From Functional to Automated Testing: A Learning Path for Software Testers

This article is aimed at software testers with a few years of experience who are currently limited to functional testing and feel their career competitiveness is waning.

The author argues that the future of software testing lies in engineers who can program, combining functional, automated, performance, and security testing, and therefore emphasizes the importance of developing solid coding abilities.

Two practical approaches are recommended: first, automate existing test projects by choosing a mainstream web automation framework such as Selenium + Java or Selenium + Python, starting with simple scripts (e.g., a login test) and gradually building a framework to manage test cases and integrate with continuous integration.

Second, supplement learning with video courses from platforms like Tencent Classroom, Baidu ChuanKe, or Mooc, which provide step‑by‑step tutorials for setting up an automation environment and writing initial scripts.

The article concludes with a motivational note: consistent coding practice is essential, encapsulated by the phrase “Talk is cheap. Show me the code,” encouraging readers to keep writing code to stay relevant.