GRAPHICAL USER INTERFACE APPLICATION COMPARATOR

• US 20090217309A1
• Filed: 02/27/2008
• Published: 08/27/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 02/27/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Accenture Global Services Limited (Accenture PLC)
• Original Assignee: Accenture Global Services GmbH (Accenture PLC)
• Inventors: Fu, Chen, Xie, Qing, Grechanik, Mark
• Granted Patent: US 8,185,917 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 719/328
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/3692 for test results analysis
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/38 for implementing user interfaces

Abstract

A graphical user interface (GUI) application comparator helps application designers create error free graphical user interface applications (GAPs). The comparator finds differences in the GUI elements used to compose an interface between a current GAP version and a subsequent GAP version. One benefit is that a test script writer may better understand how the GAP has evolved in order to write a better test script. Another benefit is that the comparator output may be analyzed by subsequent processing systems for automated analysis of test scripts.

Claims

1. A product comprising:

a memory;

a similarity threshold stored in the memory;

a current graphical user interface (GUI) application (GAP) GUI model stored in the memory, the current GAP GUI model including a first source GUI element;

a subsequent GAP GUI model stored in the memory, the subsequent GAP GUI model including a first destination GUI element; and

GAP comparison logic stored in the memory, the GAP comparison logic comprising;

weighted analysis logic operable to determine a similarity value based on the first source GUI element and the first destination GUI element; and

match building logic operable to create a first GUI element link between the first source GUI element and the first destination GUI element when the similarity value exceeds the similarity threshold.

2. The product of claim 1, further comprising:

mapping retrieval logic operable to obtain a GUI element version mapping between a second source GUI element in the current GAP GUI model and a second destination GUI element in the subsequent GAP GUI model.

3. The product of claim 2, where the match building logic is further operable to:

create a second GUI element link between the second source GUI element and the second GUI destination element.

4. The product of claim 3, where GAP comparison logic is further operable to:

forgo execution of the weighted analysis logic when the GUI element version mapping is obtained.

5. The product of claim 1, where the GAP comparison logic further comprises:

weighted analysis logic operable to determine the similarity value.

6. The product of claim 5, where the weighted analysis logic is operable to:

determine the similarity value as a weighted sum of GUI element characteristics.

7. A product comprising:

a memory;

a base GUI difference model stored in the memory; and

GAP comparison logic stored in the memory and operable to;

analyze a first GUI element in a current graphical user interface application (GAP) version against a second GUI element in a subsequent GAP version to determine a first similarity value; and

insert a GUI element link from the first GUI element to the second GUI element in the base GUI difference model when the first similarity value exceeds a similarity threshold.

8. The product of claim 7, further comprising:

a weight table stored in the memory and comprising GUI characteristic weights; and

where the GAP comparison logic retrieves the GUI characteristic weights to determine the similarity value.

9. The product of claim 8, where the similarity value comprises:

a sum of GUI element characteristics weighted by the GUI characteristic weights.

10. The product of claim 7, where the GAP comparison logic is further operable to:

modify the similarity threshold based on an operator input.

11. The product of claim 10, where the GAP comparison logic is further operable to:

highlight matching GUI elements between the current GAP version and the subsequent GAP version responsive to the similarity threshold.

12. The product of claim 7, where the GUI element link comprises an identifier of the second GUI element.

13. The product of claim 7, where the GUI element link further comprises a matching score based on the first similarity value.

14. The product of claim 7, where the GAP comparison logic is further operable to:

analyze the first GUI element against multiple GUI elements in the subsequent GAP version, including the second GUI element, to determine multiple similarity values, including the first similarity value.

15. A method comprising:

analyzing a first GUI element in a current graphical user interface application (GAP) version against a second GUI element in a subsequent GAP version to determine a first similarity value; and

inserting a GUI element link from the first GUI element to the second GUI element in the base GUI difference model when the first similarity value exceeds a similarity threshold.

16. The method of claim 15, further comprising:

retrieving GUI characteristic weights from a weight table for determining the similarity value.

17. The method of claim 16, further comprising:

determining a sum of GUI element characteristics weighted by the GUI characteristic weights as the first similarity value.

18. The method of claim 15, further comprising:

modifying the similarity threshold based on an operator input.

19. The method of claim 18, further comprising:

highlighting matching GUI elements between the current GAP version and the subsequent GAP version responsive to the similarity threshold.

20. The method of claim 15, further comprising:

analyzing the first GUI element against multiple GUI elements in the subsequent GAP version, including the second GUI element, to determine multiple similarity values, including the first similarity value.