System and method for maintaining and testing a software application

• US 20070240116A1
• Filed: 02/22/2006
• Published: 10/11/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 02/22/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Murray, Douglas, Martin, James, Bangel, Matthew, Mullins, Renee
• Granted Patent: US 7,873,944 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 717/124
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/3664 Environments for testing or debugging software
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/368 for test version control, e.g. updating test cases to a new software version

Abstract

Maintaining and testing a software application by performing regression testing uses standard reusable test cases from change history records to generate actual test cases. A new test case template is created upon saving a change history entry. A subset of the actual and new test cases is determined, and new actual test cases generated and documented from the subset. The new actual test cases are released after successful verification.

Claims

1. A method for maintaining and testing a software application, comprising:

performing regression testing by using standard reusable test cases from change history records to generate actual test cases;

creating a new test case template upon saving a change history entry;

flagging a subset of said actual and new test cases;

generating and documenting new actual test cases from said subset; and

releasing said new actual test cases after successful verification.

2. Computer implemented method for integrating test case generation and change history documentation, comprising:

sensing a change to application code;

saving said change as a change history record;

creating from said change history record a standard test case for inclusion in a set of standard, reusable test cases;

selecting from said set a suite of test cases for regression test; and

performing regression test of said application using said suite of test cases.

3. The computer implemented method of claim 2, further comprising:

prompting a user to select at least one of an operation for saving said change as a change history record and creating a new test case from said change;

responsive to said user selecting said saving said change, executing said saving said change as a change history record;

responsive to said user selecting said creating a new test case, creating a new test case and performing with said new test case a single code change test.

4. The computer implemented method of claim 3, further including selectively performing said regression test of said application using said suite of test cases and performing partial regression test using a subset of said suite of test cases.

5. The computer implemented method of claim 2, further comprising:

verifying test cases successfully testing said application;

issuing a code change release including a change history record updated with verified test cases.

6. The computer implemented method of claim 4, further comprising:

presenting to said user said change history record as a graphical user interface template presentation including fields describing said change, describing a code problem, describing reference documents and customer requirements, providing development details, describing priority and status;

said user interacting through said graphical user interface with said change history record to design said standard test case record and accumulate from said standard test case records a logical suite of test cases for said regression test;

presenting said standard test case record to said user as a graphical user interface presentation including fields identifying said change, describing said test case, providing test results and status.

7. The computer implemented method of claim 6, further comprising:

responsive to determining that a test case fails during test, creating from that failing test case a new change history record.

8. The computer implemented method of claim 7, further comprising:

responsive to determining that further testing of said software application may be conducted by testing of single code changes, releasing said suite of test cases.

9. A computer program product for maintaining and testing a software application comprising:

a computer readable medium;

first program instructions for performing regression testing by using standard reusable test cases from change history records to generate actual test cases;

second program instructions for creating a new test case template upon saving a change history entry;

third program instructions for flagging a subset of said actual and new test cases;

fourth program instructions for generating and documenting new actual test cases from said subset;

fifth program instructions for releasing said new actual test cases after successful verification; and

wherein said first, second, third, fourth, and fifth program instructions are recorded on said medium.

10. A computer program product for integrating test case generation and change history documentation, comprising:

a computer readable medium;

first program instructions for sensing a change to application code;

second program instructions for saving said change as a change history record;

third program instructions for creating from said change history record a standard test case for inclusion in a set of standard, reusable test cases;

fourth program instructions for selecting from said set a suite of test cases for regression test; and

fifth program instructions for performing regression test of said application using said suite of test cases; and

wherein

said first, second, third, fourth, and fifth program instructions are recorded on said medium.

11. The computer program product of claim 10, further comprising:

sixth program instructions for prompting a user to select at least one of an operation for saving said change as a change history record and creating a new test case from said change;

seventh program instructions, responsive to said user selecting said saving said change, for executing said saving said change as a change history record;

eighth program instructions, responsive to said user selecting said creating a new test case, for creating a new test case and performing with said new test case a single code change test; and

wherein

said sixth, seventh, and eighth program instructions are recorded on said medium.

12. The computer program product of claim 11, further including ninth program instructions for selectively performing said regression test of said application using said suite of test cases;

tenth program instructions for performing partial regression test using a subset of said suite of test cases; and

wherein said ninth and tenth program instructions are recorded on said medium.

13. The computer program product of claim 10, further comprising:

sixth program instructions for verifying test cases successfully testing said application;

seventh program instructions for issuing a code change release including a change history record updated with verified test cases; and

wherein

said sixth and seventh program instructions are recorded on said medium.

14. The computer implemented method of claim 12, further comprising:

eleventh program instructions for presenting to said user said change history record as a graphical user interface template presentation including fields describing said change, describing a code problem, describing reference documents and customer requirements, providing development details, describing priority and status;

said user interacting through said graphical user interface with said change history record to design said standard test case record and accumulate from said standard test case records a logical suite of test cases for said regression test;

twelfth program instructions for presenting said standard test case record to said user as a graphical user interface presentation including fields identifying said change, describing said test case, providing test results and status; and

wherein

said eleventh and twelfth program instructions are recorded on said medium.

15. The computer implemented method of claim 14, further comprising:

thirteenth program instructions, responsive to determining that a test case fails during test, for creating from that failing test case a new change history record; and

wherein said thirteenth program instructions are recorded on said medium.

16. The computer implemented method of claim 15, further comprising:

fourteenth program instructions, responsive to determining that further testing of said software application may be conducted by testing of single code changes, for releasing said suite of test cases; and

wherein said fourteenth program instructions are recorded on said medium.

17. A computer system for maintaining and testing a software application, comprising:

a development tool for maintaining a software application;

a test case generator;

said test case generator including a change management documentation system for sensing and saving code changes to said software application;

said change management documentation system responsive to a said code change for creating a change history record from which data is derived to populate a new test case template for creating a standard test case;

said change management system further for adding said standard test case to a set of actual test cases for performing regression testing;

said change management documentation system further for flagging a subset of said actual test cases and new test cases to generate and document new actual test cases from said subset; and

releasing said new actual test cases after successful verification.

18. A computer system for maintaining and testing a software application, comprising:

a development tool for developing a software application;

a test case generator including a change management system;

a graphical user interface for interfacing a user to said development tool and said test case generator;

said change management system for;

sensing a change to application code;

saving said change as a change history record;

creating from said change history record a standard test case for inclusion in a set of standard, reusable test cases;

selecting from said set a suite of test cases for regression test; and

said test case generator for performing regression test of said application using said suite of test cases.

19. The computer system of claim 18, said change management documentation system further for:

prompting a user to select at least one of an operation for saving said change as a change history record and creating a new test case from said change;

responsive to said user selecting said saving said change, executing said saving said change as a change history record;

responsive to said user selecting said creating a new test case, creating a new test case and performing with said new test case a single code change test.

20. The computer system of claim 19, said change management documentation system further for selectively performing said regression test of said application using said suite of test cases and performing partial regression test using a subset of said suite of test cases.

21. The computer system of claim 18, said change management documentation system further for:

verifying test cases successfully testing said application;

issuing a code change release including a change history record updated with verified test cases.

22. The computer system of claim 20, said change management documentation system further for:

presenting to said user said change history record as a graphical user interface template presentation including fields describing said change, describing a code problem, describing reference documents and customer requirements, providing development details, describing priority and status;

said user interacting through said graphical user interface with said change history record to design said standard test case record and accumulate from said standard test case records a logical suite of test cases for said regression test;

presenting said standard test case record to said user as a graphical user interface presentation including fields identifying said change, describing said test case, providing test results and status.

23. The computer system of claim 22, said change management documentation system further for:

responsive to determining that a test case fails during test, creating from that failing test case a new change history record.

24. The computer system of claim 23, said change management documentation system further for:

responsive to determining that further testing of said software application may be conducted by testing of single code changes, releasing said suite of test cases.