Enabling test script play back in different locales

• US 8,938,383 B2
• Filed: 08/25/2006
• Issued: 01/20/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 08/25/2005
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Ding, Min, Qi, Chi, Yang, Xiao Bin
• Primary Examiner(s): COLUCCI, MICHAEL C
• Application Number:
  US11/467,183
• Publication Number:
  US 20070061113A1
• Time in Patent Office: 3,070 Days
• Field of Search: 704/1, 704/8, 717/125, 717/124, 714/38, 714/37, 702/193, 702/123, 702/104, 434/156, 382/229
• US Class Current: 704/8
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/3684 for test design, e.g. generating new test cases

Abstract

Apparatus and method for allowing a test script to be played back correctly in a locale of different test language. The invention uses a synonymy dictionary storing the different appearances of the property value of a property in an object of a software product to be tested in different test locales; and compares the property value of the property in the object of the software product to be tested to the corresponding property value pre-recorded in a test script to detect whether they match each other.

Claims

1. An automated computer-implemented test method, comprising:

storing, in a synonymy dictionary of a computer-implemented test system, a group of synonyms including a plurality of synonyms corresponding to a plurality of different languages for a property value of a property of an object of a globalized software product to be tested in different test locales, wherein the globalized software product and the object are digitally encoded in a storage medium;

performing a pre-recorded test script on the software product;

identifying the object in the software product, including the property value;

comparing the property value of the property of the object to a corresponding property value in the test script and the group of synonyms in the synonymy dictionary corresponding to the property value; and

determining if the object passes the test based on whether the property value matches either the property value in the test script or one of the synonyms in the synonymy dictionary corresponding to the property.

2. The automated computer-implemented test method according to claim 1, wherein the comparing step further comprises at least one of the steps:

a target object search step, for comparing the property value in the test script and the corresponding property value of the candidate object in the software product to detect whether they match with each other; and

a target object property value comparing step, for comparing the property value of the target object searched out in the software product to be tested to the corresponding expected value pre-recorded in the test script or the synonymy dictionary to detect whether they match with each other.

3. The automated computer-implemented test method according to claim 1, wherein:

the test script is generated in a first test language locale in a first language; and

the software product is tested in a second test language locale different from the first test language locale in a second language.

4. The automated computer-implemented test method according to claim 1, wherein:

the property values having the same meaning are associated and stored in the synonymy dictionary via a synonymy interface; and

detecting whether the property value of the property in the object in the software product to be tested and the corresponding property value pre-recorded in the test script match with each other is done by detecting whether they are associated and stored in the synonymy dictionary.

5. An automated test apparatus, comprising:

a storage having a synonymy dictionary stored therein, wherein the synonymy dictionary stores a plurality of synonyms, each of the synonyms corresponding to one of a plurality of different languages for a property value of a property in an object of a globalized software product to be tested in different test locales and in different languages; and

a semantic-based property value comparison unit which compares the property value of the property in the object of the software product being tested to a corresponding property value pre-recorded in a test script and the corresponding property value in the synonymy dictionary to detect whether the property value is valid.

6. The automated test apparatus according to claim 5, wherein said semantic-based property value comparison unit further comprises:

a semantic-based target object search unit, for comparing the identification property value in the test script and the corresponding property value of the candidate object in the software product to be tested to detect whether they match each other, and determining the matched candidate object to be a target object; and

a semantic-based target object property value comparison unit, for comparing the property value of the target object searched in the software product to be tested to the corresponding expected value pre-recorded in the test script or the synonymy dictionary to detect whether they match each other.

7. The automated test apparatus according to claim 5, wherein:

the test script is generated in a first test language; and

the software product is tested in a second test language different from the first test language.

8. The automated test apparatus according to claim 6, wherein:

the property values having the same meaning are associated and stored in the synonymy dictionary via a synonymy interface; and

said semantic-based target object search unit and said semantic-based target object property value comparison unit detect whether the property value of the property in the object in the software product to be tested and the corresponding property value pre-recorded in the test script match each other by detecting whether they are associated and stored in the synonymy dictionary.

9. The automated test apparatus according to claim 5, further comprising a synonymy input unit which allows a user to input the synonymies involved in the software product in the software product to be tested into said synonymy dictionary.

10. A computer useable medium embodying computer program code, the computer program code comprising computer executable instructions configured for:

storing, in a synonymy dictionary of a computer-implemented test system, a group of synonyms including a plurality of synonyms corresponding to a plurality of different languages for a property value of a property of an object of a globalized software product to be tested in different test locales;

performing a pre-recorded test script on the software product;

identifying the object in the software product, including the property value;

comparing the property value of the property of the object to a corresponding property value in the test script and the group of synonyms in the synonymy dictionary corresponding to the property value; and

determining if the object passes the test based on whether the property value matches either the property value in the test script or one of the synonyms in the synonymy dictionary corresponding to the property.

11. The computer-useable medium of claim 10, wherein the embodied computer program code further comprises computer executable instructions configured to perform at least one of the following steps:

a target object search step, for comparing the property value in the test script and the corresponding property value of the candidate object in the software product to detect whether they match with each other; and

a target object property value comparing step, for comparing the property value of the target object searched out in the software product to be tested to the corresponding expected value pre-recorded in the test script or the synonymy dictionary to detect whether they match with each other.

12. The computer-useable medium of claim 10, wherein the embodied computer program code further comprises computer executable instructions configured for:

associating and storing in the synonymy dictionary the property values having the same meaning via a synonymy interface; and

detecting whether the property value of the property in the object in the software product to be tested and the corresponding property value pre-recorded in the test script match each other is done by detecting whether they are associated and stored in the synonymy dictionary.