Method and system for generating test scripts

• US 5,754,755 A
• Filed: 10/10/1996
• Issued: 05/19/1998
• Est. Priority Date: 10/10/1996
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Smith, Ross Faulkner Jr.
• Primary Examiner(s): Beausoliel, Jr., Robert W.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Baderman, Scott T.
• Application Number:
  US08/728,622
• Time in Patent Office: 586 Days
• Field of Search: 395/183.14, 395/183.08, 395/702, 395/704, 371/27
• US Class Current: 714/38.1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/3684 for test design, e.g. generating new test cases

Abstract

A method and system in a computer system for generating an application-specific test script file. The application-specific test script file contains test instructions for testing an application program. The system receives a test template file that has test instructions that contain placeholders. The placeholders indicate where application-specific placeholder values are to be logically inserted into the test template file. The system receives an ordered list of customizing files that have application-specific placeholder values. The system then searches the customizing files according to the ordered list for a first placeholder value for each placeholder of the test instruction. When such a placeholder value is found, the system replaces the placeholder with the placeholder value in the test instruction and stores the test instruction into the application-specific test script file.

Claims

1. A method in a computer system for generating an application-specific test script file, the application-specific test script file containing test instructions for testing an application program, the method comprising:

receiving a test template file, the test template file having test instructions that contain placeholders, the placeholders indicating where application-specific placeholder values are to be logically inserted into the test template file, each placeholder having a placeholder name;

receiving an ordered list of customizing files having application-specific placeholder values each with a corresponding placeholder name; and

for each test instruction in the test template file,

when the test instruction contains a placeholder,

searching the customizing files according to the ordered list for a first placeholder value with a corresponding placeholder name that matches the placeholder name of the placeholder of the test instruction; and

when such a placeholder value is found, inserting the placeholder value into the test instruction; and

storing the test instruction into the application-specific test script file.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein a plurality of the customizing files contain placeholder values for a placeholder and the ordering of the list results in a placeholder value overriding another placeholder value in another customizing file.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the template script file contains control commands for controlling the generation of the application-specific test script file.

4. The method of claim 3 wherein the control commands include a command for indicating an ordered list of customizing files.

5. The method of claim 3 wherein the control commands include a command for iteratively generating test instructions with indexed placeholders.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein after a placeholder value is inserted into the test instruction, determining whether the inserted placeholder value contains placeholders.

7. A method in a computer system for generating an application-specific test script file, the application-specific test script file containing test instructions for testing an application program, the method comprising:

receiving a test template file, the test template file having statements that are test instructions or iterative commands, and having placeholders, the placeholders indicating where application-specific placeholder values are to be logically inserted into the test template file, the iterative command having an iterative instruction with an iterative placeholder; and

for each statement in the test template file,

when the statement is the iterative command,

for each iteration of the iterative command,

replacing the iterative placeholder with an indexed iterative placeholder within the iterative instruction;

inserting an application-specific placeholder value for the indexed iterative placeholder within the iterative instruction; and

storing the iterative instruction with the inserted placeholder value into the application-specific test script file.

8. The method of claim 7 wherein the inserting of an application-specific placeholder value includes searching an ordered list of customizing files for a first placeholder value for the indexed iterative placeholder.

9. A method of generating a customized output file comprising:

creating a template file having data with placeholders;

creating a derived customizing file having placeholder values for placeholders, wherein the derived customizing file inherits a base customizing file having placeholder values for placeholders; and

for each placeholder within the template file,

when the derived customizing file has a placeholder value for the placeholder, replacing the placeholder with the placeholder value from the derived customizing file; and

when the derived customizing file does not have a placeholder value for the placeholder, replacing the placeholder with a placeholder value from the base customizing file so that the derived customizing file can share the placeholder values of the base customizing file.

10. The method of claim 9 wherein the customized output file is an application-specific test script.

11. The method of claim 9 wherein the customized output file is a WEB page, wherein the template file is stored on a local computer, and wherein the customizing files are downloaded from a server computer to the local computer.

12. The method of claim 9 wherein the customized output file is a localized version of a computer program and wherein the customizing files contain language-specific data.

13. The method of claim 9 wherein the base and derived customizing files are specified in an ordered list of customizing files.

14. The method of claim 9 wherein the template file contains a control command for iteratively generating data for the customized output file.

15. The method of claim 14 wherein the generated data includes placeholders that are replaced by placeholder values.

16. A method of generating a customized output file, the method comprising:

receiving a template file having statements with an iterative command, the iterative command indicating a number of iterations and having an iterative instruction with an indexed placeholder;

receiving a customizing file having placeholder values for iterative placeholders; and

for each of the number of iterations in the iterative command,

replacing the indexed placeholder within the iterative instruction with a placeholder value from the customizing file based on the iteration number; and

adding the iterative instruction with the replaced iterative placeholder to the customized output file.

17. The method of claim 16 wherein the customized output file is an application-specific test script.

18. The method of claim 16 wherein the customized output file is a WEB page, wherein the template file is stored on a local computer, and wherein the customizing file is received from a server computer at the local computer.

19. The method of claim 16 wherein the customized output file is a localized version of a computer program and wherein the customizing file contains language-specific data.

20. The method of claim 16 including receiving a plurality of customizing files wherein the replacing of the indexed placeholder is based on inheritance of the customizing files.

21. A computer-readable medium containing instructions for causing a computer system to generate an output file by:

receiving a template file having data with placeholders;

receiving an ordered list of customizing files having placeholder values; and

for each placeholder in the data,

searching the customizing files according to the ordered list for a first placeholder value for the placeholder;

when such a placeholder value is found, inserting the placeholder value into the data; and

storing the data with the inserted placeholder as part of the output file whereby the searching of the customizing files effects inheritance of customizing files.

22. A computer-readable medium of claim 21 wherein a plurality of the customizing files contain placeholder values for a placeholder and the ordering of the list results in a placeholder value overriding another placeholder value in another customizing file.

23. The computer-readable medium of claim 21 wherein the template file contains control commands for controlling the generation of the output file.

24. The computer-readable medium of claim 23 wherein the control commands include a command for indicating an ordered list of customizing files.

25. The computer-readable medium of claim 23 wherein the control commands include a command for iteratively generating data with indexed placeholders.

26. The computer-readable medium of claim 21 wherein after a placeholder value is inserted into the data, determining whether the inserted placeholder value contains placeholders to effect recursion of placeholders.

27. The computer-readable medium of claim 23 wherein the control commands include a command for indicating to selectively process portions of the template file based on evaluation of a test condition in the command.

28. A computer-readable medium containing instructions for causing a computer system to generate an application-specific test script file, the application-specific test script file containing test instructions for testing an application program, by:

receiving a test template file, the test template file having statements that are test instructions or iterative commands and having placeholders, the placeholders indicating where application-specific placeholder values are to be logically inserted into the test template file, the iterative command having an iterative instruction with an iterative placeholder; and

for each iteration of each iterative command in the test template file,

replacing the iterative placeholder of the iterative command with an indexed iterative placeholder within the iterative instruction;

inserting an application-specific placeholder value for the indexed iterative placeholder within the iterative instruction; and

adding the iterative instruction with the inserted placeholder value to the application-specific test script file.

29. The computer-readable medium of claim 28 wherein the inserting of an application-specific placeholder value includes searching an ordered list of customizing files for a first placeholder value for the indexed iterative placeholder.

30. A computer system for generating an application-specific test script comprising:

a test template file having test instructions with placeholders;

a derived customizing file having placeholder values for placeholders, wherein the derived customizing file inherits a base customizing file having placeholder values for placeholders; and

an output file generator that replaces the placeholder with the placeholder value from the derived customizing file when the derived customizing file has a placeholder value for the placeholder and replaces the placeholder with a placeholder value from the base customizing file so that the derived customizing file can share the placeholder values of the base customizing file when the derived customizing file does not have a placeholder value for the placeholder.

31. A computer system for generating a test script comprising:

a test template file having statements with an iterative command, the iterative command indicating a number of iterations and having an iterative instruction with an indexed placeholder;

a customizing file having placeholder values for iterative placeholders; and

an output file generator that, for each of the number of iterations in the iterative command, replaces the indexed placeholder within the iterative instruction with a placeholder value from the customizing file based on the iteration number and adds the iterative instruction with the replaced iterative placeholder to the test script.