We live in an era of rapid change. And software products are no exception. They must continuously adapt to changes in demand, user needs, tastes, or business objectives.
Testing automation can be the solution for projects where new functionalities are continuously added.
How can Docker help at this point? Docker is an open-source containerization platform. It allows developers to build multi-container applications, i.e., standardized executable components which can run in separate containers independently and in different languages reducing the risk of conflict between languages, libraries, or frameworks.
Simplicity and portability
The tool is simple to configure and maintain.
It also stands out for its portability. The container can upload the automated testing project to different cloud providers without problems. It is possible to integrate development tools with GitHub Actions. Still, you can run in any other CI/CD platform with minimal efforts, such as Azure DevOps or CircleCI.
Docker Engine securely isolates information in containers, which allows running multiple executions simultaneously. It also makes it possible to configure different browser versions and run the automated suites in different environments. Another benefit is the combination of parallel with isolated workspace testing.
However, using this tool involves the challenge of keeping all security measures active: sensitive information must always be safeguarded.
Benefits for testers and users
Automating tests this way allows the manual testing team to focus on the app’s new features instead of spending time on regression testing. Manual testers are therefore afforded some peace of mind.
Generally speaking, there continues to be some resistance to automated testing, mainly because it is perceived as a more expensive option. However, it is a fundamental instance when software products are business-critical, especially where the application is already in production and used by many.
What are the benefits of test automation supported by the use of Docker? Portable parallelization for more intelligent automation and, consequently, quality improvement, especially when dealing with software products that were already operational and are unlikely to be revisited from scratch.