Defining boundaries between automation framework and a testing tool

Automated software testing is difficult to be carried out on its own and thus requires support. This support is supplied by a frame work which is automated for all kinds of testing and is commonly known as the “test automation framework”. To define it formally we can say that it is a set of the below mentioned aspects:

•     Assumptions whether true or false,
•     Concepts providing support to the automated testing and,
•     The tools that provide aid in performing the automated testing and so on.

About Automated Testing Framework and a Testing Tool
- The most beneficial advantage being the reduction in the high costs of the whole software testing life cycle or STLC.
- Software testing life cycle is a very extensive process and requires a lot of efforts.
- The test automation frame work alone cannot help in completing the software testing life cycle.
- There are some additional tools other than the test automation frame work that provide aid in the testing process.
- Most of the tools available nowadays are quite easy to use and deliver what they promise.
- Most of testing tools have been exclusively designed to take control of the whole testing process inclusive of the quality assurance check.
- The testing tools which create the test cases, create them based up on the requirements.
- Some of the testing tools have been designed to carry out the user acceptance testing programs and they are also capable of tracking the testing environments.
- With so many testing methodologies around, an equivalent number of types of testing tools have been developed to carry out the corresponding tests.
- We mean to say that for every kind of testing there are particular testing tools.

Purpose for which testing framework is used:
The following are the purposes for which the testing automation frame work is used:

•     For defining a format for the expectations to be expressed in.
•     For creating a mechanism for driving the software system or application.
•     For execution of the test cases.
•     For reporting of the results.

Purpose for which testing tools are used:

•     Monitoring the program.
•     Simulating the instructional set.
•     Repeating the system level tests
•     Making the benchmarks or run time performance comparisons.
•     Executing the program step by step.
•     Symbolic debugging for the inspection of the programming variables.