There is a discussion among testers today: someone says that manual testing is already completely dead, while others, on the contrary, say that it is alive and shows promising results in certain areas.
Indeed, automated testing has come a long way recently, but can it replace entirely manual testing? Today we want to discuss both theories and understand which is correct.
Popular myth
Today there is a prevalent myth that soon, automated tests will be able to replace manual testing services completely. This opinion appeared, given that automatic testing has rapidly developed in the past few years and has already managed to replace manual testing in some areas.
These two types of testing have their advantages and disadvantages, but the fact is that you need to use these 2 methods if you want to release high-quality software that is user-friendly to the world.
When are these 2 kinds of testing used?
What is better manual VS automation testing? The answer depends on what kinds of tests you want to run. So, if we are discussing security, security, and compatibility with different operating systems, it is better to use automatic tests here.
But, if we are talking about the quality of the interface and usability testing, then it is only possible to do with manual testing. Modern automatic tools cannot modulate the behavior of a living person.
So, only a live person can see how well the colors and fonts in the interface are chosen, which buttons work correctly, how easy it is for users to find the necessary function, and how well the navigation is set up.
In essence, automated testing only allows you to test predictable things. However, some users and third-party software can behave unpredictably, so if you only use automated tests, you may end up with big holes.
In addition, automated tests may contain some bugs. Many people think that manual testing can have a considerable number of errors due to human factors, but at the same time, automated tests are also only with it.
Even though the tests are carried out with special tools, a person makes basic settings where errors can occur.
When should you use manual tests?
As mentioned, manual testing cannot be replaced when testing interface usability. However, this type of testing is not limited to this.
Small projects (startups)
You should use manual tests if you have a small startup with limited funding. If the test size is small, the specialist can quickly subtract it and find possible errors. In addition, the interface and user experience quality are crucial in such projects.
If you want to test UX/UI
Only a living person can understand the real needs of another person. So, if you want to test how comfortable it will be for potential users to use your product, you need to turn to manual tests.
Please involve several people in such testing who may be your potential clients. To conduct this type of test correctly, you must carefully study the possible audience.
After making changes
Once you’ve automated testing, programmers must make changes to fix bugs. After these changes are made, you should retest to ensure that the changes were made correctly and did not introduce new problems.
Repeated automated testing is quite expensive, so it makes sense to use manual tests.
Can manual testing be noticed by automated testing?
There are several points where automated tests will do better than manual ones. Among them are:
● For repetitive steps;
● Need to reduce time;
● Minimize errors due to the human factor;
● Working with complex coding.
When you need to check complex code, automated testing is better for you, as this will reveal more errors that relate to the technical component.
Benefits of Manual Testing
Manual tests have a large number of advantages, among the most important are:
● Allows you to evaluate the actual user experience and get feedback on the work with the application from real people;
● Low cost;
● It is possible to carry out tests in real-time;
● Opportunity for exploratory testing.
The main feature of manual testing is that you can use not pre-compiled test cases but scenarios invented on the fly. It allows you to understand better how your software can deal with unusual tasks.
In the end
You will only be able to release quality software that users will love if you use more than one type of testing.
It would be best if you used both manual and automated tests, which will reveal a considerable number of different errors. Manual testing is indispensable to ensure that users will be comfortable and pleasant using your product.