First and foremost, a big thanks to those who've been using TestCafe open source edition. We appreciate your invaluable feedback. Your contributions have helped us improve the platform and deliver a more robust web testing solution. Needless to say, we remain fully committed to TestCafe as an open source web testing platform and are looking forward to extending TestCafe's end-to-end web testing capabilities now and into the future.
As you might expect, users have repeatedly asked us to create a Visual Test Editor/Test Recorder. With the release of TestCafe Studio, we've made certain to address this requirement and to deliver a straightforward way to visually record and edit test scripts.
TestCafe Studio was built on top of our open source TestCafe engine. Whether you're looking to simplify the way you record your tests, or want to delegate testing to a QA team that does not want to write JavaScript, try the Studio edition and tell us what you think.
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Read on to learn more about TestCafe Studio and to see how it might fit into your existing development strategy.
Tester Qualifications
We designed TestCafe Studio so that engineers can record, run, and maintain tests without any special knowledge. In most scenarios, TestCafe's intelligent algorithms successfully translate end-user actions into repeatable code.
While technical expertise is not required, it can expedite the test creation process and help with troubleshooting. The following prerequisites will potentially keep the testing process within the QA department, without the need for developer assistance:
- An understanding of CSS selectors and DOM when testing complex applications.
- Proficiency in using browser development tools.
Additionally, a QA engineer should be able to work with the code repository in which test files are stored.
Preparation
A good starting point for a QA engineer is to study tests already written by a developer. This does require access to the repository in which the test files are stored. He/she can open the directory containing test files once TestCafe Studio is installed.
From there, the engineer can run any individual test or fixture and see what it does. If the tester can read JavaScript, he/she can also study the code.
Note: A QA engineer will not be able to modify imported tests via the Visual Test Recorder. If any significant changes are required, he/she can re-record a test from scratch as described in the next section. Conversion from code-based tests to Visual Recorder-compatible tests may be implemented in future versions.
Create New Tests: Record a Test Script
A QA engineer starts TestCafe Studio, enters the target website URL and starts the recording. He/she can now perform actions as a regular website visitor based on the test scenario.
If a scenario includes steps that cannot be captured automatically (e.g., respond to a browser dialog, resize the browser window, take a screenshot), the QA engineer can add an action from the Actions Panel.
To verify that the recorded actions lead to an expected result, he/she will need to add an assertion. The tester can select one from the Actions Panel, and use the Element Picker to identify a webpage element and the property that requires evaluation. If the default selector suggested by the recorder does not suit the test scenario, he/she can choose another one from a list of alternative auto-generated selectors or enter a custom selector.
Once the recording is complete, the QA engineer runs the test in all target browsers to ensure that it passes successfully.
A tester can also run tests in remote browsers, including mobile devices. If a test fails, he/she can troubleshoot the tests as described in the next section.
Once all test runs have been successfully completed, the QA engineer pushes the tests into the repo. The open-source version of TestCafe will now run them together with JavaScript tests. Ensure that the testing task includes new *.testcafe files.
A developer's assistance is required only in rare cases that involve complicated verification logic on the tested page, or specific server-side code: helpers for file system operations, testing environment adjustment, sophisticated TestCafe features (roles, request hooks), and complex verifications. This code is usually written once and then reused across multiple scenarios.
Note: Server-side code can only be added to tests converted to JavaScript. We plan to support server-side code in Visual Recorder-compatible tests in future versions.
Create New Tests: Troubleshoot a Test after Recording
Sometimes a newly recorded test fails due to a QA engineer's mistake, or a problem with the tested website.
With easy-to-use debugging features, an engineer can quickly identify the cause of failure and distinguish bugs on the tested website from bugs in newly recorded tests. Using the developer tools available in most browsers, a tester can add the “Debug” action (or enable Debug Mode) to run the step-by-step test, review the tested page in each step, and determine if an issue is caused by the test or the website.
To fix a test, a QA engineer may need to use a different selector (e.g., by selecting from an auto-generated list) or action parameters. If this doesn't help, or the engineer observes incorrect behavior when replaying the test, he/she can submit a bug report with the test file attached.
A developer uses TestCafe Studio (or TestCafe open source edition) to run the test attached to the bug report and reproduce the bug.
Test Maintenance: Test Failures Reported from CI
As tests are now part of the continuous integration process, a test may fail from time to time (e.g., due to a change in website code).
A developer is usually the first to receive a notification from the CI system when a test fails. He/she examines the report to determine whether or not it's a regression - in which case the developer fixes it. Otherwise, he/she notifies the QA engineer and describes the changes to the website that may have caused the failure.
The QA engineer then runs the test in TestCafe Studio and identifies the point of failure. He/she modifies the test step if a minor edit is required (e.g., a selector or text content change).
If a website change alters the user scenario, the engineer re-records the test from scratch or edits it (by adding/removing steps from the Action Panel, reorder steps, etc.).
Try it in Your Workflow: Start with the Free Trial
To see if the workflows described above work for your projects, check out our free trial version. If you're satisfied with the results, you can purchase licenses starting at $249.99 per year / per tester, with volume discounts for multiple licenses. Once the subscription period ends, you can continue to use the product, or renew your subscription if you wish to continue receiving updates. See the Pricing page for details.
If you have a specific workflow and you're not sure if TestCafe Studio is a good fit, please feel free to contact us. We'll be happy to guide you through different integration options.
Any feedback is welcome. You can email the team directly at testcafeteam@devexpress.com or create a ticket in the Support Center if you have questions or comments.