Best Practices in Test Automation

The following best practices should be followed while generating automated test scripts.
? Always document sufficient comments inside test scripts/reusable actions/function libraries
? Make document for each test scenario’s or flow of the test scripts and including with Path of OR, Function library, Parameter data details
? Implement sufficient exception handling steps so that the chances of script failure due to test run errors are reduced
? Never hardcode paths and other similar data. Instead use relative paths.? When modifications are required to the test scripts, save the old script as an older version.
? Creation of a QTP scenario should always be done on a test environment that must be “production-like”.
? Follow naming conventions as specified in the scripting guidelines document.
? A Script Usage Manual should be prepared after the preparation of the automation scripts, to make the user understand the ways of executing the automation scripts.