Software test automation has become an indispensable part of modern software development processes. Automation ensures the repeatability of manual tests and offers significant time and resource savings. In this article, we will focus on the three main types of automation: UI (User Interface) Automation, API Automation, and SQL Automation. We will also examine the differences and advantages of these automation types.
1-What is UI Automation?
UI automation is the process of automatically testing the components on the screens of software applications, such as buttons and forms. This is done by automating test scenarios using software tools and scripts (small programs). Thanks to UI automation, manual tests are conducted faster, error rates decrease, and the software becomes more reliable.
UI automation is an essential part of modern software development and testing processes. It offers a wide range of applications, from e-commerce sites to banking applications and healthcare software. By using UI automation, it is possible to increase the quality and reliability of software projects, making it a significant advantage for development teams.
Let assume that, in healthcare software, there are critical processes such as maintaining patient records, managing appointments, and processing medical data. In such software, it is crucial to verify that changes in the user interface work correctly and process patient information accurately. UI automation tests these processes automatically to minimize errors.
Benefits of UI Automation
- Time and Cost Savings
- Consistency and Repeatability
- Comprehensive Testing
- Error Reduction
- Allows direct testing of user experience
- Facilitates visual regression testing
2-What is API Automation?
API automation is the process of testing APIs (Application Programming Interfaces) automatically. APIs are the components that allow different parts of a software system to communicate with each other. These automated tests verify that the APIs function correctly. With API automation, the testing process is faster, error rates are reduced, and the software becomes more reliable.
API automation involves validating the interactions and data exchanges between various software components through APIs. These tests ensure that the APIs perform their intended functions properly.
API is an application without User Interface (UI).
As a waiter, the API takes a request from a client, takes that request to the database, fetches the requested data
from the database and returns a response to the client.
For example; Banking applications use APIs for money transfers, account management, and transaction history. API automation checks if these processes are secure and work correctly. For example, a money transfer API automatically tests if it processes the transfer amount and account numbers correctly when transferring money from one account to another. This automation verifies data exchange and communication between systems.
Benefits of API Automation
- Time and Cost Savings
- Consistency and Repeatability
- Comprehensive Testing
- Error Reduction
- Ideal for performance testing and load testing
- Requires less maintenance compared to UI automation
3-What is SQL Automation?
SQL automation is the process of automatically carrying out tasks and queries in a database. This is achieved by using software tools and scripts to handle database management and testing.
For example; E-commerce sites manage a lot of data such as product stocks, customer information, and order details. SQL automation is used to regularly update this data and check its accuracy. For example, a SQL script can be used to check stock levels every day and automatically create orders for products with low stock.
Benefits of SQL Automation
- Ensures data accuracy and consistency.
- Performs quick and effective tests on large data sets.
- Optimizes database performance.
- Time and Cost Savings
- Consistency and Repeatability
- Comprehensive Testing
- Error Reduction
UI, API, and SQL automation operate at different layers and serve different purposes. UI automation targets the user interface, API automation focuses on the service layer, and SQL automation aims at the database. UI automation is more visual and user-centric, API automation emphasizes speed and performance, while SQL automation ensures data accuracy and integrity.
Software automation is an essential part of quality software development processes. UI, API, and SQL automations are methods that meet different needs and complement each other. By considering the advantages and use cases of each type of automation, the most suitable automation strategy should be determined for software projects. This will enable the development of faster, more reliable, and higher-quality software products.
https://medium.com/@hannahanulur/streamlining-software-testing-the-role-of-ui-api-and-sql-automation-3dbcc7c75e86a>