Creating and optimizing IT solutions comes with some challenges that come directly from coding, testing, and pre-final polishing. Examining an app or website for errors, glitches, or inconsistencies is called testing and is the most difficult of all operations. The final product’s quality directly depends on the thoroughness and diligence of QA specialists. It is essential due to the test automation market growth, which, according to GMInsight, is equal to a CAGR of 16%. According to preliminary forecasts, the total value of the sphere will reach $60 billion in 2027.
The basic form of the bug-finding process is unit testing. It sets the pace and key testing goals. Let’s see how it works and how we can optimize unit tests to improve their effectiveness. To better understand testing processes and their automation, we talked to Zapple Tech experts, who told us about the nuances of their work and shared a list of the best tools for unit testing.
Table of Contents
A Little About Frameworks: What Is It and Why?
These are tools for unit testing and all other types of bug searches. They differ in:
- Purpose, e.g., to check elements of mobile apps, web resources, systems, etc.
- Architecture, because each type of software works according to its algorithm on different platforms (C#, JavaScript).
- Requirements depend on the complexity, flexibility, functionality, and script development language.
- Difficulties in mastering due to the use of proprietary algorithms in scripting.
- Distribution models, because there are both free solutions and complex ones with subscriptions or a one-time purchase.
Various solutions are designed for certain types of testing, technologies, or techniques. They can replace or complete each other, but they are usually used in combination. To understand how frameworks help build test automation, here’s a brief digression into a primary type of bug-finding, specifically unit testing.
Unit Testing: Goals, Challenges, Benefits
A unit test is a set of actions performed by an automated script to test a specific value, group, class, or unit parameter in an IT solution’s structure or code. It relates to the white box method when the value is known, and you need to make sure that the code fragment works properly before integrating it into the program body.
This approach allows you to debug each block so that after the merge, it is easier to synchronize all the elements together. Unit tests are the basis of testing and often serve as the “body” for other types of tests. They also have their own set of automated unit testing tools, which we discuss further.
Why Is It So Important to Test IT Solutions With the Right Tools?
The final quality of the IT solution directly depends on the thoroughness of testing. It is an axiom proven by hundreds of startup owners whose projects failed due to savings on QA services. It so happened that even now, not enough attention is paid to product quality control, or rather, testing is performed at later stages when each bug is more expensive than fixing it directly in the development process.
The modern testing model strives for 100 percent automation by grouping or optimizing dozens of similar processes. Various programs, frameworks, or entire platforms are used. The main problem of QA modernization lies in two factors: the high cost of implementation (software costs and time to create scripts) and the lack of qualified personnel (developing automated scripts requires knowledge of languages, programming, and technical stacks). The main QA drivers include Selenium, Appium, and Cucumber, but despite their versatility, it is better to use highly specialized tools for particular purposes and tests, e.g., unit test automation tools.
Top Six Solutions for Running Test Cases
For more accurate and understandable testing, it is recommended to use special tools that will cope with the tasks and save the time required to run all the scripts and scenarios. Since there are a lot of such solutions, we will limit ourselves exclusively to utilities for automating unit testing.
Unittest
This module is part of the Python programming environment standard library. Its features are flexibility and speed of deployment, while the native environment allows you to fully customize the test script and make changes on the fly. Since the app code and the script body are written in the same language, no additional knowledge is required to learn this tool.
Key features of Unittest:
- No dependencies on third-party libraries.
- Full compatibility with Python code.
- Free open license.
Unittest makes automated unit testing of apps or web solutions easier.
TestNG
A modern advanced tool for automating unit testing based on Java. It is the spiritual successor of JUnit and has a large arsenal of features. It can be used standalone or integrated with other systems such as Selenium.
Key features:
- Commenting support.
- Data-driven testing.
- Plugin and JDK integration.
TestNG is a modern, flexible unit testing solution. Its toolkit is recognized by QA industry experts, making it one of the best on the market.
Shoulda
A simple but useful assistant for automating the testing of IT solutions in Ruby. It can be used with more advanced tools like RSpec or MiniTest. Easy integration and a quick start of work save time and start developing scenarios without additional settings.
Features:
- Simple syntax.
- No dependencies.
- The ability to test individual elements or entire functions.
Shoulda is one of the best, simplest, and most reliable Ruby testing solutions.
NUnit
A unique and flexible scripting tool for apps developed in C#. It can be used with powerful frameworks such as NetCore, Silverlight, or Xamarin. Supports multi-threaded parallel testing and the creation of complex checks.
Key features:
- Run from a console or VS shell.
- Support for data-driven tests.
- Integration into the main C# testing tools.
NUnit is a leader in its class and is recognized by the global community of QA experts as one of the most reliable and flexible tools.
PHPUnit
This module is intended for integration into Selenium and further use in unit testing automation. It allows programmers or advanced QA experts to test key features directly during development, avoiding bugs leaking into further program code.
Main features:
- Support for JSON, DOM.
- Test parallelization.
- PHP syntax.
PHPUnit is one of the most popular tools in the arsenal of QA professionals.
Jest
This unique tool is designed to work with apps and solutions based on React or JavaScript and their derivatives. More precisely, for unit testing of the interface, which is problematic, time-consuming, and inefficient to automate in other ways.
Key features:
- Integration with various testing complexes.
- Easy-to-use syntax.
- Flexibility and variability in scripting.
Jest is one of the best players in the QA market in its class, appreciated by thousands of industry experts worldwide.
Summarizing
Unit testing automation is a rather complex and lengthy process that requires the performer’s experience, knowledge, and perseverance. Modern popular frameworks slightly optimize the mechanics of performing tasks, but only in the capable hands of QA experts. Zapple Tech specialists master the latest tools for automating product testing, regardless of the tech stack or development language. We provide comprehensive QA services and guarantee meeting deadlines with the highest possible Bug-free IT product status. Contact our manager for advice or cooperation.
Zapple Tech is your trustworthy partner in the quality and clarity of IT solutions!
