Hi everyone!
In the world of software testing, one term that often comes up in discussions is "end-to-end testing" or E2E testing. But what exactly does it mean? Simply put, end-to-end testing is a comprehensive approach that verifies the functionality and performance of an application from start to finish, ensuring that all integrated components work together seamlessly.
During E2E testing, the entire software system is tested, simulating real-life user scenarios and interactions. This type of testing validates the system's behavior and performance across various layers, including the user interface, APIs, databases, and integrations with other systems. It aims to replicate the end-user experience and identify any issues or bottlenecks that may arise in complex workflows.
Recently, I had an interesting conversation with a software architect who posed a thought-provoking question:
"How do we ensure proper testing coverage between our web application (App A) and desktop application (App B) ?"
Crucial information is that both apps use the same API for communication and changes done on one end are reflected on the other.
This query highlights the challenges faced when trying to achieve seamless integration and consistency between different applications.
In the case of App A (web) and App B (desktop), running a full end-to-end test that encompasses both applications might be not feasible due to various factors such as different technologies, limitations in desktop app automation, and performance considerations.
However, it is still crucial to ensure that changes made in one application are reflected accurately in the other.
To address this challenge, one approach is to focus on testing the web application's frontend (App A) while validating the underlying API for data conformity and performance. By leveraging API testing, we can ensure that the data shared between the applications remains consistent and synchronized.
Additionally, manual testing can be employed to thoroughly test the desktop application's frontend (App B) and verify the expected behavior.
It's important to highlight that collaboration between QA teams and development is key to addressing these testing challenges. By working closely with the development team, additional measures can be taken to facilitate the synchronization of changes between the applications. For example, the development team can add automation IDs or other identifiers to elements within the desktop application to improve automation capabilities and simplify testing efforts.
While it may not be possible to achieve a fully automated end-to-end test in this scenario, adopting a strategic testing approach that combines API testing, manual testing, and collaboration between teams can help ensure a consistent user experience and mitigate potential issues arising from the shared module.
In conclusion, achieving end-to-end testing across different applications with shared modules requires careful consideration and collaboration. By understanding the limitations and exploring alternative testing approaches, QA teams can ensure the reliability and functionality of the system while optimizing testing efforts.
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