In any kind of software development process, software testing becomes necessary. You need to test the software developed to ensure that the software runs smoothly and can achieve its purpose.
Without validating the functions and outcomes of software, there is no point in developing the code for it. In the case of Salesforce suite development, you need Salesforce testing services so you can validate and check the customizations and changes done in the software to make it more useful.
Today, 84 percent of Salesforce teams depend on manual testing solutions to check the impact of changes on a Salesforce suite. However, for rapid deployment of Salesforce, a continuous testing approach is necessary.
Continuous testing helps in finding problems with Salesforce software and resolving them quickly so that Salesforce tools are ready to be used sooner. To test the Salesforce suite using a continuous approach, testers need to use automated tools.
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What is Continuous Testing in Salesforce?
A Salesforce testing company will use Salesforce test automation to run continuous tests on the Salesforce suite. There are many reasons why continuous testing is needed in this day and age. Continuous testing with the help of Salesforce test automation can speed up the development and launch process.
When the development and testing go hand in hand, the Salesforce suite is ready before the deadline. With the availability of test automation tools, it is important to use them strategically to create channels for the software to be launched.
The use of automated tools leads to early detection and accurate screening of the issues that lie under the software code. Moreover, continuous testing also helps strengthen and accelerate the feedback loop between developers and testers so that developers can quickly create important customizations in the Salesforce suite.
Why is Continuous Testing Important in Salesforce?
Among the Salesforce test automation challenges, the big ones include metadata configuration for feeding into the automation tools. Other challenges include managing multiple profiles and information on the suite while testing.
On the other hand, the addition of too many customizations and alignment with the overall configurations of Salesforce are also challenges that a Salesforce testing company faces.
There are situations where the Salesforce configurations have to be checked, and the customizations have to be integrated. The team for Salesforce testing has to check these integrations for a seamless flow of data.
Since there are so many complex scenarios for which the team has to test, it makes sense to use Salesforce test automation and other tools. The use of these tools supports the quick completion of complex testing cycles.
Key Components of Continuous Testing in Salesforce
Automation:
Salesforce uses automation testing services to test different aspects. There are versatile automation test tools like Selenium, which can test for integration, run unit tests, and regression tests. Moreover, there are tools that can help testers check the UI Layout of the Salesforce suite.
New automation testing tools are coming out to help manual testers with the testing process. For example, a Salesforce testing company usually uses tools like Salesforce Developer Console, Apex test framework, Salesforce DX, etc.
Test Data Management:
When the Salesforce suite is tested thoroughly, large data sets arise from the process. For the testing team, it becomes difficult to manage the test data sets manually. It is important to save and analyze the test data so that the pace and success of the Salesforce testing cycle are measured and improved.
There are many tools and techniques that can help with effective test data management. For example, the testing team can use Salesforce Sandbox to test for any issue in the suite and keep the test data safe.
The Salesforce Sandbox keeps the production data intact and helps simulate real-world scenarios. There are other tools for test data management, like Apex Test Data Factory that can help you automate tests and keep the data in the testing environment.
Test Coverage:
The Salesforce test automation tools that you use should offer strong test coverage. The code coverage ability of the automation tools should be very high so that the team can ensure that the tests have run on nearly all the features of the Salesforce suite.
Salesforce Cloud has a rule that at least 75 percent of code coverage is required for testing processes. This is important to ensure that the integrity of the suite remains intact. Salesforce code coverage at 75 percent is needed to employ Apex classes and triggers.
Tools like ApexMocks are used to check for code coverage and improvement. The tool helps find the sources of test dependencies, and this can help get the right coverage level for the Salesforce testing cycles.
Performance Testing:
It is also important to check the performance and speed parameters of the Salesforce suite to ensure that the Salesforce tools run smoothly. Performance tests need to run on the Salesforce suite so that the testing team can ensure that the suite can handle the load and traffic that goes through it.
The performance tests also run on Salesforce to test the stress levels it can handle smoothly. The Salesforce suite is put through different stresses like high traffic, multiple users, multiple service requests, and how the suite handles these requests.
The team also has to run scalability and endurance tests on the Salesforce suite to ensure that the tools can be part of the overall work environment properly. To run the performance tests, the Automation testing services need to use realistic data sets and tools that can design the tests quickly. Performance monitoring tools like AppDynamics are used to check the performance levels at different points.
Security Testing:
The test automation services also need to focus on running a wide range of security tests on the suite. The Salesforce suite needs to be strong and secure against external and internal threats. While developers have to add security layers, testers have to use tools to check for the security levels existing around the Salesforce suite.
The test automation services have to focus on checking the level of security around user authentication and user profiles. The testing team also has to check if the Salesforce suite adheres to the data privacy rules and processes outlined by regulations.
The testing team also has to validate the data encryption methods so that the data on which the Salesforce suite depends is secure. Tools like OWASP ZAP, Burp Suite, and Salesforce Security Health Checkup are necessary to run security tests on the suite in an automated manner.
Steps to Implement Continuous Testing in Salesforce Development
- Step 1: For continuous testing in the Salesforce Environment, the team has to set up a testing environment that has the right kind of version control system. The testing team can choose from GitHub to Bitbucket to configure and set up the version control system. The team has to set up the version control system so it can check for all the versions of the Salesforce suite after modifications and customizations.
- Step 2: The Salesforce testing team has to choose the right CI/CD tool so that it can create an automated continuous testing process for the Salesforce suite. The team can use tools like Jenkins, Circle CI, etc., to create an automated testing pipeline with a continuous approach. You need to build and test the pipeline before completing the configuration and setup of the pipeline for testing. To create the CI/CD pipeline, you also have to build the triggers and checkpoints that keep the continuous testing pipeline moving.
- Step 3: Before using test automation tools, the testing professionals have to identify the areas in which the automation tools are most needed. Automated tools are needed in the testing process, but there are areas that will need them the most. You have to place the test automation tools at strategic points to ensure that the test automation happens in a productive manner. Pulling metadata and running repetitive tests in an automated manner are places where you can place these tools.
- Step 4: Based on the areas where you want to add automation testing services, you have to choose the testing tools. Of course, there are many tools that are present and available today. However, the Salesforce testing company has to choose tools that can automate the processes quickly and are versatile. Some of the best tools for Salesforce testing are Provar and Selenium.
- Step 5: You also need to create unit tests that can run on the Apex classes and triggers integrating into the Salesforce Suite. You need to implement unit tests that can help in running tests at around 75 or more percent code coverage as per Salesforce regulations. When running these test cases and designing them, make it a point to cover most of the scenarios, even minor edge cases, for testing.
- Step 6: Once the unit tests and other test cases are ready to run, the testing team needs to integrate the test cases into the continuous testing pipeline. The continuous testing pipeline should run the test cases automatically as the changes are introduced. When integrating the test cases, the team has to protect the stability of the Salesforce testing environment.
- Step 7: The testers who supervise the testing automation tools have to also keep an eye on the progress of the testing process. The team has to monitor the pace and outcomes of the continuous testing process so it can maintain the test pipeline and modify it wherever needed.
- Step 8: While the need for manual testers for human intervention and insights is important, the testing automation services can also use additional automation tools to check for the progress of the testing process and ensure that the tests are running as planned. The feedback from the tests has to be checked and recorded by the testers, and they can do this with the help of tools.
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A Salesforce testing company should have a team that is adept at using continuous testing tools and techniques. The Salesforce testing team should be able to design and maintain a continuous testing pipeline when needed.
The test cases and results need to be monitored, and this can be done with tools placed at different points. Salesforce itself has a lot of tools and features that help ensure 75 percent coverage for the test cases rule.
If you are implementing Salesforce in your workflow, you can hire a testing company that offers Salesforce testing services.
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