What Are Test Automation Good Practices?

Photo by Nate Grant on Unsplash

A test automation project is a development project.

Test automation is achieved by writing code in a programming language, using an IDE and a unit testing framework that implements a test case.

Any good practices that apply to a development project apply then to a test automation project as well. To provide just a few examples:

• YAGNI (you ain’t going to need it)
• DRY (don’t repeat yourself)
• fail fast
• using a build process
• unit testing
• code reviews
• no comments
• write code defensively
• use small classes, small methods, small packages
• use 3rd party libraries
• code refactoring
• use continuous integration/deployment
• use abstraction layers
• use Design Patterns and Principles

Test automation projects follow also practices that are not found usually in application development projects.

• Create structured, short, single purpose tests; each test should verify one thing only; if your test checks for example that a product can be added to a cart and then more products can be added, you…