Automated testing of Mendix applications is crucial to ensure quality and performance. However, limiting these tests to only the screen, or user interface (UI), carried out by testers, without close collaboration with developers, is often insufficient to fully and effectively test an application. In this blog we provide some reasons why automated testing is a shared responsibility of testers and developers and should be carried out on multipe test levels.
When your test automation focuses solely on UI tests without involving developers in the test automation process, it can lead to several major disadvantages:
A generally accepted way of defining additional test levels to UI testing is by introducing the test pyramid. It shows in a visual way that it is important to build UI tests on top of integration (process) and component/unit tests. The shape of the pyramid also implies that an effective test automation strategy keeps the number of UI tests as low as possible and that test automation should be focused on testing at the lowest level possible.
Unit tests
Unit tests focus on individual parts of the code, such as validation logic, functions, or methods created in Mendix microflows. By testing this logic in isolation, UI tests become simpler, faster, and easier to maintain, and developers can detect and correct problems early before they manifest in the user interface. Building tests directly on the microflows often also ensures better quality code.
Integration (process) tests
Integration (or process) tests check how different parts of the application work together. They ensure that different units and components communicate and function correctly with each other, which is essential for the overall reliability of the system. These tests can be best performed at the microflow level in Mendix, as this can prove that the internal logic of a Mendix app works well before the user flows and screens themselves are tested. If an error occurs in a UI test, it becomes easier to determine its cause.
Although UI tests are an important part of automated application testing, they are not sufficient on their own to ensure full coverage and reliability. Combining different test methods, such as unit tests, integration tests, and UI tests to check user flow and visible fields, provides a more comprehensive approach. This ensures that both the visible and underlying aspects of the application are thoroughly tested and that quality and performance are guaranteed at all levels.
With Menditect Test Automation (MTA), it is possible to combine all these types of tests in one tool. Additionally, MTA also supports testing non-Mendix apps through the UI, making chain integration tests possible.
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