Method and apparatus for API testing

• US 20070168973A1
• Filed: 12/02/2005
• Published: 07/19/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 12/02/2005
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Sun Microsystems Incorporated (Oracle Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Sun Microsystems Incorporated (Oracle Corporation)
• Inventors: Crihfield, Randall
• Application Number:
  US11/292,592
• Publication Number:
  US 20070168973A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 717/124
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/3688 for test execution, e.g. scheduling of test suites
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/20 Software design

Abstract

In general, in one aspect of the invention, the invention relates to a method and system for automatically developing software tests for a software program having source code written in an object-oriented programming language. Computer implemented instructions are stored collectively within the at least one storage device which when executed, perform a method. The method includes determining at least one class present within the source code and identifying a method associated with the class, the method having at least one characteristic. The at least one characteristic includes at least one selected from the group consisting of a category and a number of arguments. The method further includes matching a test template to the method based on the method category and the number of arguments, resulting in a matched template, and generating a test based on the matched template and the method.

Claims

1. A method for automatically developing software tests for a software program having source code written in an object-oriented programming language comprising:

determining at least one class present within the source code;

identifying a method associated with the class, the method having at least one characteristic, wherein the at least one characteristic comprises at least one selected from the group consisting of a method category, and a number of arguments;

matching a test template to the method based on at least one of the method category and the number of arguments, resulting in a matched template; and

generating a test based on the matched template and the method.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the method category is at least one selected from the group consisting of returns a value, does not return a value, is invoked on the class, is invoked on an instance of the class, is public, is protected, is private, cannot be overridden in a subclass.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein matching the test template to the method based on the number of arguments comprises:

determining a number of arguments associated with the method;

selecting, if the number of arguments is greater than zero, the test template applicable to the method having a nonzero number of arguments; and

selecting, if the number of arguments is equal to zero, the test template applicable to the method having no arguments.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the test template comprises at least one test variable, and wherein generating the test based on the matched template and the method comprises:

identifying the at least one test variable present in the matched template;

copying the matched template, resulting in a copied template;

replacing the at least one test variable within the copied template with a corresponding number of the characteristics, resulting in the test.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the test template comprises at least one test variable, and wherein generating the test based on the matched template and the method comprises:

identifying the at least one test variable present in the matched template; and

generating an information file having at least one value to be assigned to the at least one test variable during execution of at least one of the software tests.

6. The method of claim 1 further comprising receiving the source code from at least one development computing system accessible over a network.

7. The method of claim 1 further comprising receiving the source code from at least one database computing system accessible over a network.

8. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

executing the test; and

analyzing the results of the test.

9. A system for automatically developing software tests for a software program having source code written in an object-oriented programming language comprising:

a processor; and

at least one storage device, wherein computer implemented instructions are stored collectively within the at least one storage device which when executed, perform a method comprising;

determining at least one class present within the source code;

determining a method associated with the class, the method having at least one characteristic, wherein the at least one characteristic comprises at least one selected from the group consisting of a method category, and a number of arguments;

matching a test template to the method based on at least one of the method category and the number of arguments, resulting in a matched template; and

generating a test based on the matched template and the method.

10. The system of claim 9 wherein the method category is at least one selected from the group consisting of returns a value, does not return a value, is invoked on the class, is invoked on an instance of the class, is public, is protected, is private, cannot be overridden in a subclass.

11. The system of claim 9 wherein matching a test template to the method based on the number of arguments comprises:

determining a number of arguments associated with the method;

selecting, if the number of arguments is greater than zero, the test template applicable to the method having a nonzero number of arguments; and

selecting, if the number of arguments is equal to zero, the test template applicable to the method having no arguments.

12. The system of claim 9 wherein the test template comprises at least one test variable, and wherein generating the test based on the matched template and the method comprises:

identifying the at least one test variable present in the matched template;

copying the matched template, resulting in a copied template;

replacing the at least one test variable within the copied template with a corresponding number of the characteristics, resulting in the test.

13. The system of claim 9 wherein the test template comprises variables, and wherein generating the test based on the matched template and the method comprises:

identifying the at least one test variable present in the matched template; and

generating an information file having at least one value to be assigned to the at least one test variable during execution of at least one of the software tests.

14. The system of claim 9 wherein the method further comprises receiving the source code from at least one development computing system accessible over a network.

15. The system of claim 9 wherein the method further comprises receiving the source code from at least one database computing system accessible over a network.

16. The system of claim 9 wherein the method further comprises:

executing the test; and

analyzing the results of the test.

17. A computer readable medium having processor executable instructions stored thereon for executing a method comprising:

determining at least one class present within the source code;

identifying a method associated with the class, the method having at least one characteristic, wherein the at least one characteristic comprises at least one selected from the group consisting of a method category, and a number of arguments;

matching a test template to the method based on at least one of the method category and the number of arguments, resulting in a matched template; and

generating a test based on the matched template and the method.

18. The computer readable medium of claim 17 wherein the method category is at least one selected from the group consisting of returns a value, does not return a value, is invoked on the class, is invoked on an instance of the class, is public, is protected, is private, cannot be overridden in a subclass.

19. The computer readable medium of claim 17 wherein the method further comprises:

matching the test template to the method based on the number of arguments comprises;

determining a number of arguments associated with the method;

selecting, if the number of arguments is greater than zero, the test template applicable to the method having a nonzero number of arguments; and

selecting, if the number of arguments is equal to zero, the test template applicable to the method having no arguments.

20. The computer readable medium of claim 17 wherein the test template comprises at least one test variable, and wherein generating the test based on the matched template and the method comprises:

identifying the at least one test variable present in the matched template; and

generating an information file having at least one value to be assigned to the at least one test variable during execution of at least one of the software tests.