Classification and Evaluation Framework of Automated testing tools for agile software: Technical Review

Test automation is crucial for agile software projects to enable frequent delivery of working software with cost and time and minimal bugs. However, selecting the right automated testing tool is considered challenging due to the wide range of such existing tools. Additionally, the challenges occur clearly due to several issues such as the programming code language, the categorization of the developed system, and the tester's knowledge and skills. This paper aims to address this gap by proposing an evaluation framework for comparing and classifying the existing automated testing tools used in agile projects. The framework is developed based on an extensive literature review of existing agile testing methodologies and common commercial automation testing techniques. The key criteria for tool evaluation are identified to cover the main testing objective aspects such as test design support, testing interfaces, reporting capabilities, etc. These criteria are considered the core methodology for this study used to analyze and compare the popular open-source and commercial tools. The proposed evaluation framework provides agile practitioners with guidelines to assist in selecting the appropriate tools based on their specific project needs such as budget, timelines, and technical expertise. This study is considered a comparative evaluation of existing agile testing tools to highlight their key strengths and limitations. The findings of this study categorized the testing tools based on the interface, code, design, and report features. This research contributes to assisting the project developer and tester in selecting suitable tools for the adoption of automated testing tools in their agile software projects. It also identifies the direction for future work, such as integrations with modern development methodologies and technologies.