An automated test case can be run programmatically and the result of the test case (pass or fail) is determined programmatically. Compared to manual testing, automated testing reduces the effort required to run tests repeatedly and increases precision of testing (because manual testing is susceptible to human errors).
Side readings:
- [Quora post] What is the best way to avoid bugs
- [Web article] The three pillars of unit testing - A short article about what makes a good unit test.
- [Quora post] Is automated testing relevant to startups?
- Learning from Apple’s #gotofail Security Bug - How unit testing (and other good coding practices) could have prevented a major security bug.