An interview with key developer Richard Houltz on the TAFX team where some interesting facts about TAFX is revealed.

Hi, could you please explain in a few words what TAFX is?

Sure. TAFX is a test automation product that allows you to develop automated test suites to test your software products. You can create your tests by recording user actions, that is mouse and keyboard events, in the user interface of your application. The test can then be played back and the function of the software is verified.

Ok so what makes TAFX better than other test automation products then? 

TAFX has been developed to target some key problems in test automation. Traditional test tools may also provide recording features but the resulting code is almost never readable and hardly maintainable. Often the automation is provided through custom scripting or macro languages which require additional training to learn. In some tools the logic for the test might also be mixed with the information telling the tool how to find objects in the user interface. The development environments provided with the tools often lacks a lot of features for working with the automation code.

With these problems nagging in our minds we set out to develop TAFX to offer an alternative that would enable more test automation project to succeed. The integration in Visual Studio allows development teams to start developing automated tests without having to invest in additional development tools or skill sets. As TAFX uses Visual Studio as the development environment we can fairly say that TAFX has the best development environment of all the test tools in the world. TAFX generates all testing code in well structured .NET code in the language of your choice. The logic code is separated from the user interface mapping code that also can be edited in a visual designer inside Visual Studio.

Wow, hold on. This all sounds good but don’t we need to invest in a Visual Studio license to use TAFX then?

No you don’t since TAFX works with the free Express Versions of Visual Studio. And the Express versions are actually free for commercial use in contrary to what some people say. So the only investment you have to do is in the TAFX product itself.

And you have a free version as well, don’t you?

Well the free version should maybe be considered more of a trial version. There is however no limit in time for this version but only a limitation on the size of the test automation project you develop. As it might be sufficient for smaller test scenarios we chose to call it a free version. For professional use we absolutely recommend purchasing a professional version.

Do not testers consider it a problem that this tool integrates with Visual Studio which is mainly a tool for developers?

Why should they? When working professionally with test automation you do actual software development. One common reason that test automation projects fail is that they are not considered to be development projects and are not planned and executed as such. And testers as well as developers need good tools when doing software development. In this case we offer them the very best that they can get in Visual Studio.

Test automation projects are also often staffed with testers, of course, and junior programmers. To succeed these person often require the help of more experienced developers. Traditionally this has not been possible since the developers rarely liked to help out with these custom testing tools. With TAFX it’s a totally different story as it is integrated in a tool the developers already master. This also enables another main success factor of test automation projects which is collaboration.

In what way does TAFX promote collaboration do you mean?

Well, as being a tool that lands in the middle ground between developers and testers TAFX appeal to both disciplines. This enables testers and developers to work together and to take a common responsibility for the quality work in the development process. In many projects the main problem with the test process is found in the communication between testers and developers. TAFX can let them share some common ground and get them talking about how to improve the test and development process together.

Ok, let’s go back to why we need test automation at all. Do you have a take on that?

Of course I do. Test automation is essential to get the most out of your development resources. By automating even small parts of your testing work you can focus your testing staff on more qualitative tasks. This includes providing feedback on functionality and usability among other things. Today many companies like to adopt agile processes to get the most out of their limited development resources. Since these methods rely on frequent deliveries with a high rate of change even late in the development cycle it is imperative to be able to test complex products fast. Without test automation the cost of regression testing, this is where you ensure that you haven’t broken any old functionality when you added new, will be too high.

Yes agile methods have surely gained a lot of popularity these days. Is TAFX targeted towards agile methods in any way?

It absolutely is. The collaboration idea that TAFX fosters is highly valued in all agile methods. Since TAFX also is a testing tool that suits and appeal developers it is well suited for development shops where developers take a natural responsibility in the testing efforts and this is often the case in agile teams.

TAFX also have features to enable something called Test Driven Development. This is a way of developing where you first create your tests and then implement the functionality to make the tests pass. In TAFX you can actually write code against non existing user interfaces. When the user interface is implemented you can connect the test to it by simple drag and drop operations. This way of development ensures that you have an extensive set of test to verify your functionality as your development progresses.

Ok so finally. Why should one invest in a tool like TAFX then?

Because TAFX is priced so aggressively it will give you a return of investment very fast. Even if you are using other testing tools you could consider investing in a TAFX license. TAFX can be used alongside all other test tools and might be the way to introduce more people into the test automation efforts. Using TAFX to automate your software test is more fun and productive than using other tools, believe me I’ve used them.

I’m sure willing to give it a try. Thanks for your time!