Integration Testing (or I&T: Integration & Testing) is a type of software testing in which various units, modules, and components of the software are integrated and tested as a cohesive unit. With Integration Testing, testers want to find defects that surface due to code conflicts between software components when they work together. This level of testing is higher than unit testing, which only validates if software components function well as a single unit.

Katalon’s January release adds Robot Framework integration with Katalon’s AI-enabled Visual Testing. We have also updated our API documentation for those teams needing to create their own custom integrations to the Katalon Platform via API’s.

Robot Automation Framework is a popular open source test automation tool employed by software teams. Katalon’s Robot Framework Integration enables software teams using Robot Framework for test automation to tap into Katalon’s powerful AI enabled Visual Testing capabilities to level up their software quality and release readiness protocols.

Katalon executives and researchers gathered recently to discuss the major trends reshaping the software testing industry. From the transformation of the role of software testers to the greater deployment of AI in testing, Katalon staff discussed the expectations of business leadership, software engineers, consumers, and testers. Here are some of the sweeping themes Katalon sees emerging in the new year.

Java testing frameworks are a collection of rules pre-set up with Java to support the design and creation of test scripts. The general rules include multiple functions such as coding standards, test data handling, object repositories, and libraries. The Java frameworks equip teams with a standardized structure and automation guidelines, which serve as the backbone of an effective testing process, with less manual effort, enhanced testing speed, and efficiency.

Today's smartphones are far more than a device used for calling or texting. With several apps installed, they can become your virtual personal assistant. In a mobile-centric digital world, delivering an immersive mobile experience with consistent quality is a real challenge, where QA strategy plays a critical role. Carefully planning out what should be executed is the first important step to delivering fully-functional applications, gaining high retention rates and achieving business goals.

In the agile development methodology, the velocity of testing holds the key to delivering the best quality software within the stipulated budget and time constraints. As such, this drives the need to automate the testing process. Most software development teams visualize test automation as a discreet step in the delivery lifecycle instead of viewing it as a designed sequence of steps.

Autonomous testing is an emerging testing practice in which tests are completely created, driven, and managed by AI/ML, eliminating the need for human intervention. Essentially, autonomous testing is a higher level of automation for automation testing. This is a recent shift in the testing industry as AI technologies evolve to be more advanced, opening a promising era of human-machine integration testing.

Katalon was recently recognized in the "2022 Gartner® Market Guide for AI-Augmented Software Testing Tools." Gartner delivers actionable, objective insight to executives and their teams. Its expert guidance and tools enable faster, smarter decisions and stronger performance on an organization’s mission-critical priorities. The Katalon Platform offers capabilities for planning, authoring, organization, and execution of automated tests as well as AI-driven visual testing.

Quality confidence in the functionality of an application alone is no longer sufficient to deliver a top-notch digital experience. Customers today constantly want more, and they want it fast. Test automation is adopted to keep up with users' tendency to be less tolerant of defects and expect quick updates and fixes at the same time. Currently, in the automated testing tool market, open source frameworks and solutions are commonly opted for due to their flexibility and free cost of entry.