Recording application user actions for application testing

• US 7,099,893 B2
• Filed: 06/28/2002
• Issued: 08/29/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 06/28/2002
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: SAP SE
• Original Assignee: SAP AG (SAP SE)
• Inventors: Kolb, Martin, Dinkel, Markus, Bischof, Jörg, Denkel, Christian, Cohrs, Christian
• Primary Examiner(s): Gaffin, Jeffery
• Assistant Examiner(s): Mahmoudi, Hassan
• Application Number:
  US10/186,460
• Publication Number:
  US 20040002996A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,523 Days
• Field of Search: 707/1, 707/2, 707/3, 707/5, 707/104.1, 707/101, 707/102, 710/1, 710/5, 710/12, 710/22, 710/317, 345/156, 345/157, 703/17, 703/21, 709/224, 709/227, 709/234, 717/106, 717/115, 717/122, 717/136, 715/500, 715/539, 715/842, 715/967
• US Class Current: 717/124
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/3688 for test execution, e.g. scheduling of test suites
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/959 Network
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/961 Associative
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99945 Object-oriented database structure processing

Abstract

Methods and apparatus, including computer program products, for recording user actions includes receiving information representing a sequence of individual software application input actions taken by a user with respect to a software application, and recording the sequence as a higher level entry.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method comprising:

detecting a first sequence of individual user inputs being made to a running instance of a first software application and providing the first sequence of individual user inputs to the running instance of the first software application;

detecting a second sequence of individual user inputs being made to a running instance of a second software application and providing the second sequence of individual user inputs to the running instance of the second software application;

grouping the first sequence of individual user inputs into a first sequence of input groups at a first granularity level;

grouping the second sequence of individual user inputs into a second sequence of input groups at a second granularity level, the second granularity level being different from the first granularity level; and

recording the first sequence of input groups and the second sequence of input groups.

2. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 in which the first granularity level is a keystroke level and the second granularity level is one of a session level, a transaction level, a program level, a screen level, or an input field level.

3. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 in which the first and second sequences of individual user inputs are each made in a respective user interface associated with a respective client.

4. The computer-implemented method of claim 3 in which each respective client is associated with a respective server that uses the respective individual user inputs in connection with data processing.

5. The computer-implemented method of claim 4 in which the respective servers use the respective sequences of individual user inputs in effecting transactions.

6. The computer-implemented method of claim 4, further comprising recording information about the state of a session between the client and the server.

7. The computer-implemented method of claim 4, further comprising recording information about the data flow between the client and the server.

8. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 in which the first and second sequences of individual user inputs include keystrokes.

9. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein grouping a sequence of individual user inputs into a sequence of input groups at a respective granularity level comprises:

determining when a user input completes a group at the respective granularity level.

10. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 further comprising receiving an administrator selection selecting the first granularity level and the second granularity level.

11. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 also including, upon launching of an instance of a third software application, determining whether to detect, group, and record additional individual user inputs being made to the instance of the third software application.

12. A computer program product, tangibly embodied in a machine-readable storage device, the computer program product being operable to cause data processing apparatus to:

detect a first sequence of individual software application user inputs actions being made to a running instance of a first software application and provide the first sequence of individual user inputs to the running instance of the first software application;

detect a second sequence of individual user inputs being made to a running instance of a second software application and provide the second sequence of individual user inputs to the running instance of the second software application;

group the first sequence of individual user inputs into a first sequence of input groups at a first granularity level;

group the second sequence of individual user inputs into a second sequence of input groups at a second granularity level, the second granularity level being different from the first granularity level; and

record first sequence of input groups and the second sequence of input groups.

13. The computer program product of claim 12 in which the first granularity level is a keystroke level and the second granularity level is one of a session level, a transaction level, a program level, a screen level, or an input field level.

14. The computer program product of claim 12 in which the first and second sequence of individual user inputs are each made in a respective user interface associated with a respective client.

15. The computer program product of claim 14 in which each respective client is associated with a respective server that uses respective individual user inputs in connection with data processing.

16. The computer program product of claim 15 in which the respective servers use the respective sequences of individual user inputs in effecting transactions.

17. The computer program product of claim 15 wherein the computer program product is further operable cause data processing apparatus to record information about the state of a session between the client and the server.

18. The computer program product of claim 15, wherein the computer program product is further operable cause data processing apparatus to record information about the data flow between the client and the server.

19. The computer program product of claim 12 in which the first and second sequences of individual user inputs include keystrokes.

20. The computer program product of claim 12 wherein the computer program product is further operable to cause data processing apparatus to:

determine when a user input completes a group at a respective granularity level.

21. The computer program product of claim 12 wherein the computer program product is further operable cause data processing apparatus to receive an administrator selection selecting the first granularity level and the second granularity level.

22. The computer program product of claim 12 wherein the computer program product is further operable to cause processing apparatus to determine, upon launching of an instance of a third software application, whether to detect, group, and record additional individual user inputs being made to the instance of the third software application.

23. A computer program product, tangibly embodied in a machine-readable storage device, the computer program product being operable to cause data processing apparatus to:

collect first user inputs to a first user interface of a first software application while providing the first user inputs to the first software application;

set a first level of granularity for grouping first user inputs at any one of;

a keystroke level in which user inputs that relate to a single keystroke are accumulated and handled as a group,

a input field level in which user inputs that relate to a single input field are accumulated and handled as a group, or

a screen level in which user inputs that relate to a single interactive screen are accumulated and handled as a group;

group first user inputs collected from the first user interface into one or more first groups at the first level of granularity; and

record the one or more first groups into a first application user input file for future testing of the first software application.

24. The product of claim 23, wherein:

the first user interface is provided by a client portion of the first software application, the first software application having a server portion running on a server;

the first user inputs comprise inputs from a keyboard and a mouse; and

the product is further operable to set the first level of granularity to any one of;

a multiple-screen level in which user inputs that relate to multiple interactive screens that together enable a user to complete a particular job are accumulated and handled as a group,

a transaction level in which user inputs that are delivered to a server as a transaction to be committed are accumulated and handled as a group, or

a session level in which user inputs to a session between the user and the first application are accumulated and handled as a group.

25. The product of claim 23, further being operable to cause data processing apparatus to:

collect second user inputs to a second user interface of a second software application;

set a second level of granularity for grouping second user inputs, the second level of granularity being different from the first level of granularity;

group second user inputs collected from the second user interface into one or more second groups at the second level of granularity; and

record the one or more second groups into a second application user input file for future testing of the second software application.