What is a flaky test?
What is a flaky test?
A flaky test is a test in software automation that gives inconsistent results on different runs, even when the code being tested has not changed. Flaky tests can be unreliable and difficult to debug, often causing confusion and delays in the development process.
How to avoid it?
Good test synchronization techniques and a good environment avoid flaky tests during automation test runs. Poor synchronization in your tests may make your test result
oscillate between Pass and Fail criteria, resulting in flaky tests. To avoid this, you should synchronize your tests.
Strategies to avoid flaky tests are as follows:
Isolate Tests
Test Synchronization
Mock Dependencies
Consistent Test Environment
Isolate Tests: Ensure that each test case is independent of others. Avoid dependencies on shared resources that can be affected by other tests or external factors. Execute tests individually and in isolation from other tests to pinpoint which tests are causing issues when they fail unexpectedly.
Test Synchronization: When testing asynchronous behavior (like AJAX calls or timeouts), use explicit waits rather than arbitrary sleep times. This ensures tests wait only as long as necessary and proceed promptly when conditions are met. Avoid timing issues like race conditions or UI rendering delays.
Mock Dependencies: Use mocking frameworks to simulate external dependencies like APIs or databases in a controlled manner.
Test Environment: Ensure that test environments like staging, UAT, and production are consistent and reflect the production environment as closely as possible.
