Another change SDET stands for is the shift from manual to automated testing. Manual testing is needed to meet the demand for rapid and continuous testing. Automated testing was introduced to solve the problem. This method was then also introduced into the software development period. The software was not tested after being finished but rather during.
Over time, other applications also became prominent in the field, requiring software to be tested on those applications. SDETs rose to the challenge and implemented it into their automated tests. The SDET role is generally evolving as technologies and methodologies change.
In this blog post, we will discuss SDET’s responsibilities and benefits while also deeply diving into SDET's job.
What is a 'Software Development Engineer in Test'?
A software development engineer in test (SDET) is an IT specialist in a development team whose primary responsibilities are the creation of automated test frameworks, designing and implementing test cases, and writing code to improve the overall testability of software. The SDET role is a senior-level position between testing and developing skills.
Their primary focus is creating test code to ensure a product functions properly. For example, an SDET is responsible for building automation frameworks for tests and other test-related processes (e.g., delivery pipelines). They take part in every stage of the software development life cycle.
They ensure the quality and reliability of software applications are met and play an essential role in driving innovation efficiency and user satisfaction. This makes them a vital part of the development process.
During this development process, writing, running, and maintaining the product and test codes, the SDET works closely with software developers and quality assurance teams in a company. They allow software engineers to concentrate on coding while they make sure that they identify bugs early and run security tests during the development phase.
What are the Key Responsibilities and Roles of an SDET?
The responsibilities of an SDET can vary from company to company, but there are some primary responsibilities that every SDET has. Here are the 7 key responsibilities of an SDET:
Test Automation: An SDET sets up, maintains, and performs its test automation frameworks. They test these on multiple applications to build acceptance tests and test scenarios. When doing test automation, SDETs write code to simulate user actions and interactions with the software while verifying those actions. They use different tools and frameworks, like Selenium and Junit.
Code Review and Analysis: SDETs perform code reviews and analysis. They ensure the code quality for testability. By performing source code reviews, they can determine if there are any weak points or bugs in the code. Often, SDETs collaborate to optimize each other’s code.
Test Case Design: The implementation and designing of test cases are among the main responsibilities of an SDET. It involves creating a set of comprehensive test cases or scenarios, which are then used to verify that the software application is correctly operating. An SDET will also adapt the test cases to different development phases. These test cases are important for functional testing, regression testing, UI testing, and API testing.
Continuous Integration and Deployment (CI/CD): CI/CD involves integrating code in the software codebase and utilizing it in production. In this development process, an SDET integrates testing into the CI/CD pipeline, creates execution pipelines, and optimizes testing strategies to provide good test coverage. This step ensures a rapid and reliable software delivery.
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Bug Tracking and Reporting: An SDET also creates and manages bug reports and shares them with the team. They utilize bug tracking tools, like Jira, during software testing to find and fix bugs. Afterward, they create clear, actionable bug reports on the findings and measures taken.
Regression testing: Regression testing is often performed after a development cycle to ensure everything works as intended. It ensures the software's stability across different versions. There are various strategies for efficient regression testing, like a risk-based approach.
Quality Assurance and Control: Quality assurance is a continuous and consistent improvement and maintenance process aiming to meet the customer's needs. Meanwhile, quality control verifies that the product meets the standards set by quality assurance. So, an SDET will want to uphold high standards in quality assurance in their software. To do this, they implement adequate control measures for superior software quality.
What are the benefits of SDET:
SDET brings 7 main benefits to a company:
Efficient Test Automation: An SDET has profound knowledge of coding and languages. By applying their knowledge to test automation, they are able to make it smoother and more efficient.
Improves Code Quality (Improved product reliability and user satisfaction): High quality comes with profound coding knowledge. SDETs will improve any bugs or systems they have created, and they can find and improve the quality of said code. This will improve product reliability and user satisfaction, giving them a more positive experience.
Accelerated Software Delivery: An SDET is a senior-level position that works closely with a developer team. By giving the developers a hand, they will look for improvements and fix anything that stands out while also running automated tests on the developed system. This way, they prevent problems in the future. This allows for accelerated software delivery.
Cost Efficiency: With well-developed automated tests, an SDET can reduce costs efficiently, which would otherwise be taken up by manual testing.
Enhanced Quality Assurance: With SDET's control measures and high-quality standards, they ensure that the systems are up to standard and are continuously checked, fixed, and improved. This makes for an enhanced quality assurance.
Early Bug Detection: An SDET continuously checks for bugs during the development process but also after a system is developed. They have systems that test and fish for bugs, allowing them to detect bugs early.
Increased Test Coverage: Not only does SDET implement test automation, but they also review and analyze the codes during the development process. They test the CIs and CDs, run regression tests, and have control measures to ensure quality assurance and other tests.
Conclusion
In summary, a Software Development Engineer in Test (SDET) primarily works around creating automated test frameworks, designing test cases, and enhancing the overall testability of the software. They play a crucial role in ensuring software quality, driving innovation, and improving user satisfaction throughout the software development life cycle.
SDETs bring many benefits to the company. They do everything from efficient test automation to cost efficiency to enhanced quality assurance. They contribute significantly to the success of software projects by ensuring robust, reliable, and high-quality software products.
Nowadays, it is important to have an SDET in your team. They enhance a company’s success, which makes SDETs a vital asset. This is why you should become an SDET; not only will you have a promising future in any company, but you will also gain tremendous insight into the various fields that an SDET covers. Eurotech Study offers the perfect and interactive certified online courses for your training.
FAQs About SDET
What is the Difference Between SDET and QA?
An SDET is involved in the complete development life cycle of the project and is skilled in creating automated tests for projects. They mainly focus on automating the testing process and collaborate closely with the developer team to enhance the overall software testability. A Quality Assurance (QA) Engineer is involved in preparing and executing test cases, which they mostly do manually.
Additionally, a QA engineer is only involved at the end of the development life cycle. While an SDET has a range of tasks in a project and helps out where they can, a QA engineer is only required to perform testing-related tasks. An SDET can be seen as a developer, whereas a QA engineer is a tester.
Is SDET a promising career?
Definitely, SDETs are becoming more popular for testing all over the world. Nowadays, there is high demand for them, making the job opportunities for SDETs favorable. It is said that a senior SDET can earn up to 50% more than a junior SDET. In general, the average pay for an SDET in Germany is set at around 67000€ per year.
Does SDET have coding?
Yes, an SDET learns and can code in a few coding languages perfectly. Usually, they should be able to write, debug, and maintain in at least one of these programming languages: Java, Python, C#, or Ruby. However, it is not limited to these.