January 2019 Summaries

Automated testing can bring numerous benefits to organizations, including faster test results, less manual effort, and optimized use of testing infrastructure. However, many organizations are not maximizing the potential of automated testing by automating more tests, running tests in parallel, standardizing their testing strategy, and building continuous feedback into their test approach. To get more out of CI/CD test automation, it's essential to identify which manual tests can be replaced with automated testing, run automated tests in parallel, involve developers in writing automated test code, standardize testing practices, and incorporate continuous feedback into the test pipeline. By implementing these strategies, organizations can increase the efficiency and effectiveness of their automated testing processes.

The latest advancements in mobile hardware are transforming the mobile testing landscape. New display technologies like bezelless screens, foldable displays, and biometric sensors require applications to adapt to varying screen sizes and types. To ensure seamless user interaction, developers must consider content boundaries, scrolling, and UI native feel. Leveraging real device testing clouds with a wide range of devices is a smarter approach than maintaining an in-house hardware lab. Biometric scanning technology has also become prevalent, but its implementation must be carefully tested to ensure security. Additionally, NFC-enabled devices are emerging, enabling one-tap payments and wireless transactions, which requires apps to handle new forms of fraud and secure user data handling. With the rise of mobile apps over mobile web apps, it's essential for developers to stay up-to-date with the latest mobile technology advancements to deliver cutting-edge features in a secure and elegant way.

Regression testing is a form of functional testing that ensures newly released features and updates don't compromise existing functionality, but it can also be used to validate units of code when merged into the larger trunk. It's crucial to have access to the necessary infrastructure to support regression tests and other types of testing. Continuous Integration (CI) is a software development practice that helps teams ship higher quality software faster by automating processes and removing bottlenecks, but it requires a sound test automation strategy to avoid testing becoming a bottleneck. Sauce Labs provides on-demand cloud-based infrastructure that supports CI and automated testing, allowing teams to achieve development velocity and scale their efforts.