Simple scenario builder

• US 7,043,669 B2
• Filed: 04/03/2002
• Issued: 05/09/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 04/03/2002
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Brown, Jerry Richard
• Primary Examiner(s): Baderman, Scott
• Assistant Examiner(s): Chu, Gabriel L.
• Application Number:
  US10/115,517
• Publication Number:
  US 20030191987A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,497 Days
• Field of Search: 714/45, 714/46
• US Class Current: 714/45
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/3636 by tracing the execution of the program
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/366 using diagnostics G06F11/0703 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/3664 Environments for testing or debugging software
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/3684 for test design, e.g. generating new test cases

Abstract

A method of constructing a diagnostic scenario can include intercepting at least one user input event, capturing an image of a region surrounding the user input event, and generating a diagnostic frame specifying the image and text representing attributes of the intercepted user input event.

Claims

1. A method of constructing a diagnostic scenario from user interactions comprising:

within a graphical computing environment configured to permit users to interact with applications via a plurality of windows, receiving user input from an input device;

responsive to said received user input, the graphical computing environment initiating at least one user input event intended to be received by at least one component of the graphical computing environment, wherein the at least one component executes at least one programmatic action responsive to receiving the at least one user event;

(a) intercepting said at least one user input event;

(b) processing said at least one user input event prior to execution of said at least one programmatic action, said processing being based at least in part on said at least one user input event;

(c) generating and recording diagnostic information based on the at least one user input event in response to interception of said at least one user input event;

(d) forwarding said at least one user input event to an intended application;

(e) capturing an image of a region surrounding said at least one user input event; and

(f) generating a diagnostic frame comprising said image, and text representing attributes of said at least one user input event.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

repeating said steps (a)–

(f) for subsequent ones of said user input events to build a plurality of diagnostic frames.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

diagnosing an application fault according to said plurality of diagnostic frames.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein said steps (a)–

(f) are responsive to detecting an application fault.

5. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

storing said plurality of diagnostic frames in a data repository, wherein subsequent ones of said diagnostic frames overwrite earlier ones of said diagnostic frames, said plurality of diagnostic frames representing recent user interactions with an application.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

selecting one of a plurality of intended application and forwarding said at least one user input event to the selected intended application.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein said at least one user event comprises a plurality of user events including a pointer event, said method further comprising:

identifying a location of said pointer event; and

including a representation of said location of said pointer event in said captured image.

8. The method of claim 7, further comprising:

detecting at least one display object in contact with said region;

identifying attributes of said display object; and

including text representing said display object attributes in said diagnostic frame.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

identifying a type of said display object; and

implementing a data collection technique according to said identified display object type.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

intercepting keystroke events; and

including text representing said keystroke events in said diagnostic frame.

11. A method of constructing a diagnostic scenario comprising:

intercepting a pointer event;

processing said pointer event prior to execution of at least one programmatic action by an intended application in response to said pointer event, said processing being based at least in part on said pointer event;

generating and recording diagnostic information based on the processing of said pointer event;

forwarding said pointer event to said intended application;

identifying a location of said pointer event;

capturing an image of a region surrounding said pointer event that includes a representation of said location;

detecting at least one display object in contact with said region;

identifying attributes of said display object; and

generating a diagnostic frame comprising said image, and text representing attributes of said pointer event, wherein said attributes include identified attributes of said display object, and wherein said attributes are selected from the group consisting of a name of said display object, a name of a parent of said display object, a coordinate of said location of said pointer event, and a message of said display object.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein said pointer event occurs over said display object.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein said display object is a window.

14. An application diagnostic tool comprising:

a user event interface configured to intercept at least one user-initiated event comprising information for controlling a computer system, said information including information corresponding to a computer-implemented application and operating system information for launching the computer-implemented application;

an image processor for processing said at least one user-initiated event and being configured to generate and record diagnostic information in response to said at least one user-initiated event and to generate an image of a display, said image encompassing a predetermined display region;

a data processor for processing said at least one user-initiated event and being configured to generate and record diagnostic information in response to said at least one user-initiated event and to determine textual information relating to said at least one user-initiated event and display objects in contact with said display region; and

an application interface for distributing said at least one user-initiated event to intended applications after said at least one user-initiated event has been processed by at least one of said image processor and said data processor, wherein said user event interface, image processor, data processor, and application interface are components of a graphical computing environment configured to permit users to interact with the intended applications via a plurality of windows, wherein the intended applications are configured to execute at least one programmatic action responsive to receiving the at least one user-initiated event distributed by the application interface.

15. The diagnostic tool of claim 14, further comprising:

a data repository configured to store said image and said textual information, wherein said image is associated with said textual information.

16. A machine-readable storage, having stored thereon a computer program having a plurality of code sections executable by a machine for causing the machine to perform the steps of:

within a graphical computing environment configured to permit users to interact with applications via a plurality of windows, receiving user input from an input device;

responsive to said received user input, the graphical computing environment initiating at least one user input event intended to be received by at least one component of the graphical computing environment, wherein the at least one component executes at least one programmatic action responsive to receiving the at least one user event;

(a) intercepting said at least one user input event;

(b) processing said at least one user input event prior to execution of said at least one programmatic action, said processing being based at least in part on said at least one user input event;

(c) generating and recording diagnostic information based on the at least one user input event in response to interception of said at least one user input event;

(d) forwarding said at least one user input event to an intended application;

(e) capturing an image of a region surrounding said at least one user input event; and

(f) generating a diagnostic frame comprising said image, and text representing attributes of said at least one user input event.

17. The machine-readable storage of claim 16, further comprising:

repeating said steps (a)–

(f) for subsequent ones of said user input events to build a plurality of diagnostic frames.

18. The machine-readable storage of claim 17, further comprising:

diagnosing an application fault according to said plurality of diagnostic frames.

19. The machine-readable storage of claim 17, wherein said steps (a)–

(f) are responsive to a detection of an application fault.

20. The machine-readable storage of claim 17, further comprising:

storing said diagnostic frames in a data repository, wherein subsequent ones of said diagnostic frames overwrite earlier ones of said diagnostic frames, said plurality of diagnostic frames representing recent user interactions with an application.

21. The machine-readable storage of claim 16, further comprising:

providing said intercepted user input event to an intended application.

22. The machine-readable storage of claim 16, wherein said at least one user event comprises a plurality of user events, one user event being a pointer event, said machine-readable storage further comprising:

identifying a location of said pointer event; and

including a representation of said location of said pointer event in said captured image.

23. The machine-readable storage of claim 22, further comprising:

detecting at least one display object in contact with said region;

identifying attributes of said display object; and

including text representing said display object attributes in said diagnostic frame.

24. The machine-readable storage of claim 23, further comprising:

identifying a type of said display object; and

implementing a data collection technique according to said identified display object type.

25. The machine-readable storage of claim 16, further comprising:

intercepting keystroke events; and

including text representing said keystroke events in said diagnostic frame.

26. A machine-readable storage, having stored thereon a computer program having a plurality of code sections executable by a machine for causing the machine to perform the steps of:

intercepting a pointer event;

processing said pointer event prior to execution of at least one programmatic action by an intended application in response to said pointer event, said processing being based at least in part on said pointer event;

generating and recording diagnostic information based on the processing of said pointer event;

forwarding said pointer event to said intended application;

identifying a location of said pointer event;

capturing an image of a region surrounding said pointer event that includes a representation of said location;

detecting at least one display object in contact with said region;

identifying attributes of said display object; and

generating a diagnostic frame comprising said image, and text representing attributes of said pointer event, wherein said attributes include identified attributes of said display object, and wherein said attributes are selected from the group consisting of a name of said display object, a name of a parent of said display object, a coordinate of said location of said pointer event, and a message of said display object.

27. The machine-readable storage of claim 26, wherein said pointer event occurs over said display object.

28. The machine-readable storage of claim 26, wherein said display object is a window.

29. A method of constructing a diagnostic scenario comprising:

intercepting at least one user input event;

processing said at least one user input event prior to excecution of said at least one programmatic action, said processing being based at least in part on said at least one user input event;

generating and recording diagnostic information based on the at least one user input event in response to interception of said at least one user input event;

forwarding said at least one user input event to an intended application;

capturing an image of a region surrounding said user input event, said image including at least one display object in contact with said region; and

generating a diagnostic frame comprising said image, and text representing attributes of said intercepted user input event, wherein said attributes are selected from the group consisting of a name of said display object, a name of a parent of said display object, a message of said display object, and a coordinate of a location associated with said user input event.