New Learning Paths through Test Automation University
We created Test Automation University (TAU) to help you learn best practices for using test automation in your app development process. As we have added classes to TAU, it became apparent that we needed to make our site more productive for users with different interests. So we included learning paths.
Learning paths give you a way to find the courses right for you. Are you writing test automation for APIs in JavaScript? We can send you down the right path. How about testing mobile devices with Swift? Check. What about web tests with Ruby? Yep.
No matter what kind of tests you are trying to automate, you can find a learning path to help you. For each track, you start with the basics. Once you finish a path, you have learned core concepts and practiced some of the critical skills needed to automate your testing.
With the new learning paths, TAU makes it easy to develop the skill set you seek.
Choosing a learning path is pretty straightforward. On the main page showing all the Test Automation University courses, select the Learning Paths tab:
At the default, this shows all the paths for all languages. The selector lets you filter the learning paths by path type or by language.
As one of the early users of Test Automation University, I appreciate the new learning paths. They have helped me understand the skills I need to develop in software testing — and I love the hands-on nature of the courses.
Let’s go through the paths to give you a sense of what each provides you.
Learning Path Overview
Learning paths through TAU are broken into general functional test areas:
- Web UI
- API Testing
- Mobile
- Codeless
Codeless is, as you would expect, a path that needs no direct coding skill. Otherwise, the paths let you select one of six languages on which to focus your testing skills:
- Java (Web UI, API, Mobile)
- JavaScript (Web UI, API, Mobile)
- Python (Web UI, Mobile)
- C# (Web UI)
- Ruby (Web UI)
- Swift (Mobile)
Let’s look at the UI Paths in detail. This will give you insight into the ideas behind the learning path.
How Do I Do Web UI Testing With Java?
To answer this question, let’s select the Web UI Path, and then select Java.
Let’s take a look at the courses in the Web UI Java Path.
- Setting a Foundation for Successful Test Automation
- Java Programming
- Web Element Locator Strategies
- Introduction to TestNG
- Automated Visual Testing: A Fast Path To Test Automation Success
- The Whole Team Approach to Continuous Testing
- Scaling Tests with Docker
- Test Automation in DevOps
- Testing From The Inside: Unit Testing Edition
- Tools and Techniques for Performance and Load Testing
These ten classes involve a little over 17 hours of instruction. Each course dives into different elements.
Two of these courses apply to the Java Language specifically: programming in Java and the Java automation engine. Two more are common among the web UI test path: finding web elements on a page, and how to test visually. The others are part of the common core courses shared among all the testing paths.
Common Core
Six courses are generally common across almost all the learning paths. These courses answer key questions for understanding and deploying automated tests. These courses and their associated questions are:
- How do I think about test automation?
Course: Setting a Foundation for Successful Test Automation - What are the considerations for building a successful testing team?
Course: The Whole Team Approach to Continuous Testing - How do we build repeatable tests and minimize testing time?
Course: Scaling Tests with Docker - How do I integrate tests into my DevOps environment?
Course: Test Automation in DevOps - What is unit test automation?
Course: Testing From The Inside: Unit Testing Edition - How do I automate load testing and performance testing effectively?
Course: Tools and Techniques for Performance and Load Testing
The six questions these courses answer core questions and are easily transferred to any combination of languages and test cases.
How Do I Do API Testing With Java?
Just as the Web UI test paths are language-specific, the API paths come in two flavors: Java and JavaScript.
The Java API Testing path looks like this:
- Setting a Foundation for Successful Test Automation
- Exploring Service APIs through Test Automation
- Java Programming
- Automating your API tests with REST Assured
- The Whole Team Approach to Continuous Testing
- Scaling Tests with Docker
- Test Automation in DevOps
- Testing From The Inside: Unit Testing Edition
I have highlighted the courses that are language-specific or API-testing-specific. The Java course is common for all the Java language paths. The other two courses provide specific details about for API testing. One is Amber Race’s course on Exploring Service APIs through Test Automation. The other is Bas Dijkstra’s course on using REST Assured for REST API test automation. All the other courses are part of the core.
Once you know the core, learning a new language and technology is simply a matter of taking the relevant language and technology courses.
How Do I Do UI Testing?
Given the core, here are the unique courses for Web UI testing.
Java (as a reminder)
- Java Programming
- Web Element Locator Strategies
- Introduction to TestNG
- Automated Visual Testing: A Fast Path To Test Automation Success
- Automating in the Browser Using JavaScript
- Mocha JavaScript Test Framework
- Introduction to Chai Assertions
- UI Automation with WebDriver.IO
- Automated Visual Testing with WebDriver.IO
or
Wow — this makes it clear what you need to learn to complete the learning path for a given language and Web UI testing.
How Do I Do API Testing?
For the API testing paths, you need to know most of the core. In addition, you need one common class:
For API Testing with Java, you also need
While for API Testing with JavaScript, you need two courses that you may have learned if you took the courses for Web UI JavaScript Testing:
How Do I Do Mobile Testing?
For the mobile testing paths, beyond the core courses, a common course you take among all the different mobile paths is Web Element Locator Strategies.
Here are the language-specific courses for each path.
Taking the Mobile Swift Path, you take Introduction to iOS Test Automation with XCUITest
On the Mobile Java Path, you take the familiar Java Programming course.
For the Mobile Python Path, you take Behavior-Driven Python with pytest-bdd.
Finally, on the Mobile JavaScript Path, you take two familiar JavaScript courses:
How Do I Do Codeless Testing?
The Codeless Path also requires the core courses. Beyond the core courses, you take the course Codeless Test Automation with Selenium IDE.
Future Courses
What is on the horizon for Test Automation University?
I am writing this post early in September 2019, and I expect we will update this post regularly, as we continue to add courses to Test Automation University.
In the immediate term will have new courses for front-end testing with JavaScript, including a course on Cypress.IO.
Otherwise, keep checking out Test Automation University for the latest offerings.
Find Out More about Applitools
As the sponsors of Test Automation University, we’re excited to help you get even more efficient in your UI testing. It’s all up to you to find out more.
You can request a demo of Applitools.
You can sign up for a free Applitools account.
You can check out our tutorials.
Originally published at Applitools Blog.
