Complex multi-level software projects require the development of specific functionality and a thorough check of its operation. Test automation can significantly speed up the software testing process, improve its accuracy and efficiency, reduce the risk of errors, and, as a result, increase end-user satisfaction.
Author: Olexiy Vovk, Lecturer at Sigma Software University
Today, many test automation libraries and tools support various programming languages. This allows teams to choose the tools that best suit their needs and preferences. However, the choice of a programming language for automation is only sometimes obvious. It can significantly impact the efficiency and convenience of the team’s work and the entire project’s success.
Let’s discuss the five main factors when choosing a language for QA Automation.
What to look for when choosing a language
Let’s be honest. QA engineers usually write a test framework in the language they know, but such a framework only sometimes meets the project’s needs and does not bring the benefits it could.
What is the right approach? When choosing the most suitable programming language for writing automated tests, the project team should pay attention to these five factors:
- The technology stack used to develop the product/application:
- The planned composition of the test automation team:
- Availability of specialists in the labor market:
- Compatibility of the programming language with the selected automation tools:
- Project readiness to support different technologies:
Now, let’s look at each factor in detail.
Technology stack
One of the most common approaches when choosing a programming language for a test framework is using the same technology stack to develop the application. This approach can significantly reduce the cost of maintaining and deploying the software testing infrastructure, as there is no need to implement and support tools and languages that are not specific to the project. Ease of integration into continuous integration and deployment (CI/CD) processes is also a significant advantage, as using a single stack simplifies the configuration and monitoring of automated testing processes.
In addition, using a single programming language (for product development and testing) allows developers to create and maintain tests easily, ensuring team flexibility and the most efficient use of resources. In particular, if necessary, a software developer can temporarily replace a QA engineer, minimizing the risk of delays in the project due to a lack of staff or time to get acquainted with the new technology.
The composition of the automation team
The choice of programming language for a test framework should consider the technical aspects and the automation team’s planned composition. If the team is supposed to include more than one test automation specialist, you could consider using a less popular programming language. This approach may be justified by the project’s unique requirements or the specialist’s specific skills. However, if you plan to form a team of several QA engineers, more familiar languages should be preferred. This will facilitate the recruiting process since most specialists will already be familiar with such a language or reduce the time required for additional training of new employees.
Suppose the team consists of experienced senior and middle-level specialists. In that case, you can choose a less common programming language that is more suitable for specific tasks and team preferences. Such specialists have sufficient experience and knowledge to adapt to new tools and use them effectively and quickly. This makes it possible to choose the tools that best suit the specifics of the project and the test automation strategy, not just popular solutions. Thus, considering the skill level and team composition is also an essential factor when choosing a programming language for developing a test framework, allowing you to ensure the efficiency of the team and the achievement of project goals.
Availability of specialists in the job market
When choosing a programming language to develop a test framework, it is essential to consider the state of the job market and the availability of specialists with the necessary skills. A market analysis can help you anticipate potential difficulties in recruiting staff and assess how easy it will be to find a replacement for a specialist who may leave the project. It is important to remember that employees with unique or specific experience in rare technologies may be more expensive, affecting the project budget and significantly increasing the time required to find and recruit such a specialist.
In addition, the risks associated with a possible shortage of qualified specialists in the future must be considered. The absence of the right professionals in the job market can increase the hiring cost due to high competition and lead to a slowdown or termination of automated testing processes, negatively affecting the quality and timing of the product release.
Therefore, when choosing a programming language for a test framework, it will be helpful to analyze the current situation in the job market and assess the prospects for its change in the future to ensure the stability and efficiency of the testing process throughout the project life cycle. This will provide the continuity of software testing and keep overall costs reasonable, avoiding unexpected costs of finding and training rare specialists.
This point may be less relevant to short-term projects, but it is not. After all, losing a rare specialist at the start or middle of a 5-6 month project can end test automation altogether due to recruitment problems. Longer-term projects will be less prone to stress due to this problem.
Compatibility of the programming language with the selected automation tools
An important criterion when choosing a programming language for developing a test framework is its compatibility with the selected test automation tools. For example, a tool like Playwright is designed from the very beginning to be tightly integrated with JavaScript, which provides advanced features and simplifies the process of writing tests due to deep compatibility and specific functions. Tools better integrated with specific programming languages often receive updates faster and offer a more comprehensive range of test automation capabilities.
Using the language that best suits the chosen tool allows you to write more straightforward and reliable code, minimizing the need for crutches to implement the required functionality or integrate with other systems. This simplifies the maintenance of the test framework and increases its reliability, as developers can rely on standard methods and functions provided by a compatible tool, avoiding the need to “reinvent the wheel” to perform basic tasks.
Thus, the correct operation of test frameworks is vital to creating an effective and sustainable test environment. In turn, the proper programming language allows for smoother integration, speeds up test development, and improves the quality and reliability of automated test processes.
Project readiness to support different technologies
When choosing a programming language for a test framework, assessing whether the project is ready to support different technologies is essential. This includes having the necessary infrastructure and resources to integrate and effectively use various tools and programming languages. The ability to choose specialized tools for specific tasks – UI, API, load testing – allows you to get the most out of the available tools and significantly improve testing quality.
However, this approach carries the risk of increased costs. Supporting multiple technologies requires a wide range of team knowledge and skills and entails managing a more complex infrastructure. In addition, costs may arise in the long run related to hiring and training staff and maintaining and updating disparate systems and tools.
Therefore, the decision to support different technologies should be based on a thorough analysis of the project’s current and future needs and the team’s and project infrastructure’s ability to adapt to these requirements. While the use of multiple technologies can improve the quality and flexibility of testing, the potential increase in cost and complexity of project management must also be considered. Striking the right balance between using different technologies and maintaining effective resource management will be key to successfully implementing a test automation strategy.
Closing remarks
Choosing a programming language for test automation is an important decision considering many factors: project technology, team composition, availability of specialists, team readiness to learn new technologies, and compatibility with automation tools. The right choice of language will not only facilitate the process of developing and maintaining automated tests but also increase the team’s efficiency and the quality of the final product.
Sometimes, the simplest solution may need to be more effective, and a seemingly unobvious choice can lead to excellent results. I’ll delve further into this topic in my upcoming course on automated testing, which is scheduled to begin soon at Sigma Software University.
About the author
Olexiy Vovk is Senior Test Automation Engineer at Sigma Software Group. He has been working in IT for over ten years, seven of which are in automated testing. He participated in 20+ automation projects in telecommunications, social networks, cloud services, banking, and other domains. He implemented automation from scratch and refactored existing solutions. He has extensive experience in creating turnkey automation.