Testing web sites

• US 6,631,408 B1
• Filed: 08/30/2000
• Issued: 10/07/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 10/12/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Micro Focus LLC (Open Text Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Freshwater Software, Inc. (HP Inc.)
• Inventors: Meier, John R., Welter, Peter J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Harrell, Robert B.
• Application Number:
  US09/651,833
• Time in Patent Office: 1,133 Days
• Field of Search: 709/200, 709/203, 709/220, 709/224, 714/100, 714/38, 714/4, 714/5, 714/47, 717/100, 717/124, 717/126, 717/131
• US Class Current: 709/223
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/3688 for test execution, e.g. scheduling of test suites

Abstract

A method for testing a web site includes formulating a test configuration file including a series of test inquiries for a web site to be tested, initiating a HTTP communication to form a connection with the web site, and repetitively communicating with the web site to test for a variety of errors. The repetitive communication preferably includes receiving HTML from the web site, analyzing the HTML for errors and storing results in the database, and formulating a new HTTP communication based upon the received HTML and the test configuration file. Preferably, the test configuration file is created by sending HTML comprising a blank testing form to a web browser, receiving HTTP from the web browser as a submission from the HTML testing form, and developing the test configuration file from the HTTP.

Claims

1. A method of testing a web site that is already in use on the Internet, the method comprising the computer-implemented acts of:

using a testing mechanism that is remote from said web site for testing said web site;

automatically testing a plurality of features of said web site by performing the sub-act of;

dynamically interacting with said web site, wherein dynamically interacting comprises;

performing content matching including matching against string values, regular expressions and calculated expressions.

2. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the sub-act of dynamically interacting with said web site further comprises:

dynamically interacting with each frame of said web site when said web site contains one or more frames.

3. The method as recited in claim 2, wherein dynamically interacting with each frame further comprises:

submitting a request for a service at said each frame when said each frame offers one or more services;

obtaining a result associated with said request; and

evaluating said result for determining a service-level of said service.

4. The method as recited in claim 2, wherein dynamically interacting with each frame of said web site further comprises:

selecting a link in said each frame of said web site if said each frame contains one or more links; and

dynamically interacting with each nested frame, if any, that is nested in said each frame.

5. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the sub-act of dynamically interacting with said web site further comprises:

submitting a request for a service at said web site when said web site offers one or more services;

obtaining a result associated with said request; and

evaluating said result for determining a service-level of said service.

6. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the sub-act of dynamically interacting with said web site further comprises:

selecting a link in said web site if said web site contains one or more links.

7. The method as recited in claim 1, further comprises the acts of:

generating one or more reports for reporting one or more detected errors, if any.

8. The method as recited in claim 1, further comprises the acts of:

determining a performance level of said web site based on a result of said testing; and

reporting said performance level.

9. The method as recited in claim 1, further comprises the acts of:

automatically sending one or more alerts to notify of one or more detected errors when said one or more detected errors are detected.

10. A computer-readable medium carrying one or more sequences of instructions for testing a web site that is already in use on the Internet, which instructions, when executed by one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to carry out the steps of:

using a testing mechanism that is remote from said web site for testing said web site;

automatically testing a plurality of features of said web site by performing the sub-act of;

dynamically interacting with said web site, wherein dynamically interacting comprises;

performing content matching including matching against string values, regular expressions and calculated expressions.

11. The computer-readable medium as recited in claim 10, wherein the sub-act of dynamically interacting with said web site further comprises:

dynamically interacting with each frame of said web site when said web site contains one or more frames.

12. The computer-readable medium as recited in claim 11, wherein dynamically interacting with each frame of said web site further comprises:

selecting a link in said each frame of said web site if said each frame contains one or more links; and

dynamically interacting with each nested frame, if any, that is nested in said each frame.

13. The computer-readable medium as recited in claim 11, wherein dynamically interacting with each frame further comprises:

submitting a request for a service at said each frame when said each frame offers one or more services;

obtaining a result associated with said request; and

evaluating said result for determining a service-level of said service.

14. The computer-readable medium as recited in claim 10, wherein the sub-act of dynamically interacting with said web site further comprises:

selecting a link in said web site if said web site contains one or more links.

15. The computer-readable medium as recited in claim 10, wherein the sub-act of dynamically interacting with said web site further comprises:

submitting a request for a service at said web site when said web site offers one or more services;

obtaining a result associated with said request; and

evaluating said result for determining a service-level of said service.

16. The computer-readable medium as recited in claim 10, further comprises the acts of:

generating one or more reports for reporting one or more detected errors, if any.

17. The computer-readable medium as recited in claim 10, further comprises the acts of:

determining a performance level of said web site based on a result of said testing; and

reporting said performance level.

18. The computer-readable medium as recited in claim 10, further comprises the acts of:

automatically sending one or more alerts to notify of one or more detected errors when said one or more detected errors are detected.