This document discusses test automation frameworks. It introduces test automation frameworks and explains that they provide an environment for executing automated test cases. It then describes four main types of test automation frameworks: modular, data-driven, keyword-driven, and hybrid. The modular framework uses independent test scripts for each module or function. Data-driven frameworks store test data externally and load it into scripts. Keyword-driven frameworks represent tests as series of actions or keywords. Hybrid frameworks combine features of the other three for increased flexibility.

1. TEST AUTOMATION
FRAMEWORK

2. Introduction
 Software testing concepts is going to enhance from manual testing
to automated testing. Due to rapidly increasing complexity in
software development process, the present manual testing
technique is not sufficient for effective testing. Hence, here arises
the requirement of test automation process. The automation
testing is the software testing process in which the tester use
advance automation tools for testing software applications areas,
which needs to be tested again-and-again due to frequent changes.
 To carry out automation test by executing developed test cases, a
software platform is required. This special platform or environment
is known as Test Automation Framework.

3. Test Automation Framework
 This is an environment that is used to execute automated test
cases for testing software effectively. It comprises of
concepts, assumptions and practices which supports test
automation process.

4. The Framework is Responsible for
 Defining scheme to express expected output
 Developing mechanism to drive automation test on
application
 Test execution
 Developing report for output.

5. Test Framework Properties
 It does not depends on application.
 It can easily be modified, expanded and maintained.

6. Why the Framework is Required ?
 To apply different testing strategy to different software, there
is not need to change automation environment. Hence, the
test automation framework is used to execute test, as this
does not depends on application. Also the framework has the
capability to modify itself according to the test requirement.
 Test case duplication has been reduced across the application
 Improve testing efficiency by organizing test suits properly.

7. Test Framework Types
Test Framework
Modular Data-Driven Keyword-DrivenHybrid

8. Modular Test Framework
 Creates an abstraction layer around the software
component to hide it from rest application areas.
 The layer is developed by using small and independent test
scripts.
 Each independent script represent functions, sections, and
modules of the application that is being tested.
 Small test scripts can combined into larger tests.
 Results in great maintainability and balancing.

9. Advantages
 Modular scripts division provides an advantage to easily
maintain the test suits with great scalability.
 Due to the availability of functionality in test libraries, it helps
developing new scripts for different automation test in
efficient manner.

10. Disadvantages
 The main disadvantage of this framework is that, here test
data is embedded with test scripts. Whenever the tester
needs to update test data, then he or she should require to
change the script code. This creates a big problems in case of
large test script.
 To overcome from this disadvantage data-driven framework is
developed.

11. Data-Driven Frameworks
 External data files like ODBC source, ADO, DAO objects CSV
files, etc., are used to store input values and output values
of test.
 These stored values can be loaded into respective
variables of test scripts.
 The navigation for test flow are coded into the developed
test scripts.
 Here the scripts behaves just like a driver or mechanism to
drive data.

12. Advantages
 Reduces the number of test scripts to implement test cases.
 For generating test cases less code is needed.
 Provides a higher flexibility for maintaining and fixing bugs.
 Test data can be developed before initializing test
implementation or the system.

13. Disadvantages
 The developed test cases in this framework are similar. Due to
this new driving scripts are required while developing new
test, so that it can be easily be understood. The driver scripts
and test data are strongly related to each other which needs
to be changed accordingly.
 To overcome this issue Keyword-Driven framework is
developed.

14. Keyword-Driven Framework
 This framework requires keywords and data tables development
which are independent of automation tools.
 The framework represents manual test case just as a series of
actions or keywords.
 In this framework the application's functionality for each test is
documented in step-by-step format as well as in a table.

15. Advantages
 This framework includes all the features of data-driven
framework.
 To develop new tests cases, no automation expertise
required.
 Keywords can be used across different test cases.

16. Disadvantages
 One of the disadvantages is that, it require more complicated
testing framework.
 Because of the increased flexibility, the developed test cases
will become complex and long.
 By combining all the features of modular, data-driven, and
keyword-driven frameworks and reducing their weak points,
the hybrid framework is used.

17. Hybrid Framework
 The hybrid framework is developed by combining the
features of modular, data-driven, and keyword-driven testing
frameworks.
 It permits data driving scripts to use utilities and libraries of
keyword based testing approach.
 The utilities of hybrid framework can make data driving
scripts compact with reduced failure level.
 Conversion of existing test scripts to keyword-driven is also
facilitated by the hybrid framework utilities.
 Also this framework is helpful in performing some tasks which
other framework can't perform.

18. Advantage :
 It constitute of all the advantages of the rest
three automation frameworks.
Disadvantage :
 Increased complexity.