Test script transformation architecture

• US 8,365,147 B2
• Filed: 02/27/2008
• Issued: 01/29/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 02/27/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Accenture Global Services Limited (Accenture PLC)
• Original Assignee: Accenture Global Services Limited (Accenture PLC)
• Inventors: Grechanik, Mark, Xie, Qing, Fu, Chen
• Primary Examiner(s): Bullock, Jr., Lewis A
• Assistant Examiner(s): APONTE, FRANCISCO JAVIER
• Application Number:
  US12/038,665
• Publication Number:
  US 20090217302A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,798 Days
• Field of Search: 717101-178, 705/400, 714/26, 714/38, 715/234, 715/762, 715/764, 715/778
• US Class Current: 717/124
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/368 for test version control, e.g. updating test cases to a new software version
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/3684 for test design, e.g. generating new test cases
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/70 Software maintenance or management
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/45512 Command shells

Abstract

A test script transformation architecture helps generate accurate test scripts for evolving applications. Applications often have complex graphical user interfaces for which the permutations and combinations of GUI elements give rise to an enormous field of potential commands and command sequences to be tested. Furthermore, these applications change over time, rendering prior test scripts unworkable. The architecture facilitates the automatic generation of new test scripts to reliably test subsequent application versions, while greatly reducing the time, cost, and resource expenditures needed to arrive at new test scripts.

Claims

1. A test script transformation system comprising:

a memory;

a processor coupled to the memory;

a graphical user interface (GUI) element mapping system adapted to;

generate a GUI element mapping specification message comprising a GUI element version mapping comprising a GUI element mapping specification message header and a GUI element mapping specification message terminator;

a metadata repository adapted to;

receive the GUI element mapping specification message and responsively maintain GUI element metadata;

GUI comparator logic stored in the memory and executable by the processor that when executed by the processor cause the processor to;

accept as input;

a current GUI application (GAP) GUI model for a current GAP version;

a subsequent GAP GUI model for a subsequent GAP version; and

the GUI element version mapping; and

generate as output;

a GUI difference model comprising a first GUI element difference entry that identifies a specific GUI element that matches between the current GAP version and the subsequent GAP version, but that differs in character between the current GAP version and the subsequent GAP version;

a script analyzer stored in the memory and executable by the processor that when executed by the processor cause the processor to;

accept as input;

the GUI difference model; and

an abstract syntax tree representation of a current test script;

generate as output a change guide comprising script transformation information for functionally transforming the current test script that includes navigation statements, and performs read, write, or other actions or functions on GUI objects, and the arguments of these functions to test the functionality of the subsequent GAP version; and

an economic engine operable to analyze the change guide.

2. The system of claim 1, the economic engine further operable to produce a cost report comprising test script transformation cost information.

3. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

a pre-defined economic model of test script transformation cost relationships; and

where;

the economic engine is further operable to produce the cost report based on the test script transformation cost relationships.

4. The system of claim 1, where the GUI element version mapping comprises:

a source GUI element identifier; and

a destination GUI element identifier; and

where;

the GUI element difference entry comprises;

a first GUI element specification drawn from the current GAP GUI model corresponding to the source element GUI identifier; and

a second GUI element specification drawn from the subsequent GAP GUI model corresponding to the destination element GUI identifier.

5. The system of claim 1, where the GUI comparator logic further causes the processor to:

execute a weighted comparison analysis between GUI elements in the current GAP GUI model and the subsequent GAP GUI model.

6. The system of claim 5, where the GUI comparator logic further causes the processor to:

apply a threshold analysis to determine whether the weighted comparison analysis results in a cross model GUI element match.

7. The system of claim 1, where the GUI element version mapping comprises:

a source GUI element identifier; and

a destination GUI element identifier.

8. The system of claim 7, where the GUI element version mapping further comprises:

a source GAP alias for the current GAP version; and

a destination GAP alias for the subsequent GAP version.

9. The system of claim 1,

where the script analyzer further comprises:

object repository lookup logic; and

where the script analyzer further causes the processor to;

generate as output a functionally transformed test script comprising functionally transformed script entries generated from current test script entries in the current test script, wherein the transformed test script is used by the processor against the subsequent GAP version to test the subsequent GAP version.

10. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

a GUI typing system adapted to generate a GUI element type mapping comprising a GUI element type and a GUI element identifier; and

a constraint satisfaction engine operable to perform a compatibility analysis on the GUI element type with respect to a script statement in the current test script.

11. A test script analysis method comprising:

generating a graphical user interface (GUI) element mapping specification message comprising a GUI element version mapping comprising a GUI element mapping specification message header and a GUI element mapping specification message terminator;

receiving the GUI element mapping specification message at a metadata repository and responsively maintaining GUI element metadata;

initiating execution of GUI comparator logic operable to;

accept as input;

a current GUI application (GAP) GUI model for a current GAP version;

a subsequent GAP GUI model for a subsequent GAP version; and

the GUI element version mapping; and

generate as output;

a GUI difference model comprising a first GUI element difference entry that identifies a specific GUI element that matches between the current GAP version and the subsequent GAP version, but that differs in character between the current GAP version and the subsequent GAP version; and

initiating execution of a script analyzer operable to;

accept as input;

the GUI difference model; and

an abstract syntax tree representation of a current test script;

generate as output a change guide comprising script transformation information for functionally transforming the current test script that includes navigation statements, and performs read, write, or other actions or functions on GUI objects, and the arguments of these functions to test the functionality of the subsequent GAP version; and

initiating execution of an economic engine operable to analyze the change guide.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

initiating execution of the economic engine further operable to produce a cost report comprising test script transformation cost information.

13. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

producing the cost report based on test script transformation cost relationships in a pre-defined economic model.

14. The method of claim 11, where generating a GUI element mapping specification message comprises:

specifying a source GUI element identifier; and

specifying a destination GUI element identifier.

15. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

executing a weighted comparison analysis between GUI elements in the current GAP GUI model and the subsequent GAP GUI model.

16. The method of claim 15, further comprising:

applying a threshold analysis to determine whether the weighted comparison analysis results in a cross model GUI element match.

17. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

generating a GUI element type mapping comprising a GUI element type and a GUI element identifier; and

initiating execution of a constraint satisfaction engine operable to perform a compatibility analysis on the GUI element type with respect to a script statement in the current test script; and

initiating execution of the script analyzer further operable to;

generate as output a functionally transformed test script for use against the subsequent GAP version and comprising functionally transformed script entries generated from current test script entries in the current test script.

18. A product comprising:

a non-transitory memory; and

test script analysis logic stored in the non-transitory memory, executable by a processor coupled to the non-transitory memory that when executed causes the processor to;

generate a graphical user interface (GUI) element mapping specification message comprising a GUI element version mapping comprising a GUI element mapping specification message header and a GUI element mapping specification message terminator;

receive the GUI element mapping specification message at a metadata repository and responsively maintaining GUI element metadata;

initiate execution of GUI comparator logic operable to;

accept as input;

a current GUI application (GAP) GUI model for a current GAP version;

a subsequent GAP GUI mode for a subsequent GAP version; and

the GUI element version mapping; and

generate as output;

a GUI difference model comprising a first GUI element difference entry that identifies a specific GUI element that matches between the current GAP version and the subsequent GAP version, but that differs in character between the current GAP version and the subsequent GAP version; and

initiate execution of a script analyzer operable to;

accept as input;

the GUI difference model; and

an abstract syntax tree representation of a current test script;

generate as output a change guide comprising script transformation information for functionally transforming the current test script that includes navigation statements, and performs read, write, or other actions or functions on GUI objects, and the arguments of these functions to test the functionality of the subsequent GAP version; and

initiate execution of an economic engine operable to analyze the change guide.

19. The product of claim 18, where the test script analysis logic further causes the processor to:

initiate execution of the economic engine further operable to produce a cost report comprising test script transformation cost information.

20. The product of claim 18, where the test script analysis logic further causes the processor to:

initiate execution of an economic engine operable to analyze the change guide and produce a cost report comprising test script transformation cost information based on test script transformation cost relationships in a pre-defined economic model.

21. The product of claim 18, where the test script analysis logic further causes the processor to:

execute a weighted comparison analysis between GUI elements in the current GAP GUI model and the subsequent GAP GUI model.

22. The product of claim 21, where the test script analysis logic further causes the processor to:

apply a threshold analysis to determine whether the weighted comparison analysis results in a cross model GUI element match.

23. The product of claim 18, where the test script analysis logic further causes the processor to:

generate a GUI element type mapping comprising a GUI element type and a GUI element identifier; and

initiate execution of a constraint satisfaction engine operable to perform a compatibility analysis on the GUI element type with respect to a script statement in the current test script; and

initiate execution of the script analyzer further operable to;

generate as output a functionally transformed test script for use against the subsequent GAP version and comprising functionally transformed script entries generated from current test script entries in the current test script.

24. The product of claim 18, where the GUI element mapping specification message comprises:

specifying a source GUI element identifier; and

specifying a destination GUI element identifier.