If it is Test automation tool can execute multiple verification points at a time.

Final conclusion: Automated Test scope is very high than manual test case.

f. Comprehensive:

Test Tool supports Batch testing (Executing series of tests), series of tests can be executed without human user (tester) interaction.

If it is Manual Testing human user (tester) interaction is required for every Test iteration.

4. Drawbacks of Automated Testing/Test Automation

a. Test Automation requires a lot of effort at the initial stage.

In Software Testing two important tasks, one is Test Design and another is Test Execution, For Test Design User (Tester) interaction is mandatory, Testers only create Test scripts using Test Tool features and Programming features, It takes more time than Manual Test Case Design.

b. 100% Test automation is impractical.

Generally, we try to automate maximum Test cases, not all Test cases, for some Test human user observation is required.

Due to some Environment limitations we can’t automate all testable requirements.)

c. All types of Testing not possible (Ex: Usability).

We can automate Functionality tests, Performance Tests but not possible to automate tests that verify the User-friendliness of the System(AUT).

d. Debugging issues

We use programming syntax/logic to write Tests, sometimes locating errors in Test Script is difficult.

e. Tools may have their own defects.

Test tool also a Software, it may have its own defects in it, so that we may not achieve desired benefits).

f. Programming Knowledge is required.

Every Test Tool uses any one of the Programming languages (Example UFT supports VBScript, Selenium supports Java, Perl, PHP, C#, PHP, and Ruby) to write Test scripts. So in order to create and edit Test Scripts then Programming knowledge is mandatory.

In Manual Testing, no programming knowledge is required.

g. Test Tools have Environment Limitations.

Test Tools have some compatibility issues with Operating Systems and browsers etc…

Example:

UFT / QTP Supports Windows operating environment only, doesn’t support other operating environments like UNIX, Macintosh, etc,

Selenium Supports Web Application test automation only, doesn’t support Desktop/windows based applications.

For Manual Testing no environmental limitations, we can test computer software or mobile software on any operating system and any Browser.

h. Not suitable for dynamically changing UI designs.

Most of the Test Tools support Test automation based on front-end objects, if User Interface design changes dynamically then it is difficult to automate.

Manual Testing vs Automation Testing