Graphical user interface testing systems and methods

• US 8,701,090 B2
• Filed: 12/31/2010
• Issued: 04/15/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 12/31/2010
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Verizon Patent and Licensing Incorporated (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Verizon Patent and Licensing Incorporated (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Inventors: Zavatone, Alex
• Primary Examiner(s): Dao, Thuy
• Assistant Examiner(s): Luu, Cuong V
• Application Number:
  US12/983,114
• Publication Number:
  US 20120174069A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,201 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 717/124
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/3692 for test results analysis

Abstract

An exemplary method includes graphical user interface code executing on a computing device providing a graphical user interface including one or more graphical elements and exposing data associated with the graphical user interface for access and use by a testing subsystem to test the graphical user interface. In certain examples, the exposed data is representative of one or more graphical element type identifiers indicating one or more types of the one or more graphical elements included in the graphical user interface. In certain examples, the exposed data is included in a log of events associated with the graphical user interface. In certain examples, the exposed data is exposed in response to a query from the testing subsystem. Corresponding systems and methods are also disclosed.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

providing, by graphical user interface code executing on a computing device, a graphical user interface including one or more graphical elements;

exposing, by the graphical user interface code executing on the computing device, data representative of one or more graphical element type identifiers indicating one or more types of the one or more graphical elements for access and use by a testing subsystem to test the graphical user interface, wherein the exposing comprises;

generating a log of events associated with the graphical user interface, the log of events including the data representative of the one or more graphical element type identifiers indicating the one or more types of the one or more graphical elements, and

providing data representative of the log of events for access by the testing subsystem;

detecting, by the graphical user interface code executing on the computing device, one or more interactions with the graphical user interface, wherein the log of events specifies the detected one or more interactions with the graphical user interface;

accessing, by the testing subsystem, data representative of the log of events;

determining, by the testing subsystem from the log of events, the detected one or more interactions with the graphical user interface; and

providing, by the testing subsystem to either the graphical user interface code executing on the computing device or a copy of the graphical user interface code executing on another computing device, one or more messages configured to cause the graphical user interface code to play back the detected one or more interactions with the graphical user interface.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the detected one or more interactions with the graphical user interface comprise one or more interactions with the one or more graphical elements included in the graphical user interface; and

the one or more graphical element type identifiers included in the log of events indicate the one or more types of the one or more graphical elements interacted with by the one or more interactions with the one or more graphical elements.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

performing, by the graphical user interface code executing on the computing device, one or more graphical user interface functions in response to the one or more detected interactions with the graphical user interface;

wherein the log of events includes data representative of one or more graphical user interface function type identifiers indicating one or more types of the one or more graphical user interface functions.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the one or more interactions with the graphical user interface comprise one or more user interactions with the one or more graphical elements included in the graphical user interface.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the one or more interactions with the graphical user interface comprise one or more messages received from the testing subsystem by the graphical user interface code executing on the computing device.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the one or more messages received from the testing subsystem are configured to simulate one or more actual user interactions with the graphical user interface.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the one or more messages configured to simulate the one or more actual user interactions with the graphical user interface are randomly or systematically selected by the testing subsystem based on the one or more graphical element type identifiers indicating the one or more types of the one or more graphical elements included in the graphical user interface.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising performing, by the graphical user interface code executing on the computing device, one or more graphical user interface functions in response to the one or more messages to play back one or more of the events specified in the log of event.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

selecting, by the testing subsystem, one or more testing operations based on at least one of the one or more graphical element type identifiers and the one or more graphical user interface function type identifiers included in the log of events; and

performing, by the testing subsystem, the one or more testing operations in conjunction with the playback to test the graphical user interface.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving, by the graphical user interface code executing on the computing device from the testing subsystem, a query for data representative of all actionable type graphical elements included in the one or more graphical elements;

using, by the graphical user interface code executing on the computing device, the one or more graphical element type identifiers to identify all actionable type graphical elements included in the one or more graphical elements; and

exposing, by the graphical user interface code executing on the computing device, data representative of the identified actionable type graphical elements included in the one or more graphical elements to the testing subsystem in response to the query.

11. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

selecting, by the testing subsystem, one or more messages based on the identified actionable type graphical elements exposed by the graphical user interface code executing on the computing device;

providing, by the testing subsystem, the one or more messages to the graphical user interface code executing on the computing device to cause the graphical user interface code executing on the computing device to perform one or more graphical user interface functions; and

performing, by the testing subsystem, one or more testing operations in conjunction with the providing of the one or more messages to the graphical user interface code executing on the computing device.

12. The method of claim 1, embodied as computer-executable instructions on at least one non-transitory computer-readable medium.

13. A method comprising:

providing, by graphical user interface code executing on a computing device, a graphical user interface including one or more actionable graphical elements;

detecting, by the graphical user interface code executing on the computing device, each external interaction with the one or more actionable graphical elements included in the graphical user interface;

performing, by the graphical user interface code executing on the computing device, one or more graphical user interface functions in response to each detected external interaction with the one or more actionable graphical elements included in the graphical user interface;

performing, by the graphical user interface code executing on the computing device, one or more testing framework functions in response to each detected external interaction with the one or more actionable graphical elements included in the graphical user interface, the one or more testing framework functions providing a testing framework configured to be leveraged for testing the graphical user interface code,

wherein the one or more testing framework functions comprise a log event function configured to record, in a log of events, one or more events associated with each detected external interaction with the one or more actionable graphical elements included in the graphical user interface, and

wherein each entry in the log of events is associated with an event within the one or more events and comprises data representative of a time associated with the event, a unique identifier for the graphical element associated with the event, a type identifier indicative of a type of the graphical element associated with the event, and an identifier for the event; and

accessing and using, by a testing subsystem configured to interface with the graphical user interface code executing on the computing device, the log of events to initiate a playback of each detected external interaction with the one or more actionable graphical elements included in the graphical user interface.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising playing back, by the graphical user interface code executing on the computing device or by a copy of the graphical user interface code executing on another computing device in response to the testing subsystem using the log of events to initiate the playback, each recorded external interaction with the one or more actionable graphical elements included in the graphical user interface.

15. The method of claim 14, further comprising performing, by the testing subsystem, one or more testing operations in conjunction with the playback of each recorded external interaction with the one or more actionable graphical elements included in the graphical user interface.

16. The method of claim 13, further comprising providing, by the testing subsystem, a testing user interface configured to facilitate user control over the initiation of the playback by the testing subsystem.

17. The method of claim 13, embodied as computer-executable instructions on at least one non-transitory computer-readable medium.

18. A non-transitory computer-readable medium including graphical user interface code configured to instruct a processor to:

provide a graphical user interface including one or more graphical elements;

expose data representative of one or more graphical element type identifiers indicating one or more types of the one or more graphical elements for access and use by a testing subsystem to test the graphical user interface, wherein the exposing comprises;

generating a log of events associated with the graphical user interface, the log of events including the data representative of the one or more graphical element type identifiers indicating the one or more types of the one or more graphical elements, and

providing data representative of the log of events for access by the testing subsystem;

detect, by the graphical user interface code executing on the computing device, one or more interactions with the graphical user interface, wherein the log of events specifies the detected one or more interactions with the graphical user interface;

access, by the testing subsystem, data representative of the log of events;

determine, by the testing subsystem from the log of events, the detected one or more interactions with the graphical user interface; and

provide, by the testing subsystem to either the graphical user interface code executing on the computing device or a copy of the graphical user interface code executing on another computing device, one or more messages configured to cause the graphical user interface code to play back the detected one or more interactions with the graphical user interface.