Method and System for Testing Websites

• US 20140157112A1
• Filed: 12/05/2013
• Published: 06/05/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 10/31/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Software Research, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Software Research, Inc.
• Inventors: Miller, Edward F.
• Granted Patent: US 11,048,857 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/237
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/3664 Environments for testing or debugging software
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/14 Tree-structured documents parsing G06F40/205; validation G06F40/226
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/50 Testing arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/02 based on web technology, e.g. hypertext transfer protocol [HTTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/289 Intermediate processing functionally located close to the data consumer application, e.g. in same machine, in same home or in same sub-network
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/56 Provisioning of proxy services store-and-forward switching systems in data switching networks H04L12/54
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/564 Enhancement of application control based on intercepted application data
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/568 Storing data temporarily at an intermediate stage, e.g. caching
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/59 Providing operational support to end devices by off-loading in the network or by emulation, e.g. when they are unavailable
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/329 in the application layer [OSI layer 7]

Abstract

A method and system is provided for testing and analyzing websites via a test-enabled web browser. In the representative embodiment a user controls a test-enabled web browser via a set of pull-down menus, thereby choosing between alternative testing and analysis functional capabilities, selecting files in which to store recordings (scripts), choosing files into which to place test results and messages, and setting various parameters that affect how the testing and analysis functions are performed. The general result of systematic use of the test-enabled browser on websites is improved content quality, demonstrated website server behavior for deep tests, quicker delivery by the website server, and better serviceability for e-business.

Claims

1. A non-transitory computer readable medium including at least computer program code stored therein for providing a test-enabled browser for testing a website residing on a network, said computer readable medium comprising:

computer program code for interfacing with a code base library that provides at least Document Object Model (DOM) access methods;

computer program code for accessing the website to be tested using the test-enabled browser;

computer program code for retrieving a test script for use in testing at least one web page of the website; and

computer program code for performing a validation test using at least one of the DOM access methods of the code base library, wherein during the validation test, the at least one web page is newly rendered and details of elements for the at least one web page as newly rendered are accessed via the at least one of the DOM access methods and compared to details in the test script.

2. A non-transitory computer readable medium as recited in claim 1, wherein said computer readable medium comprises:

computer program code for rendering and examining at least one web page of the website so as to at least extract details of elements of the web page; and

computer program code for forming the test script based such that the test script includes at least the extracted details of the elements of the web page.

3. A non-transitory computer readable medium as recited in claim 1, wherein said computer readable medium comprises:

computer program code for inducing a timing check based on validating DOM element content as part of a test instructed by the test script.

4. A non-transitory computer readable medium as recited in claim 3, wherein said computer readable medium comprises:

computer program code for causing notification of an alarm condition based on the timing check.

5. A non-transitory computer readable medium as recited in claim 1, wherein the computer program code for performing a validation test is configured to replace a value at one DOM location for the at least one web page with a value at another DOM location for the at least one web page.

6. A non-transitory computer readable medium as recited in claim 1, wherein the computer program code for performing a validation test is configured to render the at least one web page using the test enabled browser and to interrogate the at least one web page for a user-specified set of DOM properties and display the user-specified set of properties in a format appropriate for manual validation.

7. A non-transitory computer readable medium as recited in claim 1, wherein said computer readable medium comprises:

computer program code for caching of web pages is allowed or prevented according to user instructions.

8. A method for testing a website residing on a network, said method:

rendering a web page having a Document Object Model (DOM) associated herewith, the web page being part of the website;

examining the DOM of the rendered web page to identify a plurality of linked-to web pages;

subsequently rendering one or more of the linked-to web pages;

examining the DOM of each of the one or more rendered linked-to web pages to discover link relationships; and

presenting an illustration that indicates the web page and the one or more linked-to web pages and indicates link relationships with the one or more of the linked-to web pages.

9. A method as recited in claim 8, wherein the rendering of the one or more rendered linked-to web pages and the examining of the DOM of each of the one or more rendered linked-to web pages are performed with a recursive process.

10. A method as recited in claim 9, wherein said method comprises:

limiting an extent of the recursive process based on at least one user supplied restriction.

11. A method as recited in claim 8, wherein the testing of the website by the method is performed by a test-enabled browser.

12. A method as recited in claim 8, wherein the illustration is a dependence map.

13. A computer system for testing a website, comprising:

a memory for storing computer program code; and

a processing unit configured to execute the stored computer program code,

wherein the stored computer program code supports testing of a website by implementing a test-enabled browser, and wherein the stored computer program code includes at least;

computer program code for interfacing with a code base library that provides at least Document Object Model (DOM) access methods;

computer program code for accessing the website to be tested using the test-enabled browser;

computer program code for retrieving a test script for use in testing at least one web page of the website; and

computer program code for performing a validation test using at least one of the DOM access methods of the code base library, wherein during the validation test, the at least one web page is newly rendered and details of elements for the at least one web page as newly rendered are accessed via the at least one of the DOM access methods and compared to details in the test script.