Method and System for Testing Websites

• US 20090100345A1
• Filed: 10/08/2008
• Published: 04/16/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 10/15/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Software Research, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Software Research, Inc.
• Inventors: Miller, Edward F.
• Granted Patent: US 8,392,890 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/738
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/3668 Software testing software testing in telephone exchanges H04M3/242, testing of hardware G06F11/22
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/3688 for test execution, e.g. scheduling of test suites
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/3696 Methods or tools to render software testable
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/958 Organisation or management of web site content, e.g. publishing, maintaining pages or automatic linking
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/143 Markup, e.g. Standard Generalized Markup Language [SGML] or Document Type Definition [DTD]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/01 Protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/02 based on web technology, e.g. hypertext transfer protocol [HTTP]

Abstract

Methods and systems to test of web browser enabled applications are disclosed. In one embodiment, a browser application can allow a user to perform test and analysis processes on a candidate web browser enabled application. The test enabled browser can use special functions and facilities that are built into the test enabled browser. One implementation of the invention pertains to functional testing, and another implementation of the invention pertains to pertains to site analysis.

Claims

1. A test enabled web browser configured to automatically synchronize test script playback to assure and maintain accuracy of the in-browser state by means of built-in checks of the current Document Object Model (DOM) contents.

2. A test-enabled web browser as recited in claim 1, wherein playback introduced with DOM synchronization commands based on a DOM element existing or not.

3. A test-enabled web browser as recited in claim 1, wherein playback introduced with DOM synchronization commands based on a DOM element having a particular defined property or not.

4. A test-enabled web browser as recited in claim 1, wherein playback introduced with DOM synchronization commands based on a DOM element having a property with a particular value or not.

5. A test-enabled web browser as recited in claim 1, wherein playback introduced with DOM synchronization commands based on a combination of one or more DOM elements, DOM element properties, or DOM element property values having or not having specified values.

6. A test enabled web browser configured to control an in-browser state by one or more of the following acts, in sequence or in combination:

(i) setting the current index to a particular value;

(ii) finding the current index of DOM elements based on specified property names and/or property values;

(iii) moving the current index up or down on the page, by specifying a number of steps up and down on the page;

(iv) submitting SubmitClick command to the current index DOM element of the page;

(v) initiating a browser navigation to the link specified at the current index DOM element of the page;

or

(vi) typing in a particular value to the current index DOM element of the page.

7. A test-enabled web browser as recited in claim 6, wherein the one or more acts are programmatically performed.

8. A test enabled web browser configured to manipulate information contained in HTTP/S request headers used by the test enabled web browser in its interaction with a web server.

9. A test-enabled web browser as recited in claim 8, wherein the manipulating of the information contained in HTTP/S request headers is to provide a wide range of capability to programmatically control how the test enabled web browser presents itself to the server.

10. A test-enabled web browser as recited in claim 8, wherein the manipulating of the information contained in HTTP/S request headers is to programmatically control how the server-provided responses are processed in the protocol HTTP/S stack.

11. A test enabled web browser configured to keep track of assigned element ID values with a page is used to provide support for adaptive playback of test scripts that were recording from and/or are playing back from the test enabled web browser, for purposes of accurately compensating for dynamically generated pages whose structure would otherwise not accurately reproduce the intended browser behavior.

12. A test enabled web browser configured to declare and value a subset of named parameters, for dynamic interpretation at test script playback time of a test script that is appropriately parameterized, such that at playback time the parametric values take on user-determined values.

13. A test enabled web browser as recited in claim 12, wherein the user-determined values are set dynamically from within the current script, or which may be established by sources outside the browser per se.

14. A test enabled web browser configured to create a playback program or program fragment, expressed in any type of programming language that supports function invocations, such that the resulting program has the characteristic that when it is executed the resulting behavior is identical to that which is captured and replayed by the test enabled web browser.

15. A test enabled web browser configured to create a derivative script based on playback of a recorded script, such that the derivative script has a complete trace of the HTTP/S protocol requests that were accomplished using the recorded script, where the derived script is in a format that it can be replayed in the same form and structure as the recorded script.

16. A test enabled web browser configured to provide for direct and immediate use of data from one browsed page to extract sets of links from that page, create internal work lists for additional pages also to be browsed, and to extract information from browsed pages into a database for off-line analysis.

17. A test enabled web browser for operation on a computing device to test a website hosted by a remote server, the website having at least one webpage, said test enabled web browser comprising:

a script component that operates to record and replay at least one test script that reproduces and times user actions and responses;

a script playback component that operates to playback the at least one test script;

a page evaluation component that operates to read, extract, and analyze and confirm the contents of webpage components, including DOM elements and other objects; and

a synchronization component configured to automatically synchronize playback of the at least one test script by said script playback component to assure and maintain accuracy of the in-browser state through use of built-in checks of the current Document Object Model (DOM) contents.

18. A test enabled web browser as recited in claim 17, wherein said script playback is configured to adapt playback of the at least one test script to account for nearly correct matches between recorded facts and actual page properties.

19. A test enabled web browser as recited in claim 17, wherein said test enabled web browser comprises:

browsing components; and

a graphical user interface to provide user access to at least said browsing components and said script component.

20. A test enabled web browser as recited in claim 17, wherein synchronization processing by said synchronization component is performed in a separate thread than other processing of said test enabled web browser.