Salesforce comes with multiple OOTB (out-of-the-box) features that are customizable. Just like any complex, integrated solution, quality assurance and testing are important for Salesforce. The configuration of the admin module and the customization that happens in the vanilla SFDC needs to be optimally validated. The trick for the tester is to ensure that the custom code needs to be tested rather than testing the built-in functionality, and this would save them a lot of time and effort.
Salesforce CRM is based on APEX programming language which consists of default unit-test cases for developers to validate their code. According to the standard rule, a Salesforce developer needs to cover at least 75% of the code using unit test cases. Salesforce testing generally takes place in the Sandbox environment before the application is released into the Production environment. One of the reasons for testing is to research and create different types of test data, campaigns, integrations, API endpoints, or website layouts, which can help verify how the application would behave once published.
Two Types of Salesforce Testing
- Manual Testing consists of testing the SFDC application using traditional methods including functional testing, integration testing, regression testing, smoke testing, and system testing.
- Automation testing, on the other hand, powers through a well-programmed testing setup using tools like Selenium, Quick Test Professional (QTP), Assure Click, HP Unified Functional Testing (UFT ), Cucumber, OpKey, ACCELQ, JMeter, etc.
On the Salesforce platform, the testing goes through the following levels:
Unit -> Functional -> System -> Integration -> UAT -> Production -> Regression
Salesforce Testing Challenges
- 1. Testing advanced features like Service Cloud Console, Visualforce, etc.
- 2. Manual Testing is expensive, repetitive and time-consuming, and open to human errors.
- 3. All the tests in Salesforce Classic need to be recreated for the Lightning UI.
- 4. Even though some standard functionality is not in use, it can’t be removed from the process
When switched to the test environment, GUI tests won’t work. - 5. There are issues and complications while creating field locators as Field IDs may vary across enterprises.
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Why Automation Testing?
Automation Testing saves over 75% of the time and efforts involved along with about 25% of tool costs. It offers a better test execution, detailed test, and class coverage reports. There are industry-leading tools like Selenium and JMeter that help you automate all kinds of pre-deployment as well as post-deployment scenarios in different environments and multiple browsers. You can seamlessly record and playback the recorded test cases for training and risk-mitigation purposes. The automation testing segments data from the test script which can be used to verify with multiple datasets. It solves the manual errors and redundancy issues from manual testing and improves the accuracy of tests. For Salesforce applications and their periodic releases, the test coverage can be improved through the execution of hundreds of test cases, validation of edge cases, user scenario exercises, and more.
Best Practices for Salesforce Testing
- 1. The tests should run as real user profiles and real-world choices to prepare proper test data validating the report’s functionality, especially during UAT.
- 2. A successful test strategy would ensure a reduction in bottlenecks and defects, documentation of high-level objectives, testing phases, tools employed as well as exit criteria.
- 3. The QA team should be involved in the testing project from the start so that they can anticipate critical software requirements and increase the test coverage and variety. Implementing an agile approach can ensure that the testing happens in sprints, concurrently evaluating the project direction and adapting if need be.
- 4. As aforementioned, over 75% of the code coverage needs to be tested against unit test cases so that the errors are discovered in the primary phases of SDLC. It would also lower the cost of bug-fixing, and make the code reusable and easy to debug.
- 5. The prime practice in automation testing is selecting the appropriate testing tool. In order to manage a critical project, one needs to ascertain the application, type of testing, and availability of simulators to test on.
- 6. Ensure that you have the right testing team with experience in the type of testing that they need to perform.
- 7. The tests and scenarios need to be verified against the reference data about the end-product quality to validate the best outcome.
- 8. Automation of test scripts in business processes, like order fulfillment and checkout flow, can save a lot of time.
- 9. Shift-left is perhaps the most useful practice to discover and eradicate the defects early in the development cycle. It would save efforts, time, cost and mitigate the complexities and business risks. It also reduces the ‘technical debt’ in Salesforce org.
- 10. The most pertinent and logical step for a long-term win in the perfect implementation goals is the collaboration with the right Salesforce Testing Partner. Choosing an experienced partner with expertise in Salesforce testing could bring you the best RoI possible from your Salesforce applications and software.
Algoworks is the Most Popular Salesforce Gold Partner with over 12 years of expertise in CRM implementation, design, development, and testing. We have a solid team of Salesforce experts and architects to provide you with the best returns in the technology industry. Contact us today for expert Salesforce Consulting Services.
Pratyush Kumar
