In manual testing, we create separate tests for a certain function. Example scenario is this: I have 2 radio buttons and a search dropdown. Each of the radio buttons have difference departments listed under a dropdown. You can use these either logged in or not. In order to test it, I test the first radio button and check the dropdown list if the departments are present. So 1 test case have passed. Then I do the same thing with the second radio button. It passed as well.
Now in automation scripts, I created a test script that is based off of these functions. What bothers me is that how do I run these scripts? Should I also follow the same procedure like what I do in manual testing, it is just that my scripts do the work for me? Or should I run both test scripts(for 2 radio buttons) altogether? If I do that, I'd get an error on stale element, or element not found. But if I run one test script at a time, I get the result I want. If I want the test to fail I change the expected value. Which is the best practice I could do? Thanks