Automated software testing and validation system

• US 20030126517A1
• Filed: 07/29/2002
• Published: 07/03/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 07/27/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Smartesoft, Inc.
• Original Assignee: AccordSQA, Inc.
• Inventors: Nguyen, Thieu, Ravitz, Ziv, Nguyen, Thang Quoc, Givoni, Ethan, Albert, Naomi
• Granted Patent: US 7,093,238 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 714/46
• 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

Abstract

An automated software testing system allows automated test script generation, execution, and result correlation in a recreatable and adaptable manner. A software Application Under Test (AUT) is identified and includes a process having a sequence of Graphical User Interface (GUI) windows. A test thread tree is generated corresponding to the windows in the process. A grid is generated to enumerate test cases indicative of the windows and data objects in the thread. Also generated is a script indicative of each of the test cases. The script is executed to apply each of the test cases to the AUT and receive a response for each test case from the AUT. A report of expected responses is generated, and compared to the actual responses to provide a test result indicative of the status for each test case in question.

Claims

1. A method for automated software testing and validation comprising:

identifying a software application under test (AUT), the AUT including processes, each process having at least one user interface display;

learning, for at least one process in the AUT, a test thread tree corresponding to the user interface displays in the process, each of the interface displays having at least one data object;

generating, from the test thread tree, a grid enumerating a plurality of test cases indicative of the data objects in the process; and

generating, from the test thread tree, a script indicative of the plurality of test cases, the script operable to be executed by a test engine.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising executing the script in the test engine, the executing further comprising:

sending each of the test cases to the AUT; and

receiving a response for each test case from the AUT.

3. The method of claim 2 further comprising:

generating a test report indicative of an expected response; and

comparing the report to the responses to provide a test result.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein generating the grid further comprises generating a grid entry including a row for each test case, wherein each row further comprises a column entry corresponding to a particular data object.

5. The method of claim 2 wherein executing the script further comprises:

interfacing with a Graphical User Interface (GUI) of the AUT; and

sending and receiving messages to the AUT corresponding to the test cases and responses, respectively.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein generating the grid further comprises gathering object values, each of the object values indicative of a particular data object for a particular test case.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein the AUT further comprises a graphical user interface (GUI) and learning the test thread tree further comprises traversing a window sequence of a plurality of the windows of the GUI.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein generating the script further comprises generating an executable loop, the executable loop operable to perform successive iterations of test cases for each data object.

9. The method of claim 6 wherein gathering the object values further comprises a random operation operable to provide data from a plurality of predetermined values.

10. The method of claim 1 wherein generating the script further comprises applying flow modification to the script, the flow modifications operable to direct execution of the script and including breakpoints, checkpoints, function hooks, and library operations.

11. The method of claim 1 wherein the user interface displays are windows.

12. The method of claim 11 wherein the windows conform to a predetermined protocol.

13. The method of claim 1 wherein the data objects further comprise free form text, push button, radio button, action button, combo box, check button, menu item, page tab, item list, and tool bar.

14. The method of claim 1 wherein generating the grid further comprises importing object values from an external database, the external database operable to populate the grid in an automated manner.

15. The method of claim 1 wherein generating the grid further comprises propagating an object value across multiple grid entries from a particular object value.

16. The method of claim 1 wherein a plurality of scripts are aggregated by a regression manager, the regression manager operable to execute the scripts according to a predetermined priority.

17. A graphical user interface display operable by a user for interfacing with a software Application Under Test (AUT) comprising:

at least one process, the process having a sequence of user interface displays, the user interface displays each having at least one data object;

a learn module operable by a user to navigate the interface displays in the process and gather a test thread tree indicative of a sequence of data objects;

a grid corresponding to the test thread tree, the grid having test case entries including column entries corresponding to the sequence of data objects;

and

a script corresponding to the test thread tree, the script operable to be executed by a test engine for retrieving the test case entries from the grid and applying the column entries to the sequence of data objects corresponding to a test case.

18. The graphical user interface display of claim 17 wherein the grid further comprises object values corresponding to a particular data object for a particular test case.

19. The graphical user interface display of claim 18 wherein the grid further comprises columns adapted to store a object value corresponding to a particular data object, and the test case entries are rows including the object value for each of the data objects in the test case.

20. The graphical user interface display of claim 17 further comprising a report indicative of an expected response, wherein responses to the executed script are adapted to be compared to the expected responses to generate a test result.

21. A method of automated script testing of an application under test comprising:

providing a software application under test (AUT), the AUT having a Graphical User Interface (GUI) for sending and receiving messages corresponding to user instructions;

identifying at least one process in the AUT, each of the processes having a sequence of user interface displays, each of the user interface displays having at least one data object;

traversing, by a learn module, the sequence of user interface displays in the process to build a test thread tree indicative of the sequence of data objects in the process;

generating, from the test thread tree, a grid adapted to store a set of object values corresponding to each of the data objects in the process, the grid further operable to store a plurality of test cases each containing the set of object values;

generating, from the test thread tree, a script operable to be executed by a test engine, the grid responsive to the test engine;

generating, from the test thread tree, a report indicative of an expected response to each of the data objects in the grid;

executing the script by iterating through each test case in the grid and, in each test case, applying the object values to the corresponding data objects in the process;

receiving a response from the AUT based on the applied object values;

and

comparing the response to the expected response to generate a result.

22. The method of claim 21 wherein applying further comprises sending the object values to the AUT and receiving a response indicative of success or failure.

23. The method of claim 21 wherein the user interface displays are windows.

24. A system for automated software testing and validation comprising:

a software application under test (AUT), the AUT including processes, each process having at least one user interface display;

a learning module operable to learning for the processes in the AUT, a test thread tree corresponding to the user interface displays in the process, each of the interface displays having at least one data object;

a grid, generated from the test thread tree, enumerating a plurality of test cases indicative of the data objects in the process;

a script, generated from the test thread tree, indicative of the plurality of test cases; and

a test engine, the script and the grid responsive to the test engine for executing the script and applying the corresponding test cases to the AUT.

25. The system of claim 24 further comprising a response, the response received by the test engine in reply to each applied test case from the executed script.

26. The system of claim 25 further comprising:

a test report, generated from the test thread tree, indicative of an expected response; and

a test result computed by comparing the report to the responses.

27. The system of claim 24 wherein the grid further comprises a grid entry including a row for each test case;

and

a plurality of columns in the grid, each column corresponding to a particular data object in the process.

28. The system of claim 24 further comprising a regression manager operable to execute a plurality of test cases according to a predetermined priority.

29. A computer program product having computer program code for automated software testing and validation comprising:

computer program code for identifying a software application under test (AUT), the AUT including processes, each process having at least one user interface display;

computer program code for learning, for at least one process in the AUT, a test thread tree corresponding to the user interface displays in the process, each of the interface displays having at least one data object;

computer program code for generating, from the test thread tree, a grid enumerating a plurality of test cases indicative of the data objects in the process;

and

computer program code for generating, from the test thread tree, a script indicative of the plurality of test cases, the script operable to be executed by a test engine.

30. A system for automated software testing and validation comprising:

means for identifying a software application under test (AUT), the AUT including processes, each process having at least one user interface display;

means for learning, for at least one process in the AUT, a test thread tree corresponding to the user interface displays in the process, each of the interface displays having at least one data object;

means for generating, from the test thread tree, a grid enumerating a plurality of test cases indicative of the data objects in the process; and

means for generating, from the test thread tree, a script indicative of the plurality of test cases, the script operable to be executed by a test engine.