Solutions for problems of automated testing Web applications through UI

Here is the list of general problems of testing Web applications through UI:

• Maintainability
• Hard to create for non-programmers
• Hard to handle AJAX
• Hard to handle persistence
• Erratic tests
• Testing takes too much time
• Hard to understand test flow
• Hard to understand why test failed

Project design-of-selenium-tests-for-asp-net was created to show how to create automated UI tests for ASP.NET application using Selenium and minify influence of these problems. Description of how each particular issue can be avoided:

Problem: Maintainability

• Abstraction layers (Page Object, Flow)
• Code generation - Part 1 and Part 2
• Continuous integration
• Processes (Do not allow commit when build fails)

Problem: Hard to create for non-programmers

• Domain Specific Language and lightweight editor/runner

Problem: Hard to handle AJAX

• Just tricky technical problem - Part 1 and Part 2

Problem: Hard to handle persistence

• Fresh test fixture
• Use unique data for each test

Problem: Erratic tests

• Continuous integration
• Processes (track such tests, make problem visible and avoid it)

Problem: Testing takes too much time

• Run tests in parallel and distribute tests on several machines

Problem: Hard to understand test flow

• Abstraction layers (Page Object, Flow)
• Think about future generations :)

Problem: Hard to understand why test failed

• Special patterns (Navigator)
• Meaningful messages
• Run time analysis