Google Workspace Testing

Hari Mahesh

Most of you have heard about Google Play Store, and there is a chance that you work using Google Workspace. This article will teach us more about Google Workspace and how to test it.

What is Google Workspace?

Google Workspace, formerly known as G Suite, is a cloud-based collection of productivity and collaboration tools offered by Google. It equips businesses and organizations with a suite of web applications for email, document editing, storage, communication, and more.

Here’s a breakdown of what Google Workspace offers:

• Core applications: Familiar tools like Gmail for email, Calendar for scheduling, Drive for cloud storage, Docs, Sheets, and Slides for collaborative document editing and presentations.
• Communication tools: Features like Meet for video conferencing and Chat for instant messaging to foster teamwork and streamline communication.
• Administrative tools: A central Admin console for IT admins to manage users, configure settings, and enforce security policies across the Workspace environment.

Integrating Google Workspace

Integrating Google Workspace with your business can be a game-changer. Imagine your team working seamlessly on documents, scheduling meetings with a shared calendar, and communicating instantly through chat and video calls – all within one platform. Google Workspace integrates with many other tools you already use, so you can customize your workflow and ditch the app overload.

Plus, it offers robust security, scales with your business, and lets your team work productively from anywhere. By streamlining communication, boosting collaboration, and offering on-the-go accessibility, Google Workspace can significantly enhance your business’s efficiency and success.

Benefits of Integrating Google Workspace

Here’s a closer look at some key advantages:

• Boost Teamwork: Imagine you and your colleagues editing a document together simultaneously. No more waiting for someone to finish their part – Google Workspace lets you seamlessly work on Docs, Sheets, Slides, and other files. This real-time collaboration can be a game-changer for teamwork, speeding things up and making workflows smoother.
• Get More Done in Less Time: Forget about endless emails and juggling different apps. Google Workspace combines everything you need – calendar, email, chat, video conferencing – all in one place. Scheduling meetings, managing projects, and staying connected with your team becomes a breeze.
• Grow with Your Business: Whether you’re a small startup or a large corporation, Google Workspace has a plan that fits. You can quickly scale up or down as your team grows, so you only pay for what you use.
• Work with Confidence: Security is top-notch with Google Workspace. Your data is protected with features like two-factor authentication and encryption. Google’s reliable infrastructure keeps things running smoothly so you can focus on what matters.
• Work Your Way: Want to use other tools you love? No problem! Google Workspace integrates with tons of different apps and services. You can even find handy add-ons in the Google Workspace Marketplace to extend the functionality of its existing tools and customize your workspace for your specific needs.
• Save Money: Ditch expensive software and say goodbye to complex IT setups. Google Workspace is cost-effective, combining multiple productivity tools into one affordable platform. Plus, it’s cloud-based, so you don’t need fancy hardware or a dedicated IT team to manage it.
• Work from Anywhere: Whether you’re at your desk, on a train, or at the beach (with Wi-Fi, of course!), Google Workspace lets you access your work anytime from any device. This flexibility empowers remote work and keeps your team connected and productive no matter where they are.
• Make Smarter Decisions: Need data to make informed choices? Google Workspace has you covered. Use tools like Forms to gather feedback and analyze data in Sheets, or connect to more advanced tools for deeper insights. With real-time data and insights at your fingertips, you can make better decisions for your business.

Building apps for Google Workspace

Building apps for Google Workspace allows you to extend and tailor its functionalities to your needs. There are two main approaches to consider:

No-code App Development with AppSheet

AppSheet is a Google Workspace offering that empowers anyone to build custom applications without writing code. It uses a drag-and-drop interface to visually design apps that connect to your Google Workspace data sources like Sheets and Forms.

Benefits:

• Ease of Use: No coding experience is required, making it accessible to technical and non-technical users.
• Fast Development: Quickly build and deploy simple apps to automate workflows or collect data.
• Integration with Workspace: Seamlessly connect to existing Workspace data and tools.

Limitations:

• Complexity: AppSheet might not be suitable for highly complex applications requiring custom functionality.
• Customization: Design options might be limited compared to coded development.

Custom App Development with Google Workspace APIs

This approach involves using Google Workspace APIs and tools to build custom apps using programming languages like Python or Java.

Benefits:

• Greater Flexibility: Provides complete control over the app’s functionality and design.
• Complex Applications: Can build sophisticated apps with advanced features and integrations.
• Scalability: Suitable for enterprise-level applications that handle large amounts of data and users.

Requirements:

• Coding Expertise: Requires knowledge of programming languages and Google Workspace APIs.
• Development Time: Building custom apps typically takes longer than using no-code solutions.
• Maintenance: Ongoing maintenance and updates might be needed for custom apps.

Testing Google Workspace Integrations

Testing Google Workspace integrations is crucial to ensure a smooth and successful experience for your team. It’s like checking the engine before a road trip! Just like any new addition, integrations can introduce bugs or compatibility issues. Testing beforehand helps identify these problems early on, preventing workflow disruptions and wasting time troubleshooting later. By testing functionalities, data flow, and security, you ensure a seamless integration that maximizes the benefits of both Google Workspace and the integrated tool.

We will go through different testing phases, such as unit testing, integration testing, and E2E testing, to validate the Google Workspace integrations.

Unit Testing Google Workspace

Unit testing is like building a solid foundation for your Google Workspace integration. It involves isolating and testing individual parts of the integration code to ensure they work flawlessly. This is crucial because even minor errors in these components can cause significant issues later. So, what exactly do you test?

Focus on individual functions within your code, like logic for handling data or making calls to Google Workspace services. So, for unit testing Workspace integrations, there are two options.

Integrations which are developed using Apps Script

• Built-in Testing Framework: Google Apps Script provides a built-in testing framework specifically designed for this environment. It allows writing unit tests directly within your Apps Script code using the TestSuite and TestCase classes. This framework offers a convenient way to test functions, variables, and overall script behavior without needing external tools.

Integrations built with other Programming Languages

• Third-party Testing Frameworks: Depending on the programming language you’re using to develop the integration (e.g., Python, Java, Go), you can leverage popular third-party testing frameworks widely adopted in the developer community. Here are some common options:
  • JUnit: JUnit is a popular third-party testing framework for programming languages like Java that can be used to unit test custom Google Workspace integrations built with Java. It helps you isolate and test individual components of the integration code, ensuring they function correctly before deployment.
  • pytest: For Python-built Google Workspace integrations, pytest is a popular testing framework. It lets you write unit tests to isolate and test individual parts of your code, ensuring they work flawlessly before deployment.
  • Go Testing Package: For Go-based integrations, the standard Go testing package provides a built-in solution for writing unit tests. It offers a simple yet powerful way to test functions and ensure the code works as intended.

Integration Testing Google Workspace

Integration testing goes beyond the individual components and focuses on how your Google Workspace integration interacts with the broader ecosystem. This involves simulating real-world scenarios to ensure smooth data flow and functionality between your custom integration, Google Workspace services (like Gmail or Drive APIs), and potentially other external tools you might be connecting with.

You can tackle two main areas for integration testing with Google Workspace: UI automation and API automation. Here’s the toolbox for each:

• UI Automation: Tools like Selenium or Robot framework allow you to simulate user interactions like clicking buttons, filling forms, and navigating through the user interface of your integration and connected Google Workspace apps. This helps identify issues with data flow, layout functionality, and overall user experience within the integrated environment.
• API Automation: Tools like Postman or RestAssured enable you to send automated requests to Google Workspace APIs and external APIs involved in the integration. You can test different scenarios like data transfer, authentication, and error handling between these systems. This ensures smooth communication and data exchange at the core level of the integration.

End-to-end Testing Google Workspace Integrations

End-to-end (E2E) testing takes integration testing to the next level for Google Workspace integrations. It simulates real user journeys encompassing the entire workflow involving your integration and Google Workspace services. This might include testing a scenario where a user creates a document in your custom app, triggers a process that updates a Google Sheet, and then sends an email notification through Gmail – all within a single test. E2E testing helps identify issues that might not be apparent through isolated unit or integration tests.

For E2E testing, you can go with Selenium. Still, if you read more, you can understand that many companies have moved out of Selenium due to its many disadvantages in the modern software development life cycle, such as Agile.

Using testRigor for E2E testing

testRigor can be defined as a generative AI-driven, intelligent, and codeless automation tool that allows you to write test cases in plain English. Let’s just go through a few capabilities of testRigor:

• Generative AI: testRigor can generate test cases or test data based on the test description. It makes the testers’ lives extremely easy by saving them a lot of time and effort.
• Free from programming languages: Yes, that’s correct. Using testRigor, we can create or edit the test scripts in parsed plain English, eliminating the dependency on programming languages. This feature supports both QA and anyone from the development, management, BA, marketing, or any other stakeholder to create, edit, or execute test scripts.
• Say goodbye to Flaky XPaths: testRigor doesn’t rely on flaky XPaths; it has its way of defining the elements called testRigor locators. Just mention the text as you see on the screen to identify the element; AI takes care of the rest. For example:

  login to Google Drive as Admin //predefined rule
  click "New" above “Home”
  hover over “More”
  click “Connect more apps
  enter “sketchboard” into “Search apps”

• Email, 2FA, SMS testing, and more: Utilize testRigor’s English commands to efficiently perform email, 2FA, SMS, phone call, video, audio, and file testing quickly.

These are its AI-powered features, and testRigor’s features continue further. testRigor can be cited as the testing powerhouse, as it supports different types of tests singlehandedly:

• Web and Mobile browser testing
• Mobile testing
• Desktop app testing
• API testing
• Visual testing
• Accessibility testing

These are just the tip of the iceberg. Read to know the top features of testRigor. Also, testRigor supports inbuilt integration with different tools.

App Review Process in Google Workspace

The review process for apps submitted to the Google Workspace Marketplace involves several steps to ensure they meet Google’s quality and security standards.

Submission Process

• Developer Console: Use the Google Developer Console to create a project for your app and configure its listing details. This includes providing clear descriptions, screenshots, and category information to help users understand what your app offers.
• Technical Aspects: The console will guide you through steps to verify ownership of your app and ensure it integrates seamlessly with Google Workspace services. This might involve setting up OAuth consent for API access.

Review Stages

• Initial Review: Once submitted, Google’s review team will perform an initial screening to check for completeness and basic compliance with Marketplace policies.
• Detailed Review (if required): If your app passes the initial screening, it will undergo a more in-depth review. This can involve testing functionalities, evaluating data security practices, and assessing user experience.
• Feedback and Iteration: The review team might provide feedback highlighting areas for improvement or requesting additional information. You’ll have the opportunity to address these concerns and resubmit your app.

Approval and Publication

• Approval Notification: If your app successfully passes the review process, you’ll receive an email notification from Google.
• Publication: Your app will be published on the Google Workspace Marketplace, becoming discoverable and installable by Workspace users.

So, while developing the app, ensure your app adheres to these guidelines regarding functionality, content, and user experience.

“We spent so much time on maintenance when using Selenium, and we spend nearly zero time with maintenance using testRigor.”

Keith Powe VP Of Engineering - IDT