UI Test automation code, especially browser based, serves a fundamentally different purpose than production code. It's inherently more volatile, requiring frequent updates with each UI change. Even at the abstract syntax tree (AST) level - test automation code has a flatter structure and linear flow than application code(hierarchy of web components).
Just because developers were the first people to write test automation frameworks in early 2000s, we have continued to burden test automation frameworks with complex abstractions and patterns borrowed from development practices. This leads to slower test creation, increased maintenance overhead, and steeper learning curves for new QA engineers who often lack traditional development backgrounds.

Addressing test automation architects and engineers who design frameworks, this workshop challenges conventional wisdom. We'll explore how simplified test code can actually improve maintainability. We'll demonstrate why excessive abstraction in test automation can hide test intent and complicate debugging. Most importantly, we'll propose a new set of clean code principles specifically tailored for test automation called CLEAR

C - Contextual Over Complex

L - Lean Over Layered

E - Explicit Over Elegant

A - Accessible Over Architected (Often overlooked)

R - Resilient Over Rigid

In this immersive 90-minute workshop, participants will experience firsthand how different approaches to test automation architecture impact productivity and maintainability.

Through a unique comparative exercise, attendees will implement identical test scenarios in two contrasting frameworks: a straightforward Playwright implementation and a highly abstracted "pure" framework following traditional clean code principles. By working with both approaches in parallel, participants will gain practical insights into how excessive abstraction can hinder test development speed and maintainability without providing proportional benefits.

We'll begin with a brief introduction to the CLEAR principles (Contextual, Lean, Explicit, Accessible, Resilient), followed by hands-on coding sessions where attendees will add new test scenarios to both frameworks. This workshop is ideal for test automation architects, senior QA engineers, and team leads who want to challenge their assumptions about best practices and discover more efficient approaches to building maintainable test automation frameworks

Join us in this paradigm-shifting discussion that questions established practices and offers a fresh perspective on test automation architecture.

Attendees will learn:

• Why traditional clean code practices can hinder test automation efficiency
• Practical patterns for writing maintainable yet simple test code
• Strategies for making test code more accessible to QA engineers from non-development
  backgrounds