Less is More (the less in Codeless)

Coined by a famous English poet but popularized by one of the most renowned modernist architects, Ludwig Mies Van der Rohe, was the phrase “Less is More”. And what does this mean? Although the expression relates to things pertaining to artistic style, coming from an architect makes it, in my modest opinion, very suitable to be applied to the concept of software development.

In minimalist modern architecture, the better art is considered to be: clear, uncluttered, clean, concise, free of [needless complexities]. But, wait a minute…isn’t that what we want in our software too, in our work tools, in our work routine, in our own everyday lives? Of course it is! We want better things in our life, and that undoubtedly applies also to communication or the expression of feelings, as well as to marketing or productivity in general.

What is Codeless Testing?

Talking about software testing with no code immediately evokes –by negation– the idea of a kind of testing which effectively implies coding, and there’s no need to guess we’re talking about automation testing, at least as we know it so far.

Since its inception, automation testing, in its deep sense, has always implied programming skills, usually from an intermediate level on. This has, time and again, meant big costs either in training or in recruiting staff with higher skills, or, in the worst case, insume time and intellectual resources of programmers, diverting them from creating better code.

Now, going to the core, codeless testing is essentially, as the word suggests, performing automated tests without the need to code a script or do anything related to programming. That means, from the creation of test scenarios to test creation/maintenance and bug reporting, everything is done autonomously, without having to write a single line of code. The advantages of such approach are countless and invaluable, to name a few: better time and resource management, lower HR budget, more productivity/more open business/more opportunities, sparing the brain of uncreative, repetitive tasks. In sum, a no-brainer for someone who would like to maximize their resources, make better products and have happy, productive employees.

Tools for Codeless Testing

Technological advances like AI have caused testing tools to evolve dramatically. With the implementation of Machine Learning algorithms, tools can now learn about components, elements and their respective changes within a software, adapting to them and making the appropriate decisions as to what the test design and maintenance concern.

Most codeless testing tools offer a wide range of very useful features. What is certain, considering the state of the art, is that a codeless tool should reunite a specific set of features which would make it ideal to get the job done.

Autify gets it done

Since it incorporates the features which the actual technological and business zeitgeist demands: low learning curve, simplicity, autonomy, versatility, flexibility, speed. However, there’s more to it. Let us specify:

  • Smart Element Locators. No more chaos and hassles when changes in the UI. Machine Learning spares the tester from rewriting scripts, allowing for more time dedicated to the real task: testing.
  • Conditional Waiting. Forget about writing pause scripts. Testers can add in wait times for a specified duration, with the option of inserting JS code for advanced users.
  • Ability to insert code. We want to go towards pure no-code; however, certain users demand broader capabilities, like adding code logic.
  • Control structures. Recording repetitions is a thing of the past. Testers can use JS to write if-else logic to the test scenario, and use data to cycle through repeat options. A simple CSV file can be created and uploaded as a testing step.
  • Easy assertions. Assertions are automatically added to each step along with screenshots for every step.
  • Modification without redo. No need to re-record an entire test to add or modify steps. Autify solves it by implementing Record here and  Record here without playback options.
  • Reusable steps. Stay ahead of changes. Autify will auto-detect changes in UI and automatically save input data entered for login details. If a tester wants to try different user accounts they can upload CSV data.
  • Cross-browser support. Although Autify initiates as a Chrome extension, it can be tested across all browsers, including mobile devices. Autify allows testers to test their applications on IE, Edge, Chrome, Firefox on macOS and Windows, as well as a range of iOS and Android devices.
  • Reporting. Detailed reports are automatically generated. Failures show the screenshot of where it failed, plus a side by side comparison with a baseline script. No need for a tester to waste time figuring out where the failure happened or re-run test scripts.
  • Continuous integration. Through the Autify API the tester can trigger test runs from the CI/CD pipeline.

A quick search online will show you a lot of options in this new world of no code platforms. But, when it comes to pricing, most of them aren’t exactly what we would deem transparent. Besides, real, comprehensive tech customer support is a value that differentiates a good tool/service from an average one. That’s a thing to keep in mind.

At Autify we take such things in high account, because client success is cause and effect of our success.

We invite you to check these amazing customer stories:

You can see other of our client’s success stories here: https://autify.com/why-autify

  • Autify is positioned to become the leader in Automation Testing Tools.
  • We got 10M in Series A in Oct 2021, and are growing super fast.

As said before, transparent pricing is key to our business philosophy.

At Autify we have different pricing options available in our plans: https://autify.com/pricing

  • Small (Free Trial). Offers 400~ test runs per month, 30 days of monthly test runs on 1 workspace.
  • Advance. Offers 1000~ test runs per month, 90~ days of monthly test runs on 1~ workspace.
  • Enterprise. Offers Custom test runs per month, custom days of monthly test runs and 2~ workspaces.

All plans invariably offer unlimited testing of apps and number of users.

We sincerely encourage you to request for our Free Trial and our Demo for both Web and Mobile products.