What is Agile Modeling

When you want the ultimate definition of any concept, you can’t do better than going right to the source. AgileModeling defines Agile modeling as “…a practice-based methodology for effective modeling and documentation of software-based systems". Simply put, Agile Modeling (AM) is a collection of values, principles, and practices for modeling software that can be applied on a software development project in an effective and lightweight manner.

The modeling adds to existing Agile methodologies such as the Rational Unified Process (RUP) or extreme programming (XP). Agile modeling helps developers create a customized software development process that fulfills their development needs yet is flexible enough to adjust to future situations.

Agile Modeling Embraces Five Values

✅Communication.
Agile modeling fosters communication between team members, developers, and stakeholders.

✅Simplicity.
Models help simplify both the software and the software development process. Drawing a diagram that illustrates a concept or plan and the related growth can eliminate hours of unnecessary work and manual coding.

✅Feedback.
Similar to the “communication” step, team members who use diagrams to communicate their ideas enable stakeholders to give fast feedback, which then cuts the project turnaround time.

✅Courage.
Fortune favors the bold, and you need the courage to make the difficult decisions and change course, even if your team has already spent much time and resources on the work.

✅Humility.
Although some iterations of Agile modeling values stop at four, other models include this fifth one. Humility shows that everyone on the team is essential and has equal value. Sometimes we can even be wrong!

What Are Agile Modeling’s Core Principles? (Р.1)

1. Model With a Purpose.
Ask why you’re developing the models and who you are developing them for.

2. Adopt Simplicity.
Keep the models as straightforward and uncomplicated as possible, and believe the simplest solution is also the best solution. Remember Occam's Razor, which tells us that the solution with the fewest unknowns is usually the correct one.

3. Embrace Change.
The more your understanding of a project grows, the more likely it will change. Instead of fighting change, accept them and have the courage to readjust and rebuild.

4. Your Secondary Goal is Enabling the Next Effort.
Your successors might have to improve or enhance your project after you depart. Leave them enough documentation and models to expedite possible changes or improvements.

5. Incremental Change.
It’s rare for a model to be complete on the first try. Models evolve as the project grows and develops. You can cushion against the shock of change by making minor changes.

What Are Agile Modeling’s Core Principles? (Р.2)

6. Maximize Stakeholder Investment.
The team must make the best effort to develop software that meets the stakeholder’s needs.

7. Remember the Existence of Multiple Models.
There are many modeling solutions available, so pick the ones that fit the current situation best. Additionally, there are many different methods of software delivery.

8. Produce Quality Work.
Nobody wants careless, rushed work. The developer doesn't like it because they know it's not something they can be proud of deep down.

9. Provide Rapid Feedback.
Receiving timely feedback on the model closes the model’s loop of understanding. Model a small portion—show it to the appropriate parties for review—then model again.

10. Make Working Software Your Primary Goal.
Models are just a means to the end, which is building great software for your customer. Make sure that documentation and modeling directly support the goal of your software development project.

Phases of the Agile Model

✅Requirements Gathering:
Here is where you define the project’s requirements. This phase includes explaining business opportunities and planning the time and effort required for the project. Once you quantify this information, you can evaluate the technical and economic feasibility of your project

✅Design the Requirements:
Once you’ve identified the project parameters, work with the stakeholders to define the requirements.

✅Construction/Iteration:
After the team defines and designs the requirements, the real work begins. Product, design, and developer teams start working on related projects, ultimately deploying a product or service that is not static.

✅Testing:
The quality assurance (QA) team examines and evaluates the product's performance, looking for bugs and other flaws.

✅Deployment:
The team deploys the product in a working environment.

✅Feedback:
Once the product is released, the team receives feedback about the product and handles any issues that may have arisen.

Why Spiral Model is called Meta Model?

The Spiral model is called a Meta-Model because it subsumes all the other SDLC models. For example, a single loop spiral actually represents the Iterative Waterfall Model. The spiral model incorporates the stepwise approach of the Classical Waterfall Model.

The spiral model uses the approach of the Prototyping Model by building a prototype at the start of each phase as a risk-handling technique. Also, the spiral model can be considered as supporting the Evolutionary model – the iterations along the spiral can be considered as evolutionary levels through which the complete system is built.

Advantages of Spiral Model

Below are some advantages of the Spiral Model.

✅Risk Handling: The projects with many unknown risks that occur as the development proceeds, in that case, Spiral Model is the best development model to follow due to the risk analysis and risk handling at every phase.
✅Good for large projects: It is recommended to use the Spiral Model in large and complex projects.
✅Flexibility in Requirements: Change requests in the Requirements at later phase can be incorporated accurately by using this model.
✅Customer Satisfaction: Customer can see the development of the product at the early phase of the software development and thus, they habituated with the system by using it before completion of the total product.

Disadvantages of Spiral Model

Below are some main disadvantages of the spiral model.

❌Complex: The Spiral Model is much more complex than other SDLC models.
❌Expensive: Spiral Model is not suitable for small projects as it is expensive.
❌Too much dependability on Risk Analysis: The successful completion of the project is very much dependent on Risk Analysis. Without very highly experienced experts, it is going to be a failure to develop a project using this model.
❌Difficulty in time management: As the number of phases is unknown at the start of the project, so time estimation is very difficult.

What is Automation Testing?

Automation Testing is a software testing technique that performs using special automated testing software tools to execute a test case suite. On the contrary, Manual Testing is performed by a human sitting in front of a computer carefully executing the test steps.

The automation testing software can also enter test data into the System Under Test, compare expected and actual results and generate detailed test reports. Software Test Automation demands considerable investments of money and resources.

Why Test Automation?

Test Automation is the best way to increase the effectiveness, test coverage, and execution speed in software testing. Automated software testing is important due to the following reasons:

✅Manual Testing of all workflows, all fields, all negative scenarios is time and money consuming.
✅It is difficult to test for multilingual sites manually.
✅Test Automation in software testing does not require Human intervention. You can run automated test unattended (overnight).
✅Test Automation increases the speed of test execution.
✅Automation helps increase Test Coverage.
✅Manual Testing can become boring and hence error-prone.

Which Test Cases to Automate?

Test cases to be automated can be selected using the following criterion to increase the automation ROI

✅High Risk – Business Critical test cases
✅Test cases that are repeatedly executed
✅Test Cases that are very tedious or difficult to perform manually
✅Test Cases which are time-consuming

The following category of test cases are not suitable for automation:

❌Test Cases that are newly designed and not executed manually at least once
❌Test Cases for which the requirements are frequently changing
❌Test cases which are executed on an ad-hoc basis

Automated Testing Process

Following steps are followed in an Automation Process

Step 1. Test Tool Selection

Step 2. Define scope of Automation

Step 3. Planning, Design and Development

Step 4. Test Execution

Step 5. Maintenance

Define the scope of Automation

The scope of automation is the area of your Application Under Test which will be automated. Following points help determine scope:

✅The features that are important for the business
✅Scenarios which have a large amount of data
✅Common functionalities across applications
✅Technical feasibility
✅The extent to which business components are reused
✅The complexity of test cases
✅Ability to use the same test cases for cross-browser testing

Planning, Design, and Development

During this phase, you create an Automation strategy & plan, which contains the following details-

✅Automation tools selected
✅Framework design and its features
✅In-Scope and Out-of-scope items of automation
✅Automation testbed preparation
✅Schedule and Timeline of scripting and execution
✅Deliverables of Automation Testing

Test Execution

Automation Scripts are executed during this phase. The scripts need input test data before there are set to run. Once executed they provide detailed test reports.

Execution can be performed using the automation tool directly or through the Test Management tool which will invoke the automation tool.

Example: Quality center is the Test Management tool which in turn it will invoke QTP for execution of automation scripts. Scripts can be executed in a single machine or a group of machines. The execution can be done during the night, to save time.

Test Automation Maintenance Approach

Test Automation Maintenance Approach is an automation testing phase carried out to test whether the new functionalities added to the software are working fine or not. Maintenance in automation testing is executed when new automation scripts are added and need to be reviewed and maintained in order to improve the effectiveness of automation scripts with each successive release cycle.

Framework for Automation

A framework is set of automation guidelines which help in:

✅Maintaining consistency of Testing
✅Improves test structuring
✅Minimum usage of code
✅Less Maintenance of code
✅Improve re-usability
✅Non Technical testers can be involved in code
✅The training period of using the tool can be reduced
✅Involves Data wherever appropriate

Automation Tool Best Practices

To get maximum ROI of automation, observe the following:

✅The scope of Automation needs to be determined in detail before the start of the project. This sets expectations from Automation right.
✅Select the right automation tool: A tool must not be selected based on its popularity, but it’s fit to the automation requirements.
✅Choose an appropriate framework.
✅Scripting Standards- Standards have to be followed while writing the scripts for Automation.
✅Measure metrics- Success of automation cannot be determined by comparing the manual effort with the automation effort.

Test Automation benefits

✅70% faster than the manual testing
✅Wider test coverage of application features
✅Reliable in results
✅Ensure Consistency
✅Saves Time and Cost
✅Improves accuracy
✅Human Intervention is not required while execution
✅Increases Efficiency
✅Better speed in executing tests
✅Re-usable test scripts
✅Test Frequently and thoroughly
✅More cycle of execution can be achieved through automation
✅Early time to market

Types of Automated Testing

✅Smoke Testing

✅Unit Testing

✅Integration Testing

✅Functional Testing

✅Keyword Testing

✅Regression Testing

✅Data Driven Testing

✅Black Box Testing