What is the disadvantage if directly go for automation without learning of manual testing?

Skipping the learning of manual testing before diving into automation can have several disadvantages:

1. Lack of Testing Fundamentals: Manual testing provides a foundational understanding of testing principles, test case design, and the testing life cycle. Without this knowledge, you may struggle to create effective automated test cases.

2. Ineffective Test Case Design: Manual testing helps testers develop the ability to design comprehensive test cases. If you skip this step and move directly to automation, you may not fully understand the scenarios that need to be tested, leading to incomplete or ineffective test automation.

3. Difficulty in Debugging: When automated tests fail, understanding the root cause of the failure is crucial. Manual testing experience helps in identifying and debugging issues, making it easier to interpret automated test results and fix problems in the test scripts.

4. Limited Adaptability: Manual testing allows for quick adaptation to changes in the application, especially in the early stages of development when requirements are still evolving. Automation scripts may become outdated quickly if they are not designed to handle changes, leading to maintenance challenges.

5. Less Effective Exploratory Testing: Exploratory testing, which involves ad-hoc and spontaneous testing to discover new issues, is better performed manually. Automation is less suited for exploring the application in an unplanned manner.

6. Missing Usability and User Experience Evaluation: Manual testing is essential for evaluating the user interface, usability, and overall user experience. Automated tests are not as effective in assessing these aspects, which are critical for the success of many applications.

7. Overemphasis on Tools: Learning automation tools without a background in manual testing might lead to an overemphasis on tools rather than testing principles. Testing is not just about using tools; it involves critical thinking, analysis, and understanding of business requirements.

8. Difficulty in Collaboration: Manual testing often involves close collaboration with development and business teams. Without the ability to communicate effectively about testing issues, it may be challenging to work collaboratively in an agile or iterative development environment.

9. Higher Initial Learning Curve for Automation Tools: Automation tools often have a steeper learning curve, and starting with them without a foundation in manual testing may make it more challenging to understand the intricacies of the tools.

10. Risk of Misinterpreting Results: Without manual testing experience, there is a risk of misinterpreting automated test results, leading to incorrect conclusions about the quality of the software.

In conclusion, while automation testing is valuable, it should ideally be built on a strong foundation of manual testing knowledge. The two approaches complement each other, and a well-rounded tester is often proficient in both manual and automated testing techniques.