System and method for user interface automation

• US 8,171,460 B2
• Filed: 11/14/2003
• Issued: 05/01/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 06/28/2003
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: O'Sullivan, Patrick J., Pizzoli, Simon, Smyth, Hugh P, Wallace, Mark E
• Primary Examiner(s): NGUYEN, PHILLIP H
• Application Number:
  US10/714,018
• Publication Number:
  US 20040268311A1
• Time in Patent Office: 3,091 Days
• Field of Search: 717124-139, 717/115
• US Class Current: 717/136
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/451 Execution arrangements for user interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/454 Multi-language systems; Localisation; Internationalisation

Abstract

A system and method for language-neutral runtime user interface automation by: providing an automation script for automating use of the user interface in an application; intercepting a call from the automation script to a function simulating a user action on the application; retrieving a translated text string associated with the function call; and calling the function simulating the user action with the translated text string. This provides the advantages of not attaching any extra burden on the script developer and requiring little extra from the user (other than providing a native-language reference file).

Claims

1. A system for language-neutral user interface automation, the system comprising:

a system executing a test, the system executing the test including a processor; and

a memory, the memory including program code which, when executed, performs a method comprising;

receiving an automation script for automating use of the user interface in a system under test by the system executing the test, wherein the system under test includes an application and wherein the interface may be in an arbitrary natural language; and

intercepting a call from the automation script to a function simulating a user action on the application, wherein the interception includes accessing a database or file system that is independent from the system under test so that the application'"'"'s natural run-time execution is protected before, during and after the functional automation executes, retrieving a translated text string associated with the function call, and calling the function simulating the user action with the translated text string;

wherein the translation consists of converting to or from a first natural language to a second natural language.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the intercepting includes:

supplying translated text for the automation script'"'"'s run time execution; and

selectively supplying appropriately translated text to the automation script'"'"'s run time execution depending on the function call in a case that a same text string is translated differently based on context.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the selectively supplying appropriately translated text includes selectively supplying appropriate text to the automation script'"'"'s run time execution depending on a resource ID of the function call.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the intercepting uses

a library including a function having a same signature as the function call and which is arranged to retrieve the translated text string before the function call;

and

one of;

a file referencing the library, the automation script being arranged to reference the file and the library, or

the library including the retrieval function and the function call, the library being arranged to be called by the automation script.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein the file referencing the library comprises an include file.

6. The system of claim 4, wherein the library including the retrieval function and the function call has the same name as a library containing the function called by the automation script.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the automation script is in the English language and the application is arranged to use a non-English language.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the user interface comprises a graphical user interface.

9. A method for language-neutral user interface automation, the method comprising:

providing an automation script for automating use of the user interface in a system under test by a system executing the test, wherein the system under test includes an application and wherein the interface may be in an arbitrary natural language;

intercepting a call from the automation script to a function simulating a user action on the application;

wherein the interception is performed by the system executing the test and includes accessing a database or file system that is independent from the system under test so that the application'"'"'s natural run-time execution is protected before, during and after the functional automation executes,

retrieving a translated text string associated with the function call;

wherein the translated text string has been converted to or from a first natural language to a second natural language; and

calling the function simulating the user action with the translated text string.

10. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

supplying translated text for the automation script'"'"'s run time execution;

wherein the step of retrieving comprises selectively supplying appropriately translated text to the automation script'"'"'s run time execution depending on the function call in a case that a same text string is translated differently based on context.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the selectively supplying appropriately translated text includes selectively supplying appropriate text to the automation script'"'"'s run time execution depending on a resource ID of the function call.

12. The method of claim 9, wherein the intercepting uses

a library including a function having a same signature as the function call and which is called to retrieve the translated text string before the function call;

and

one of;

a file referencing the library, the automation script referencing the file and the library, or

the library including the retrieval function and the function call, the library being called by the automation script.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the file referencing the library comprises an include file.

14. The method of claim 12, wherein the library including the retrieval function and the function call has the same name as a library containing the function called by the automation script.

15. The method of claim 9, wherein the automation script uses the English language and the application uses a non-English language.

16. The method of claim 9, wherein the user interface comprises a graphical user interface.

17. A program product stored on a non-transitory computer readable medium, for language-neutral user interface automation, which when executed, performs a method comprising:

providing an automation script for automating use of the user interface in a system under test by a system executing the test, wherein the system under test includes an application and wherein the interface may be in an arbitrary natural language;

intercepting a call from the automation script to a function simulating a user action on the application;

wherein the interception is performed by the system executing the test and includes accessing a database or file system that is independent from the system under test so that the application'"'"'s natural run-time execution is protected before, during and after the functional automation executes;

retrieving a translated text string associated with the function call;

wherein the translated text string has been converted to or from a first natural language to a second natural language; and

calling the function simulating the user action with the translated text string.

18. The program product of claim 17, wherein the method further comprising:

supplying translated text for the automation script'"'"'s run time execution;

wherein the step of retrieving comprises selectively supplying appropriately translated text to the automation script'"'"'s run time execution depending on the function call in a case that a same text String is translated differently based on context.