Automated testing or automated test activities?

Everyone is talking about automated testing these days. But is this correct? If so, why don’t we also talk about automated development? Just think about this. :thinking:

I strongly believe that testing is a process and consists of many activities. Just like in the development process. These test activities can be automated to a greater or lesser extent where this has added value of course. For example, the performed checks in the SUT. I therefore think that perhaps we should no longer speak of automated testing, but of testing in general and automated test activities.

I’m curious how you see this…

2 Likes

Github CoPilot , solved all Advent of Codes automagically :smiley:

2 Likes

@silviocacace I’m very much on board with what you said - I think a test should not be “manual” or “automation” exclusive, testing is a very broad set of activities and it’s not black and white.

Manual programming needs to be verified by manual testing :sweat_smile:

2 Likes

Or we can adapt the term “automated development” :joy:

1 Like

If so, why don’t we also talk about automated development?

Developers use tools. Doctors use tools. Managers use tools. Carpenter use tools.
But developing, medicine, managing, and building are activities perform by humans.

If we promote that testing is about checking that the product adheres to the expected behavior,
then automated testing makes sense.

But

“Testing is the process of evaluating a product by learning about it through exploration and experimentation, which includes: questioning, study, modeling, observation and inference, output checking, etc.”

Thus it by definition, cannot be automated, it has to be performed by humans (who are supported
by tools like those other professions).

3 Likes

What I meant in other words :wink:

1 Like