Improve Manual Testing with Copado Explorer

Learning Objectives

After completing this unit, you’ll be able to:

• Identify exploratory testing’s characteristics, ideal use cases, and advantages.
  
• Describe key features of Copado Explorer and how they add value to the agile testing process.
  
• Summarize how to conduct a Functional Review and Exploration within Copado Explorer.
  

Exploratory Testing Basics

Before we discuss Copado Explorer, let’s back up and learn a bit more about exploratory business applications testing. As we mentioned in the first unit, exploratory testing (sometimes called ad-hoc testing) doesn’t rely on test scripts. Instead, testers explore software functionality manually and use their creativity, experience, and intuition to identify issues that automated testing might miss.

Exploratory testing is typically characterized by:

• Simultaneous learning, test design, and execution: Testing phases aren’t distinct and sequential. Rather, exploratory testers learn about the software as they test it, design additional tests on the fly based on their findings, and immediately execute those tests.
  
• Context-driven test strategies: Testers pivot their testing approach to focus on critical areas based on context and observed results.
  
• Documentation: Testers frequently document findings, ideas, and strategies in notes or mind maps that help them replicate bugs, better understand the testing process, and improve future testing cycles.
  
• Tool support: Although exploratory testing is conducted manually, testers traditionally rely on various tools (‌for example, screen recordings, note-management apps, and time trackers) to ensure their testing is comprehensive and efficient.
  

When should testers opt for exploratory testing?

• In cases when user interactions are complex or highly contextual, it helps testers ensure that the UI works intuitively and effectively.
  
• In the very early stages of software development, it provides valuable insights into software behavior before functionalities are finalized.
  
• After major changes or updates to software, it helps testers quickly identify new defects and unforeseen issues.
  

Many businesses are shifting their focus to automated testing because of the advantages it has in the agile environment, but we can’t overlook exploratory testing’s advantages.

While it’s clear that exploratory testing is a valuable method, exclusively using this type of manual testing within agile environments sometimes isn’t feasible. Copado Explorer provides the best of both worlds by bridging the gaps between automated and exploratory testing. Let’s discover how.

Copado Explorer

With Copado Explorer, a feature embedded within the Copado Robotic Testing platform, testers perform exploratory tests manually while it automatically generates executable test scripts. Copado Explorer transforms the Salesforce testing experience by offering:

Regardless of whether testers are conducting regression testing, user acceptance testing (UAT), or exploratory testing, Copado Explorer adds value to the agile testing process. It:

• Increases testing efficiency by reducing time between bug discovery and resolution.
  
• Enhances test coverage and quality by assisting in the creation and execution of detailed test cases.
  
• Accelerates communication and collaboration, especially during UAT, by providing a common platform on which developers, QA teams, and business users can share insights and test results effortlessly.
  

By turning manual testers into test-automation engineers and removing the bottleneck between developers and testers, Copado Explorer elevates the quality of every release, making testing a seamless, impactful, and empowering experience for everyone involved.

Functional Reviews and Explorations with Copado Explorer

We mentioned Functional Reviews earlier in this unit and how they help simplify defect tracking within Copado Explorer. But what is a Functional Review, exactly? A Functional Review requires an in-depth examination of functionalities and features to make sure software meets technical specifications, works as intended from a user’s perspective, and fulfills business needs.

More specifically, Functional Reviews help testers:

• Report feature requests and identify bugs, UI-inconsistencies, usability problems—or any other issue or defect—that might have been missed during the initial phases of development.
  
• Gather feedback about software functionality that can then be used for future improvements.
  
• Mitigate risk before release, saving both time and money.
  

Testers can include QA teams, QA managers, developers, administrators, product owners, subject-matter experts, project managers, project stakeholders, and sometimes even end users.

These reviews are critical to helping businesses maintain high quality-assurance standards throughout the development lifecycle. There are typically five steps in a Functional Review.

Copado Explorer supports Functional Reviews by enabling you to create Functional Review records that guide testers through the entire review process. These records include:

• What needs to be reviewed: Clear definitions of the features and functionalities to review
  
• Where the review should occur: Specifications of the environment or version of the software where the tester should conduct the review
  
• When the review should happen: Timelines and deadlines for when the tester should complete the review
  

Let’s walk through how to create a Functional Review record and conduct an Exploration in Copado Explorer.

Create a New Functional Review

To create a functional review:

1. Access the Copado Explorer tab through the Salesforce App Launcher.
   
2. Click New.
   
3. Complete the Information fields with review parameters:
   
   1. Functional Review Title: Provide a title that lets users easily identify the area of the review.
      
   2. Planned Date: Set the date and time when the review needs to occur.
      
   3. Extension Configuration: Select the Copado Robotic Testing Extension configuration that will determine the Org and Project where testers will execute the review.
      
   4. Review Environment: Select the Salesforce environment in which the review needs to occur.
      
   5. Feature/Epic: Select the business context if it’s reasonable.
      
   6. Description: Provide relevant information such as steps, links to videos or documentation, screenshots, details, and record names that will help testers perform the review. The more information you provide to testers, the smoother the Functional Review will go.
      
4. Click Save.
   

Remember to ensure that your testers are properly credentialed for the test org.

The Functional Review is now ready! You simply share the URL of the Functional Review Record with testers.

Start a New Review Session from a Functional Review Record

To start a new review session, follow these steps.

1. Navigate to a Functional Review record and click Start Review.
   
2. Verify that the selected Credential is correct. If it isn’t, use the dropdown menu to select the correct credential.
   
3. Click Save.
   

You connect to Copado Robotic Testing in a new browser tab, and a new Exploration loads. You see a browser-in-browser view of your testing environment with a hover-over panel. From here, you can navigate the environment, perform your tests, and report any findings. Robotic Testing records a video of your activities, and you can stop the Exploration when you’ve completed your testing.

Watch this short video to see how the capabilities of Copado Explorer all work together.

In this unit, you learned why Copado Explorer is an easy and fast way to get started with automated Salesforce testing. Up next, you learn about how teams can use Copado Robotic Testing within Copado CI/CD to maintain quality throughout the entire software development lifecycle.

Resources

• Video: Introducing Copado Explorer: Revolutionize Salesforce Testing & Automation in Your CI/CD Pipeline