Correlating out-of-band process data during mobile test automation

• US 9,208,065 B1
• Filed: 05/14/2014
• Issued: 12/08/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 05/14/2014
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Ekambaram, Vijay, Nandakumar, Vikrant, Sharma, Vivek
• Primary Examiner(s): Chen, Qing
• Application Number:
  US14/277,493
• Publication Number:
  US 20150331789A1
• Time in Patent Office: 573 Days
• Field of Search: 717124-135, 714/37, 714/38.1
• US Class Current: 1/1
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/3688 for test execution, e.g. scheduling of test suites
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/3696 Methods or tools to render software testable

Abstract

Methods and arrangements for testing mobile applications. A mobile application for testing is input at a mobile device. The mobile application is automatically tested using a test script, wherein the testing requires data from an out-of-band channel. The testing includes: invoking a listener module based on the mobile application; using the listener module to automatically obtain data from an out-of-band channel; and communicating the automatically obtained data to the mobile application. Other variants and embodiments are broadly contemplated herein.

Claims

1. A method of testing a mobile application, said method comprising:

utilizing at least one processor to execute computer code configured to perform the steps of;

inputting, at a mobile device, a mobile application for testing; and

automatically testing the mobile application using a test script, wherein said testing requires data from an out-of-band channel, and wherein said testing comprises;

generating the test script;

using a test automation agent to conduct a test via processing the test script, wherein the test automation agent includes a recording engine and a playback engine;

wherein said generating comprises creating a placeholder for the test script to render interactions in the out-of-band channel invisible to the playback engine;

invoking a listener module based on the mobile application, wherein the listener module is in communication with the recording engine and the playback engine;

wherein said invoking comprises automatically identifying the out-of-band channel via inspecting a user interface of the mobile device and extracting at least one keyword therefrom;

using the listener module to automatically obtain data from the out-of-band channel; and

communicating the automatically obtained data to the mobile application.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the listener module includes at least one of:

an SMS module, an email module, and a notification module.

3. The method according to claim 2, wherein:

the listener module includes an SMS module; and

said invoking comprises listening for an incoming SMS message.

4. The method according to claim 3, wherein to automatically obtain data from the out-of-band channel comprises reading the incoming SMS message and providing data therefrom to the playback engine.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein said inspecting comprises determining at least one detail required by the listener module to parse an incoming communication to the mobile device.

6. The method according to claim 5, further comprising:

using the recording engine to read a one-time password entered by a user; and

comparing the one-time password to the incoming communication to identify at least one token to be extracted during a playback phase.

7. The method according to claim 1, wherein the listener module comprises a pluggable listener module.

8. An apparatus for testing a mobile application, said apparatus comprising:

at least one processor; and

a computer readable storage medium having computer readable program code embodied therewith and executable by the at least one processor, the computer readable program code comprising;

computer readable program code configured to input, at a mobile device, a mobile application for testing; and

computer readable program code configured to automatically test the mobile application using a test script, wherein said testing requires data from an out-of-band channel, and wherein said testing comprises;

generating the test script;

using a test automation agent to conduct a test via processing the test script, wherein the test automation agent includes a recording engine and a playback engine;

wherein said generating comprises creating a placeholder for the test script to render interactions in the out-of-band channel invisible to the playback engine;

invoking a listener module based on the mobile application, wherein the listener module is in communication with the recording engine and the playback engine;

wherein said invoking comprises automatically identifying the out-of-band channel via inspecting a user interface of the mobile device and extracting at least one keyword therefrom;

using the listener module to automatically obtain data from the out-of-band channel; and

communicating the automatically obtained data to the mobile application.

9. A computer program product for testing a mobile application, said computer program product comprising:

a computer readable storage medium having computer readable program code embodied therewith, the computer readable program code comprising;

computer readable program code configured to input, at a mobile device, a mobile application for testing; and

computer readable program code configured to automatically test the mobile application using a test script, wherein said testing requires data from an out-of-band channel, and wherein said testing comprises;

generating the test script;

using a test automation agent to conduct a test via processing the test script, wherein the test automation agent includes a recording engine and a playback engine;

wherein said generating comprises creating a placeholder for the test script to render interactions in the out-of-band channel invisible to the playback engine;

invoking a listener module based on the mobile application, wherein the listener module is in communication with the recording engine and the playback engine;

wherein said invoking comprises automatically identifying the out-of-band channel via inspecting a user interface of the mobile device and extracting at least one keyword therefrom;

using the listener module to automatically obtain data from the out-of-band channel; and

communicating the automatically obtained data to the mobile application.

10. The computer program product according to claim 9, wherein the listener module includes at least one of:

an SMS module, an email module, and a notification module.

11. The computer program product according to claim 10, wherein:

the listener module includes an SMS module; and

said invoking comprises listening for an incoming SMS message.

12. The computer program product according to claim 11, wherein to automatically obtain data from the out-of-band channel comprises reading the incoming SMS message and providing data therefrom to the playback engine.

13. The computer program product according to claim 9, wherein said inspecting comprises determining at least one detail required by the listener module to parse an incoming communication to the mobile device.

14. The computer program product according to claim 13, further comprising:

computer readable program code configured to use the recording engine to read a one-time password entered by a user; and

computer readable program code configured to compare the one-time password to the incoming communication to identify at least one token to be extracted during a playback phase.

15. A method of testing a mobile application, said method comprising:

inputting, at a mobile device, a mobile application for testing;

generating a test script; and

testing the mobile application via employing the test script, wherein said testing comprises;

using a test automation agent to conduct a test via processing the test script, wherein the test automation agent includes a recording engine and a playback engine;

using a listener module to automatically obtain data from an out-of-band channel via;

invoking the listener module based on the mobile application, wherein the listener module is in communication with the recording engine and the playback engine;

wherein said invoking comprises automatically identifying the out-of-band channel via inspecting a user interface of the mobile device and extracting at least one keyword therefrom; and

wherein said generating comprises creating a placeholder for the test script to render interactions in the out-of-band channel invisible to the playback engine; and

communicating the automatically obtained data to the mobile application.