Impact of UI Reskin on Elements and Script Failures with FireFlink’s Self Healing Features
Applications are constantly changing and being updated to improve the user experience and meet the ever-changing needs of customers. These frequent application updates pose a challenge for automation test engineers because user interface (UI) elements often change over time. As a result, test scripts that rely on these UI elements can become unreliable or "flaky." Keeping test scripts up to date is essential, but it can be challenging in Agile development environments where new features are developed, tested, and released rapidly.
To address this challenge, one approach is to regularly refresh and align test scripts and data with the current state of the application. Test engineers should periodically review their test scripts and data to ensure they match the latest design, requirements, and features. While this may seem straightforward, it can become quite time-consuming when applied to multiple elements across numerous test scripts.
How Does the FireFlink Platform Handle UI Reskin and Script Failures?
UI Reskin:
One way to tackle this challenge is by re-recording locators for these UI elements as rapidly as possible. Instead of delving into the complexities of the HTML DOM and XPath strategies and manually writing code to locate UI elements, we can leverage an intelligent tool like FireFlink Finder. FireFlink Finder is available for multiple operating systems, including Windows, macOS, and Linux. It simplifies the UI element locating process significantly. All that's required is to click on the element you intend to interact with, and FireFlink Finder will generate optimal element names and types and provide multiple reliable locators for the UI elements selected. It dynamically selects the most suitable locator during runtime, reducing the likelihood of script failures due to inaccurate or obsolete locators. This makes the job of keeping automation tests up-to-date much simpler and less time-consuming in the fast-paced world of agile development.
Script Failure due to UI Reskinning:·
- Auto-generate steps to reproduce defects
- Workflow for bug reporting (Jira, GitLab, and other popular tools)
When dealing with script failures caused by UI reskinning, the initial step is to reproduce the failed test scripts. This process helps us precisely identify the issues and gain insights into why these scripts are failing. We can pinpoint which UI elements have undergone changes and require updates to ensure the scripts run smoothly. Reproducing failed test steps is crucial to effectively addressing and resolving the flakiness caused by UI reskinning in automated test cases.
In the event of a test script failure, the FireFlink platform offers a convenient feature that enables you to report a defect directly in Jira or GitHub. Rather than manually reproducing the test steps in Jira or GitHub, you can simply click on a small bug icon that appears next to the failed step to automatically report a defect. You can assign a priority to the defect and provide additional details as needed.
The FireFlink platform simplifies the generation of test steps needed to reproduce a failed test script. Additionally, it includes the environment details associated with the failed script. This time-saving feature reduces the need for test engineers to comprehend the test scenario and recreate the test case manually.
In summary, the FireFlink platform provides an integrated solution to address the complexities arising from the dynamic nature of evolving applications. It expedites the process of locating UI elements, substantially reducing the time and effort required to update automation test suites with new locators following UI redesigns. Additionally, it optimizes defect reporting by seamlessly integrating with tools like Jira, enhancing time efficiency and operational effectiveness for Test Engineers operating within agile development ecosystems.