When you move forward in the development of your application or website, one question never stops growing in importance in the online publication approach: « what is the best way to test my product? »
Two possibilities: the automated test or the manual test. Let’s look at the difference.
« AUTOMATED TEST », THE machinE TEST
Automated tests are performed with the help of tools, algorithms and software that analyze your product on specific paths. Thus to locate bugs, they compare the obtained results with those normally expected.
Engaging in this type of test involves the prediction of the creation of scripts that will manage the procedure ahead of time.
Advantage: the scripts can be reused for testing your product later
Disadvantage: it involves time and cost
« MANUAL TEST », THE USER test
When manual testing, it’s a person, an experienced tester, who will browse through your product. He will use it the way your future user will.
Manual tests can be conducted in two different ways:
- Scenario-based testing: the tester follows scenarized paths to control the quality of the application on specific problems.
- Experience-based exploratory testing: the tester freely browses the application to detect as many bugs and problems as possible.
Advantage : Unlike automated testing, manual testing allows you to test the UI (user interface) and UX (user experience) of your product: the correct text display, links and images. This allows you to detect bugs that would be visible to your users but that a robot would not be able to catch.
Disadvantage: Manual tests cannot be replicated as easily as the automated tests.
TWO COMPLEMENTARY approAches
All websites and applications must be understandable by both the machine and the user. In this, automated and manual testing are two complimentary approaches ... and a combination of both methods is often very effective.
WHEN TO FAVOR THE AUTOMATED TEST?
The automated test is an interesting option when you know that the cost associated with the creation of scripts is compensated by the efficacy you gain in the long run. Once established, it can be executed quickly and replicated many times.
WHEN TO FAVOR THE MANUAL TEST?
Today, UX is crucial for determining the quality of a product and facilitating recurrent use. Since the manual test can catch bugs that only a person can detect, it will help you increase your chances to offer your users an optimal experience.