Testing compatibility with web services

• US 9,369,544 B1
• Filed: 02/13/2013
• Issued: 06/14/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 02/14/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Google Inc. (Alphabet Inc.)
• Inventors: Morgan, David, Semturs, Christopher
• Primary Examiner(s): Khan, Aftab N.
• Application Number:
  US13/766,584
• Time in Patent Office: 1,217 Days
• Field of Search: 709/203, 709/204, 709/217, 709/238
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/3672 Test management
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/3684 for test design, e.g. generating new test cases
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/02 based on web technology, e.g. hypertext transfer protocol [HTTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/51 Discovery or management thereof, e.g. service location protocol [SLP] or web services
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/565 Conversion or adaptation of application format or content adding application control or application functional data H04L67/561

Abstract

Methods, systems, and apparatus, including computer programs encoded on a computer storage medium, for testing the compatibility of client devices with web services. In one aspect, a method includes receiving a request from a first client device; obtaining a response to the request from a web service, wherein the web service provides responses according to a web service schema that defines a plurality of possible response formats, and wherein the response conforms to a first response format of the plurality of possible response formats; selecting a second, different response format of the plurality of possible response formats defined by the web service schema; modifying the response to generate a modified response, wherein the modified response conforms to the second, different response format; and sending the modified response to the first client device.

Claims

1. A method performed by data processing apparatus, the method comprising:

receiving a request from a first client device;

obtaining an original response to the request from a web service, wherein the web service provides responses according to a web service schema that specifies requirements for the format of the responses provided by the web service, wherein the requirements are satisfied by a plurality of possible response formats, wherein the original response conforms to a first response format of the plurality of possible response formats that satisfy the requirements specified by the web service schema, wherein the web service is an Extensible Markup Language (XML) service, and wherein the web service schema is an XML schema;

selecting a second, different response format of the plurality of possible response formats that each satisfy the requirements for responses specified by the web service schema for responses provided by the web service, wherein selecting the second, different response format comprises selecting a response format that (i) is different from both the first response format and from one or more response formats selected for one or more previous responses to requests received from the first client device and (ii) satisfies the requirements for responses specified by the web service schema;

modifying the original response so that it conforms to the second, different response format instead of the first response format to generate a modified response, wherein both the original response and the modified response satisfy the requirements specified by the web service schema for responses provided by the web service; and

sending the modified response to the first client device in place of the original response.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving a request from the first client device comprises:

intercepting a request transmitted by the first client device to the web service.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the second response format is pre-determined.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein selecting the second response format comprises:

determining that a previous modified response has been previously transmitted to the client device;

identifying a third response format to which the previous modified response conformed; and

selecting the second response format, wherein the second response format is different from both the first response format and the third response format.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein modifying the original response to generate the modified response comprises at least one of:

reordering a listing of elements included in the original response, adding an element to a listing of elements included in the original response, or removing an optional element from a listing of elements included in the original response.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein selecting the second response format comprises:

receiving data identifying the first client device and one or more modifications to be applied to the original response; and

selecting the second response format based on the one or more modifications.

7. The method of claim 6, further comprising:

providing a user interface to a client device, wherein the user interface identifies a plurality of candidate modifications, wherein the plurality of candidate modifications includes the one or more modifications.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the data identifying the one or more modifications is received in response to a user input selecting one or more of the plurality of candidate modifications using the user interface.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

receiving data identifying that the modified response caused a failure at the first client device; and

storing data associating the second response format and the data identifying that the second response format caused the failure at the first client device.

10. A system comprising data processing apparatus and a storage medium encoded with instructions which, when executed by the data processing apparatus, cause the data processing apparatus to perform operations comprising:

receiving a request from a first client device;

obtaining an original response to the request from a web service, wherein the web service provides responses according to a web service schema that specifies requirements for the format of the responses provided by the web service, wherein the requirements are satisfied by a plurality of possible response formats, wherein the original response conforms to a first response format of the plurality of possible response formats that satisfy the requirements specified by the web service schema, wherein the web service is an Extensible Markup Language (XML) service, and wherein the web service schema is an XML schema;

selecting a second, different response format of the plurality of possible response formats that each satisfy the requirements for responses specified by the web service schema for responses provided by the web service, wherein selecting the second, different response format comprises selecting a response format that (i) is different from both the first response format and from one or more response formats selected for one or more previous responses to requests received from the first client device and (ii) satisfies the requirements for responses specified by the web service schema;

modifying the original response so that it conforms to the second, different response format instead of the first response format to generate a modified response, wherein both the original response and the modified response satisfy the requirements specified by the web service schema for responses provided by the web service; and

sending the modified response to the first client device in place of the original response.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein receiving a request from the first client device comprises:

intercepting a request transmitted by the first client device to the web service.

12. The system of claim 10, wherein the second response format is pre-determined.

13. The system of claim 10, wherein selecting the second response format comprises:

determining that a previous modified response has been previously transmitted to the client device;

identifying a third response format to which the previous modified response conformed; and

selecting the second response format, wherein the second response format is different from both the first response format and the third response format.

14. The system of claim 10, wherein modifying the original response to generate the modified response comprises at least one of:

reordering a listing of elements included in the original response, adding an element to a listing of elements included in the original response, or removing an optional element from a listing of elements included in the original response.

15. The system of claim 10, wherein selecting the second response format comprises:

receiving data identifying the first client device and one or more modifications to be applied to the original response; and

selecting the second response format based on the one or more modifications.

16. The system of claim 15, the operations further comprising:

providing a user interface to a client device, wherein the user interface identifies a plurality of candidate modifications, wherein the plurality of candidate modifications includes the one or more modifications.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein the data identifying the one or more modifications is received in response to a user input selecting one or more of the plurality of candidate modifications using the user interface.

18. The system of claim 17, the operations further comprising:

receiving data identifying that the modified response caused a failure at the first client device; and

storing data associating the second response format and the data identifying that the second response format caused the failure at the first client device.

19. A non-transitory storage medium encoded with instructions which, when executed by data processing apparatus, cause the data processing apparatus to perform operations comprising:

receiving a request from a first client device;

obtaining an original response to the request from a web service, wherein the web service provides responses according to a web service schema that specifies requirements for the format of the responses provided by the web service, wherein the requirements are satisfied by a plurality of possible response formats, wherein the original response conforms to a first response format of the plurality of possible response formats that satisfy the requirements specified by the web service schema, wherein the web service is an Extensible Markup Language (XML) service, and wherein the web service schema is an XML schema;

selecting a second, different response format of the plurality of possible response formats that each satisfy the requirements for responses specified by the web service schema for responses provided by the web service, wherein selecting the second, different response format comprises selecting a response format that (i) is different from both the first response format and from one or more response formats selected for one or more previous responses to requests received from the first client device and (ii) satisfies the requirements for responses specified by the web service schema;

modifying the original response so that it conforms to the second, different response format instead of the first response format to generate a modified response, wherein both the original response and the modified response satisfy the requirements specified by the web service schema for responses provided by the web service; and

sending the modified response to the first client device in place of the original response.

20. The non-transitory storage medium of claim 19, wherein receiving a request from the first client device comprises:

intercepting a request transmitted by the first client device to the web service.

21. The non-transitory storage medium of claim 19, wherein

the second response format is pre-determined.

22. The non-transitory storage medium of claim 19, wherein selecting the second response format comprises:

determining that a previous modified response has been previously transmitted to the client device;

identifying a third response format to which the previous modified response conformed; and

selecting the second response format, wherein the second response format is different from both the first response format and the third response format.

23. The non-transitory storage medium of claim 19, wherein modifying the original response to generate the modified response comprises at least one of:

reordering a listing of elements included in the original response, adding an element to a listing of elements included in the original response, or removing an optional element from a listing of elements included in the original response.

24. The non-transitory storage medium of claim 19, wherein selecting the second response format comprises:

receiving data identifying the first client device and one or more modifications to be applied to the original response; and

selecting the second response format based on the one or more modifications.

25. The non-transitory storage medium of claim 24, the operations further comprising:

providing a user interface to a client device, wherein the user interface identifies a plurality of candidate modifications, wherein the plurality of candidate modifications includes the one or more modifications.

26. The non-transitory storage medium of claim 25, wherein the data identifying the one or more modifications is received in response to a user input selecting one or more of the plurality of candidate modifications using the user interface.

27. The non-transitory storage medium of claim 26, the operations further comprising:

receiving data identifying that the modified response caused a failure at the first client device; and

storing data associating the second response format and the data identifying that the second response format caused the failure at the first client device.