SOFTWARE TEST MANAGEMENT SYSTEM AND METHOD WITH FACILITATED REUSE OF TEST COMPONENTS

• US 20100114939A1
• Filed: 10/24/2008
• Published: 05/06/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 10/24/2008
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Micro Focus LLC (Open Text Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Micro Focus LLC (Open Text Corporation)
• Inventors: Rachelson, Yossi, Eilat, Yoav, SCHULMAN, Elad, Halperin, Tal, Kossowsky, Michael
• Application Number:
  US12/258,044
• Publication Number:
  US 20100114939A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 707/769
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/3672 Test management

Abstract

A system and appertaining method is provided for identifying a software test component for reuse in a system whose attributes are stored in a repository, based on the attributes of a component that is in the process of being developed or has been developed. A checking algorithm looks to a repository for a new software test component to see if a similar one exists by comparing various attributes of the new component to attributes of a stored component. If a match is found, the developer is notified and thus uses the stored component instead of the new one.

Claims

1. A method for identifying a software test component for reuse in a system, comprising:

collecting and storing a plurality of identifiable attributes for a plurality of components in a component attribute repository;

providing identifiable attributes for anew software component to a checking algorithm that executes on a processor of a computer;

comparing, by the checking algorithm, the attributes for the new software component against like said attributes of components stored in the component attribute repository;

determining, according to a predetermined criteria, if the new software component matches one or more of the plurality of components; and

providing an output to a user identifying the matched one or more of the plurality of components.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the identifiable attributes include identifiers of screens or other user interface elements.

3. The method according to claim 1, further comprising if the new software component matches one or more of the plurality of components, utilizing, by the user, a component that is one of the matching components.

4. The method according to claim 1, further comprising if the new software component does not match one or more of the plurality of components, then storing attributes of the new component in the component attribute repository.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein at least one of the attributes is stored as metadata.

6. The method according to claim 5, wherein the comparing comprises performing a text-based comparison on the metadata.

7. The method according to claim 1, wherein at least one of the attributes is obtainable from an application program interface (API).

8. The method according to claim 1, further comprising calculating a degree of similarity between the new software component and at least one of the plurality of components.

9. The method according to claim 8, further comprising presenting to the user the degree of similarity.

10. The method according to claim 1, further comprising submitting the new software component for saving, wherein the submitting triggers the step of providing identifiable attributes.

11. The method according to claim 1, further comprising utilizing operational steps of the new software component in determining if the new software component matches one or more of the plurality of components.

12. The method according to claim 11, further comprising utilizing a sequencing of the operational steps of the new software component in determining if the new software component matches one or more of the plurality of components.

13. The method according to claim 1, wherein the comparing considers comparison criteria selected from the group consisting of:

a) similarity of screen or screen area within an application under test;

b) a similarity of scripts;

c) a similarity of steps;

d) a similarity of order or sequencing of those steps;

e) a similarity of input parameters;

f) a similarity of output parameters;

g) a similarity of input values for the parameters;

h) a similarity of output values for the parameters;

h) a similarity of check-points; and

i) a structural similarity of screen objects.

14. The method according to claim 1, wherein the comparing includes all of the comparison criteria from the following group:

a) similarity of screen or screen area within an application under test;

b) a similarity of scripts;

c) a similarity of steps;

d) a similarity of order or sequencing;

e) a similarity of input parameters;

f) a similarity of output parameters;

g) a similarity of values for the parameters;

h) a similarity of check-points; and

i) a structural similarity of screen objects.

15. The method according to claim 1, further comprising determining, by the user and at least one further person, whether to replace a component in the plurality of components with the new component when there is a match.

16. The method according to claim 1, further comprising performing an initial knock-out search based on comparing a screen ID of the new component with screen IDs of components associated with the repository.

17. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

calculating a degree of similarity between the new software component and at least one of the plurality of components; and

presenting, to the user, visual indicators related to the degree of similarity.

18. The method according to claim 1, further comprising performing a text search on a test script comprising HTML code as at least a part of determining the match.

19. The method according to claim 18, wherein the text compare compares at least one of utilizing names, parameters, and data types in the compare.

20. A software test management system for facilitated reuse of test components, comprising:

a component attribute repository for holding at least one of a plurality of components and a plurality of attributes for a plurality of components;

an analyzer comprising an input for accepting a new component or attributes of a new component, the analyzer accessing components comparison logic for determining a degree of similarity of the new component to one of the components of the component attribute repository, and designating a match if the degree of similarity exceeds a certain predefined threshold;

a display for indicating to a user the degree of similarity of the new component to the matching component; and

a mechanism for indicating to the user that the matching test component is to be used in place of the new component.