Test Script

Artifacts

Test Script Definition, Explanation, Example:

A Test Script is a set of instructions (written using a scripting/programming language) that is performed on a system under test to verify that the system performs as expected. Test scripts are used in automated testing.

Sometimes, a set of instructions (written in a human language), used in manual testing,  is also called a Test Script but a better term for that would be a Test Case.

Some scripting languages used in automated testing are:

  • JavaScript
  • Perl
  • Python
  • Ruby
  • Tcl
  • Unix Shell Script
  • VBScript

There are also many Test Automation Tools/Frameworks that generate the test scripts for you; without the need for actual coding. Many of these tools have their own scripting languages (some of them based on a core scripting languages). For example, Sikuli, a GUI automation tool, uses Sikuli Script which is based on Python. A test script can be as simple as the one below:

def sample_test_script (self):
type ("TextA")
click (ImageButtonA)
assertExist (ImageResultA)

A test execution engine and a repository of test scripts (along with test data) are collectively known as a Test Harness.