TESTING USER INTERFACES IN MULTIPLE EXECUTION ENVIRONMENTS

• US 20110225566A1
• Filed: 03/10/2010
• Published: 09/15/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 03/10/2010
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Wadsworth, Brandon Scott, Vogrinec, Ryan, Muharsky, Joe Allan
• Application Number:
  US12/720,691
• Publication Number:
  US 20110225566A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 717/124
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/3664 Environments for testing or debugging software
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/3672 Test management

Abstract

Methods, systems, and computer-readable media to test user interfaces (UIs) in multiple execution environments are disclosed. A particular method includes selecting one or more UI tests and one or more execution environments in which to run the UI tests. One of the execution environments is designated as a driver execution environment. A driver UI corresponding to the driver execution environment is displayed. When a UI action is received at the driver UI, a data representation of the UI action is transmitted from the driver execution environment to each of the other execution environments. The UI action is substantially concurrently repeated at each of the other execution environments.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method, comprising:

selecting one or more tests associated with a user interface (UI)-based application;

selecting a plurality of execution environments, wherein one of the plurality of execution environments is designated a driver execution environment;

displaying a driver UI corresponding to the driver execution environment;

receiving a UI action associated with the one or more tests at the driver UI; and

transmitting a representation of the UI action from the driver execution environment to each of the other execution environments, wherein the UI action is substantially concurrently repeated at each of the other execution environments.

2. The computer-implemented of claim 1, further comprising receiving a second UI action at the driver UI and transmitting a representation of the second UI action from the driver execution environment to each of the other execution environments.

3. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein transmitting the representation of the UI action comprises translating the UI action into a set of input device controls and transmitting the set of input device controls.

4. The computer-implemented method of claim 3, wherein the set of input device controls includes keyboard entries, mouse movements, mouse clicks, pen controls, touchscreen controls, multi-touch controls, or any combination thereof.

5. The computer-implemented method of claim 3, wherein the set of input device controls is transmitted in a serialized format.

6. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein transmitting the representation of the UI action comprises broadcasting the representation of the UI action via a communications bus that is coupled to each of the plurality of execution environments.

7. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the driver UI is displayed at a heads-up display (HUD) that is configured to display each of the plurality of execution environments.

8. The computer-implemented method of claim 7, further comprising receiving a user designation of a new driver execution environment at the HUD.

9. The computer-implemented method of claim 7, further comprising displaying a visual indicator at the HUD to indicate that a first execution environment has a first state that is different from a second state of a second execution environment.

10. The computer-implemented method of claim 9, wherein at least one of the first state or the second state comprises a UI screenshot, a navigational state, a modal state, an automation state, a parametric state, one or more performance metrics, or any combination thereof.

11. The computer-implemented method of claim 9, further comprising creating an entry at a log file to indicate the difference between the first state of the first execution environment and the second state of the second execution environment.

12. The computer-implemented method of claim 7, wherein the HUD displays at least one execution environment via a remote desktop protocol (RDP) session with the at least one execution environment.

13. A computer system, comprising:

a memory; and

a processor coupled to the memory, wherein the processor is configured to execute instructions that cause execution of a user interface (UI) testing application comprising;

a heads-up display (HUD) configured to;

display each of a plurality of execution environments, wherein one of the plurality of execution environments is designated as a driver execution environment;

receive a UI action associated with a UI test at the driver execution environment; and

transmit a representation of the UI action from the driver environment to each of the other execution environments, wherein the UI action is substantially concurrently repeated at each of the other execution environments; and

a communications bus coupled to each of the plurality of execution environments and configured to broadcast data from the driver execution environments to each of the other execution environments.

14. The computer system of claim 13, wherein the UI testing application further comprises a state comparer configured to compare a first state of a first execution environment with a second state of a second execution environment.

15. The computer system of claim 14, wherein the HUD is further configured to display a visual indicator when the state comparer detects a state mismatch between two execution environments.

16. The computer system of claim 13, wherein at least one of the plurality of execution environments further comprises a test recorder configured to store representations of a plurality of UI actions.

17. The computer system of claim 16, wherein at least one of the plurality of execution environments further comprises a test player configured to reproduce the plurality of UI actions.

18. A computer-readable medium comprising instructions, that when executed by a computer, cause the computer to:

select one or more tests associated with a user interface (UI)-based application;

select a plurality execution environments, wherein one of the plurality of execution environments is designated a driver execution environment;

initialize a communication agent at each of the plurality of execution environments;

display a driver UI corresponding to the driver execution environment;

receive a UI action associated with the one or more tests at the driver UI; and

transmit a representation of the UI action from the communication agent at the driver execution environment to the communication agent at each of the other execution environments via a communications bus, wherein the UI action is substantially concurrently repeated at each of the other execution environments.

19. The computer-readable medium of claim 18, wherein a first execution environment of the plurality of execution environments is executed at a different computing device than a second execution environment of the plurality of execution environments.

20. The computer-readable medium of claim 19, wherein the first execution environment and the second execution environment differ with respect to display resolution, text language, software application, operating system, hardware architecture, or any combination thereof.