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The Test Automation Pesticide Paradox

A few years ago someone explained to me the pesticide paradox of test automation. It was a term I had not heard of, and  I was given the following explanation:<br>

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The Test Automation Pesticide Paradox

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  1. The Test Automation Pesticide Paradox

  2. The Test Automation Pesticide Paradox • A few years ago someone explained to me the pesticide paradox of test automation. It was a term I had not heard of, and  I was given the following explanation: 2

  3. The Test Automation Pesticide Paradox • Imagine yourself as a farmer whose fields are attacked by locusts. The damage is huge and all of the farmer’s crops are lost.  The loss is tremendous and means his family struggle to survive for the year and he knows that the next year he must take some precautions. • He saves what little money he has available and spends this on a pesticide to treat his crops against locusts. 3

  4. The Test Automation Pesticide Paradox • Sure enough the locusts attack, but they are systematically killed saving most of his crop. • The farmer is very happy but does not realize that his plan is flawed. 1 percent of the locusts did not die during the attack as they had a natural immunity to the pesticide. 4

  5. The Test Automation Pesticide Paradox • Each year the farmer now sprays his crops and kills locusts, but each year there are more locusts, which are born with the natural immunity.  • Eventually the farmer realizes that he must change his pesticide or risk losing his crop again. 5

  6. The Test Automation Pesticide Paradox • So what is the moral of the story and how does it relate to automation?  • Automation testing ( https://goo.gl/i7crr8) is often used as the means of performing tests that will be repeated; the most natural use is around the regression pack, akin to the farmer’s pesticide. 6

  7. The Test Automation Pesticide Paradox • With vast savings possible as a result of script automation, dramatically reducing the time taken to run them, it is a natural area to apply automation. •  In a well-organized test function, the subject of maintenance should be a natural step; as changes are made to the function, the automated scripts are modified and maintained up-to-date. 7

  8. The Test Automation Pesticide Paradox • The second aspect, which is a natural inclusion, is for new scripts to be automated to support wider regression and cover new functionality. • Read more here: • http://www.qualitestgroup.com/blog/test-methodologies-and-philosophies/the-test-automation-pesticide-paradox/ 8

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