System and method for selecting test case execution behaviors for reproducible test automation

• US 20060075302A1
• Filed: 09/29/2004
• Published: 04/06/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 09/29/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Hunter, Michael J., Gallacher, Michael D., Ulrich, Adam M.
• Granted Patent: US 7,457,989 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 714/38
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/3688 for test execution, e.g. scheduling of test suites

Abstract

A system and method for separating execution behaviors from test cases and consolidating execution behaviors in an execution behavior manager comprising or in communication with an execution behavior library. The method includes selecting an execution behavior for executing a step or action in a test case and sending the execution behavior to the test case for execution. Additionally, the system and method provide for applying global and local weightings to the execution behavior selection process and allow for replaying a test case with previously executed behaviors.

Claims

1. A system for selecting an execution behavior for executing an action, comprising:

an execution behavior manager for selecting the execution behavior; and

a behavior automation library for providing data regarding the execution behavior to the execution behavior manager.

2. The system of claim 1 further comprising a register of behaviors comprising a listing of a plurality of execution behaviors.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the execution behavior manager determines potential execution behaviors for executing the action from the register of behaviors.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the action is executed by one of a plurality of execution behaviors.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the action is executed by executing a sequence of a plurality of execution behaviors.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein the execution behavior manager executes the sequence in any order.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the execution behavior manager selects the execution behavior based on at least one of a global weighting and a local weighting.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein the local weighting override the global weighting.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the execution behavior manager selects the execution behavior based on previously selected execution behaviors.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein the execution behavior manager selects the execution behavior that is enabled.

11. The system of claim 1, wherein the action is at least one of a functional test, a step in a functional test, an integration test, and a step in an integration test.

12. The system of claim 1, wherein the execution behavior manager instantiates the data provided by the behavior automation library to create the selected execution behavior.

13. The system of claim 1, wherein the execution behavior comprises attributes.

14. The system of claim 1, wherein the execution behavior manager records a selected execution behavior.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein the execution behavior manager replays the selected execution behavior.

16. The system of claim 1, wherein the execution behavior comprises an input by at least one of a mouse, a keyboard, an accessibility application programming interface, and an object model.

17. A computer-readable medium having stored thereon a data structure, comprising:

a data field stored in a behavior automation library comprising data representing a plurality of execution behaviors, wherein each execution behavior executes an action that is applied by a test case.

18. The computer-readable medium of claim 17, wherein the data structure provides data representing an execution behavior to an execution behavior manager.

19. A method for selecting an execution behavior for executing an action, comprising:

receiving the action;

reviewing a plurality of execution behaviors for executing the action; and

selecting one execution behavior from the plurality of execution behaviors.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein the plurality of execution behaviors are provided by a register of behaviors.

21. The method of claim 19, wherein the action is a step in a test case.

22. The method of claim 21, further comprising sending the selected execution behavior to the test case.

23. The method of claim 19, wherein the selecting step is based on at least one of a local weighting and a global weighting.

24. The method of claim 19, further comprising creating the selected execution behavior.

25. A method for selecting an execution behavior for executing an action, comprising:

receiving the action;

reviewing a plurality of execution behaviors for executing the action; and

selecting each of a predetermined series of execution behaviors.

26. The method of claim 25, wherein each execution behavior in the series of execution behaviors is selected in a predetermined order.

27. A computer-readable medium having computer-executable instructions for performing steps, comprising:

receiving an action from a test case;

reviewing a plurality of execution behaviors capable of executing the action.

28. The computer-readable medium of claim 27, having further computer-executable instructions for performing the step of selecting one execution behavior from the plurality of execution behaviors.

29. The computer-readable medium of claim 28, having further computer-executable instructions for performing the step of sending the selected execution behavior to the test case.

30. The computer-readable medium of claim 27, having further computer-executable instructions for performing the steps of selecting each of a predetermined series of execution behaviors.

31. The computer-readable medium of claim 30, wherein each execution behavior in the series of execution behaviors is selected in a predetermined order.