Method and apparatus for executing unit tests in application host environment

• US 20060218446A1
• Filed: 03/23/2005
• Published: 09/28/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 03/23/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Crawford, Brian R.
• Granted Patent: US 7,954,088 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 development environment in which unit tests are prepared. The unit tests run in a host environment for more complete and accurate testing of program units. The development environment uses a test execution shim to access an adapter running in the host environment. The host adapter may invoke other program objects that run specific tests. Such objects may late bind to the unit under test. An accessor class may facilitate late binding to the specific unit under test while allowing tests authored in the development environment to use context sensitive information needed to access the unit under test.

Claims

1. A method of testing a program operating in a first environment, the program having a plurality of units, including at least one unit under test, the method comprising:

a) executing a test agent in a second environment, the test agent specifying a test to be performed to test at least one unit under test; and

b) executing, in response to executing the test agent, a specified test in the first environment, the test generating a test result indicative of a performance characteristic of the unit under test.

2. The method of claim 1, additionally comprising communicating the test result from the specified test executing in the first environment to the test agent executing in the second environment

3. The method of claim 2, wherein executing a specified test in the first environment comprises creating an object in the first environment and registering the object with an object in the second environment.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein executing a specified test further comprises:

a) executing a test object in the first environment; and

b) communicating between the object in the second environment and the test object through the object in the first environment.

5. The method of claim 2, wherein executing a specified test comprises executing a test adapter in the first environment and invoking with the test adapter the specified test.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein executing a specified test further comprises receiving with the test adapter a parameter indicative of the specified test and invoking a test selected in response to the parameter.

7. The method of claim 5, wherein the first environment comprises an extensible interface and executing a test adapter comprises executing in the first environment a test adapter in response to a command provided through the extensible interface.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the unit under test has a non-public interface and executing a specified test comprises exercising the unit under test through its non-public interface.

9. A method of testing a program operating in a first environment, the program having a plurality of units, at least one of the units being a unit under test, the method comprising:

a) loading the program in the first environment;

b) exposing an interface of an object in the first environment;

c) using the object to load a test adapter in response to information provided through the interface; and

d) using the test adapter to execute a test of the at least one unit under test.

10. The method of claim 9, additionally comprising providing information through the interface in response to execution of a test agent executing in a second environment.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein providing information in response to execution of a test agent in a second environment comprises executing the test agent in a development environment.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein providing information through the interface in response to execution of a test agent executing in a second environment comprises selecting a test execution shim based on an attribute of the first environment and accessing the interface through the test execution shim.

13. The method of claim 9, additionally comprising placing the first environment in a test mode.

14. The method of claim 9, wherein loading the program in the first environment comprises loading an add-in program with an application program.

15. The method of claim 10, wherein the first environment is created in a first process and the second environment is created in a second process.

16. The method of claim 9, additionally comprising:

a) reflecting parameters of a unit in the first environment; and

b) using the reflected parameters to configure the test adapter.

17. A computer-readable medium having computer-executable instructions for performing steps implementing a software system providing a development environment in which a test program may be developed for testing a unit of a program operating in one of a plurality of host environments, the computer-executable instructions performing the steps of:

a) creating a test agent; and

b) creating one of a plurality of host adapters, each host adapter configured to be used by the test agent to invoke execution of a test program in one of the plurality of host environments.

18. The computer-readable medium of claim 17, wherein the software system additionally comprises computer-executable instructions for performing the steps of:

a) receiving input from a user specifying a portion of an instruction in a test program; and

b) selectively displaying in response to the input from a user context sensitive information concerning parameters that may be used in the instruction of the test program to access the unit of the program.

19. The computer-readable medium of claim 18, wherein the software system additionally comprises computer-executable instructions for implementing the steps of receiving parameters related to the unit of the program that have been reflected from the unit.

20. The computer-readable medium of claim 17, wherein the software system additionally comprising computer-executable instructions for creating an object that configures a test program based on information about the unit of the program reflected from the unit.