September 2022 Summaries

The session discusses the various types of visual validations offered by testRigor, focusing on ensuring that elements appear consistent to end-users or detecting changes. It highlights the capability of automatically identifying if a page appears broken, which enhances the value of testing by catching numerous bugs.

The September testRigor newsletter provides updates on new features, resources, and events designed to enhance the use of testRigor's test automation platform. The newsletter invites users to join live Tips & Tricks sessions, led by CEO Artem Golubev, which occur biweekly and cover specific topics like best practices and element referencing in testRigor. It also highlights an upcoming webinar on evaluating the ROI of codeless test automation, alongside new blog articles on a range of topics including test automation certifications, best practices, and behavior-driven development. Recent feature updates include improvements in PDF viewing, load testing, performance tracking, Chrome extension testing, and CI/CD settings management, with detailed descriptions available for paid customers.

Several new features were recently introduced, enhancing the functionality and flexibility of testing processes. Users can now save downloaded files as variables to be utilized later within a test case, improving the management and reusability of downloaded data. The update also includes the capability to accept browser alerts and prompts, which is especially beneficial for prompts requiring mandatory fields. Additionally, there is an improvement in screenshot functionality for desktop browsers in NON-HEADLESS mode, allowing for OS-level screenshots that capture browser-based popups, extension icons, and OS prompts, providing a more comprehensive view of the screen.

TestRigor offers a unique approach to software testing by minimizing the need for test maintenance, setting it apart from other solutions like UFT, Tosca, Ranorex, and Test Complete. Unlike these tools, which require hiring engineers, testRigor allows non-technical personnel to create tests efficiently, claiming to deliver tests that are approximately 200 times more stable than those created with traditional systems. This innovation in testing methodology aims to streamline the testing process and reduce the technical barriers associated with test development.

The session is designed for beginners in testRigor, demonstrating the simplicity of creating comprehensive automation tests using plain English. It will also explore the advantages of adopting a codeless solution, suggesting that it may be a strategic move for teams, regardless of existing traditional test automation systems.

Selenium is a widely recognized open-source automation framework used primarily for cross-browser testing of web applications, consisting of components like Selenium IDE, RC, WebDriver, and Grid. Despite its popularity, Selenium has several limitations, such as the need for programming skills, complex architecture setup, slow execution speed, and inadequate built-in reporting and maintenance features, which drive testers to seek alternative tools. Selenium WebDriver, an improvement over Selenium RC, offers faster execution and simpler commands but still requires manual configuration for additional functionalities like reporting and image testing. As the testing landscape evolves, tools like testRigor present viable alternatives by offering no-code solutions with robust and maintenance-free capabilities, faster test creation, and built-in reporting, addressing many of Selenium's drawbacks.

Data masking, also known as anonymization or data obfuscation, is a crucial technique for protecting sensitive information while maintaining its utility for development and testing purposes. This process involves creating a replica of the original data by hiding, shuffling, replacing, or encrypting certain elements to preserve the data's structure without divulging critical information. It is primarily used in less secure environments such as testing, training, or by sales teams and is essential for compliance with regulations like GDPR. Data masking is particularly important in industries like banking and healthcare, where it helps prevent security breaches and fraud. Techniques such as encryption, scrambling, substitution, shuffling, and nulling out are commonly employed to achieve data masking. The practice ensures that data remains secure during testing or sharing with third parties, allowing for the creation of comprehensive test cases that mimic real-world scenarios without compromising data privacy. Popular data masking tools, such as those from Broadcom, Delphix, IBM, Informatica, and Microsoft Azure, offer various features to customize and implement effective data protection strategies. Ensuring the masked data retains the format and essential characteristics of the original data is vital for accurate testing and development.

testRigor employs a range of machine learning models and artificial intelligence to enhance service stability and provide advanced user experiences. The platform utilizes AI to comprehend English, identify screen elements such as shopping cart or user icons, and classify images that are difficult to describe. It also includes models that can automatically detect screen issues from an end-user perspective. Integrating machine learning with AI, testRigor supports crawler-based and behavior-driven test creation, where the latter involves analyzing common user scenarios to generate adaptive tests. This comprehensive AI-based approach ensures that testRigor can effectively meet the evolving needs of its users.

Several new features were introduced last week to enhance user experience and performance across various platforms. A significant update is the addition of a PDF Viewer setting in Chrome and Firefox, allowing users to open PDFs directly in the browser, a feature previously disabled to address past issues. Load testing now includes error tracking with screenshots for failed steps, enabling detailed analysis and comparison to baselines, along with a server graph displaying the number of issues by category. Performance improvements include a default setting to measure the duration of each step, which can be adjusted in the settings. For Chrome extensions, users can now open extensions directly in a new tab using a command, marking the completion of a testing phase. In CI/CD integration, a new Settings Schema allows users to override suite settings via API for specific retests without altering the application's default settings, with specific fields changeable as defined by the SETTINGS_ALLOWED_CHANGE_BY_RETEST_API constant.

TestRigor facilitates accessibility testing by allowing users to customize the types and levels of accessibility errors they want to detect, thus helping companies maintain compliance with ADA and other certifications. Users can decide the depth of their accessibility testing and configure the settings accordingly, making the process straightforward. More information on utilizing accessibility testing with TestRigor can be accessed through their resources.

Using loops in testRigor, even for simple tests, can enhance testing efficiency and coverage by allowing repetitive tasks to be executed with minimal effort. TestRigor enables users to implement loops using natural language, simplifying the process and making it accessible for those who may not be familiar with complex programming syntax. This approach not only streamlines the testing process but also ensures that tests are comprehensive and easy to understand, reducing the likelihood of errors and increasing the overall reliability of software testing.