SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR TESTING A SOFTWARE UNIT OF AN APPLICATION

• US 20120173929A1
• Filed: 12/30/2010
• Published: 07/05/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 12/30/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: SAP SE
• Original Assignee: SAP SE
• Inventors: Bloching, Uwe, Rau, Stefan, Welzel, Oliver
• Granted Patent: US 8,813,034 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 714/32
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/3692 for test results analysis

Abstract

A system, computer readable storage medium including instructions, and a computer-implemented method for testing a software unit of an application is described. A method signature for a method of the software unit of the application is received. A generic test specification for a generic test of the method is identified based on the method signature, the generic test specification being one of a plurality of test specifications, wherein the generic test specification includes a definition for at least one reference input parameter value of the method and a definition for at least one reference output parameter value of the method. The method is executed using the at least one reference input parameter value to produce at least one test output parameter value. A test result is determined based on a comparison between the at least one test output parameter value and the at least one reference output parameter value.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method for testing a software unit of an application, the method comprising:

receiving a method signature for a method of the software unit of the application;

identifying, based on the method signature and using at least one processor, a generic test specification for a generic test of the method, the generic test specification being one of a plurality of test specifications, wherein each generic test specification is associated with a plurality of methods to test and is identified by an associated method signature, wherein the generic test specification is usable to test functionality that is common across the plurality of methods, and wherein the generic test specification includes a definition for at least one reference input parameter value of the method and a definition for at least one reference output parameter value of the method;

executing the method using the at least one reference input parameter value to produce at least one test output parameter value; and

determining a test result based on a comparison between the at least one test output parameter value and the at least one reference output parameter value.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein prior to executing the method using the at least one reference input parameter value to produce at least one test output parameter value, the method further comprises obtaining the at least one reference input parameter value and the at least one reference output parameter value from application data in accordance with the definition for the at least one reference input parameter value and the definition for the at least one reference output parameter value included in the generic test specification.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the test result indicates that the method passes the generic test when each of the at least one test output parameter value corresponds to each of the at least one reference output parameter value, and wherein the test result indicates that the method fails the generic test when each of the at least one test output parameter value does not correspond to each of the at least one reference output parameter value.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein identifying the generic test specification for the method includes:

identifying a method type of the method; and

identifying the generic test specification for the method type that includes the input parameters and the output parameters of the method.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the method type is selected from the group consisting of:

a method that creates data;

a method that updates data;

a method that retrieves data;

a method that deletes data;

a method that triggers an action;

a method that queries data; and

a method that facilitates navigation between software units of the application.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

identifying, based on the method signature, a non-generic test specification for a non-generic test of the method, wherein the non-generic test specification is usable to test functionality that is distinct across the plurality of methods, and wherein the non-generic test specification includes a definition for at least one reference input parameter value of the method and a definition for at least one reference output parameter value of the method;

obtaining the at least one reference input parameter value and the at least one reference output parameter value from application data in accordance with the definition for the at least one reference input parameter value and the definition for the at least one reference output parameter value included in the non-generic test specification;

executing the method using the at least one reference input parameter value to produce at least one test output parameter value; and

determining a test result based on a comparison between the at least one test output parameter value and the at least one reference output parameter value.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the test result indicates that the method passes the non-generic test when the at least one test output parameter value corresponds to the at least one reference output parameter value, and wherein the test result indicates that the method fails the non-generic test when the at least one test output parameter value does not correspond to the at least one reference output parameter value.

8. The method of claim 6, wherein the at least one reference input parameter value defined in the non-generic test specification is a valid value determined from the application data.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one reference input parameter value defined in the generic test specification is an invalid value determined from application data.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the method signature includes input parameters and output parameters of the method.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the software unit of the application is a business object that includes methods executable to perform operations associated with business logic.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the application is one of a plurality of applications conforming to a software architecture paradigm.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein generic test specification is usable to perform a negative test that tests whether the method produces expected values for output parameter in response to invalid values for input parameters.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein the plurality of test specifications is included in a test class for the application.

15. The method of claim 1, wherein the generic test specification includes a definition for at least one reference exception for the method.

16. A system to test a software unit of an application, comprising:

at least one processor;

memory; and

at least one program stored in the memory, the at least one program comprising instructions to;

receive a method signature for a method of the software unit of the application;

identify, based on the method signature and using at least one processor, a generic test specification for a generic test of the method, the generic test specification being one of a plurality of test specifications, wherein each generic test specification is associated with a plurality of methods to test and is identified by an associated method signature, wherein the generic test specification is usable to test functionality that is common across the plurality of methods, and wherein the generic test specification includes a definition for at least one reference input parameter value of the method and a definition for at least one reference output parameter value of the method;

execute the method using the at least one reference input parameter value to produce at least one test output parameter value; and

determine a test result based on a comparison between the at least one test output parameter value and the at least one reference output parameter value.

17. The system of claim 16, further comprising instructions to obtain, prior to executing the method using the at least one reference input parameter value to produce at least one test output parameter value, the at least one reference input parameter value and the at least one reference output parameter value from application data in accordance with the definition for the at least one reference input parameter value and the definition for the at least one reference output parameter value included in the generic test specification.

18. The system of claim 16, wherein the test result indicates that the method passes the generic test when each of the at least one test output parameter value corresponds to each of the at least one reference output parameter value, and wherein the test result indicates that the method fails the generic test when each of the at least one test output parameter value does not correspond to each of the at least one reference output parameter value.

19. The system of claim 16, wherein the instructions to identify the generic test specification for the method include instructions to:

identify a method type of the method; and

identify the generic test specification for the method type that includes the input parameters and the output parameters of the method.

20. A computer readable storage medium storing at least one program configured for execution by a computer, the at least one program comprising instructions to:

receive a method signature for a method of the software unit of the application;

identify, based on the method signature and using at least one processor, a generic test specification for a generic test of the method, the generic test specification being one of a plurality of test specifications, wherein each generic test specification is associated with a plurality of methods to test and is identified by an associated method signature, wherein the generic test specification is usable to test functionality that is common across the plurality of methods, and wherein the generic test specification includes a definition for at least one reference input parameter value of the method and a definition for at least one reference output parameter value of the method;

execute the method using the at least one reference input parameter value to produce at least one test output parameter value; and

determine a test result based on a comparison between the at least one test output parameter value and the at least one reference output parameter value.