Method for generating data structures for automatically testing GUI applications
View Patent ↗The invention relates to methods for generating data structures for use with an environment based data driven test engine for computer programs which have a graphical user interface (GUI). The methods are used in connection with a scriptable GUI test tool. The tool generates a GUI map (or includes a utility which generates a GUI map), at least one environment definition (parameter) file, at least one test data (driver) file, and an automated test engine. A separate environment definition file is provided for each feature of the GUI. The automated test engine (ATE) is composed of a plurality of library modules written in the scripting language of the scriptable GUI test tool. The ATE is driven by the test data file and calls upon the GUI map and environment definition file.
1. A method of generating a data structure for use with a graphical user interface (GUI) test tool, said GUI test tool exercising a plurality of different GUI application objects using data structured according to said data structure to test a software application interfaced with said GUI test tool through said GUI, said method comprising:
opening a spreadsheet file;
defining a GUI environment part of the data structure in said spreadsheet file for said plurality of different application objects;
defining a plurality of rows in a parameters part of said data structure in said spreadsheet file, each row containing a plurality of columns and each row defining a single test, suitable for use with an automatic test engine, of a given one of the GUI application objects and each column representing a parameter of the given GUI application object;
combining said GUI environment part and said parameters part to generate said data structure, wherein the data structure is used with the automatic test engine that includes at least one GUI environment-independent component having application object dependent variables that are defined by the data structure such that each said at least one GUI environment-independent component is capable of being operative in testing said plurality of different GUI application objects based on a common test script executed by the automatic test engine; and storing a parameter file in a comma delimited file structured by said data structure, said parameter file being stored in storage for testing said plurality of different GUI application objects by the automatic test engine.
2. The method according to claim 1 , further comprising: defining one or more rows of data with each object test, multiple rows being selectively defined for at least one object to facilitate or verify the results of a corresponding individual object test.
3. The method according to claim 2 , wherein: defining said one or more rows comprises defining multiple rows of data beginning with a first line of data containing a definition of default values that are expected for each parameter.
4. The method according to claim 3 , wherein: the first line of data is followed by one or more rows of individual data driven tests.
5. The method according to claim 4 , wherein: each of the one or more rows includes standard fields and data specific for each field of an object being tested.
6. The method according to claim 5 , wherein: the standard fields include a Test ID, Preamble and Postamble action, Expected Result indication and a Comment.
7. The method according to claim 6 , wherein: Preamble and Postamble actions are application specific and represent user actions required to establish a starting point for a test and an action to perform to execute a desired object test.
8. The method according to claim 6 , wherein: the expected result field indicates whether a test will pass completely or fail during data entry, during the execution of the postamble or during verification after the postamble action has been executed.
9. The method according to claim 6 , wherein: data that appears in individual fields of a data driven test are specific for a parameter, operation or use of said field.
10. The method according to claim 9 , wherein: at least one of the fields includes an indication selected from the group consisting of ignored, changed, left alone and ignored for Query operations.
11. The method according to claim 10 , wherein: data represents multiple columns of a table structure.
12. The method according to claim 1 , further comprising the step of: retrieving said parameter file from said storage, said parameter file being provided to said automatic test engine with a GUI test driver, said automatic test engine testing a feature responsive to said parameter file, driven by said GUI test driver.
13. The method according to claim 12 , further comprising generating said parameter file, generating said parameter file comprising:
operating a GUI macro on a GUI map;
inserting the result of operating said GUI macro in said spreadsheet;
updating an environment part of said spreadsheet;
defining individual fields in said parameters part of said spreadsheet;
storing said parameter file as said comma delimited file; and
providing said parameter file for testing a respective GUI application object.
14. The method according to claim 13 , wherein: values found in the parameter file are tightly bound to logical names that are used in said GUI map.
15. A method of automatically generating a data structure in a computer system for use with a graphical user interface (GUI) test tool, said GUI test tool exercising a plurality of different GUI application objects using data structured according to said data structure to test a software application interfaced with said GUI test tool through said GUI, said method comprising:
opening a spreadsheet file;
defining a GUI environment part of a data structure in said spreadsheet file that includes information that specifies a GUI environment for each application object;
defining a parameters part of the data structure in said spreadsheet file that includes individual fields that appear in at least one of said application objects;
combining said GUI environment part and said parameters part to generate said data structure, wherein the data structure is used with the automatic test engine that includes at least one GUI environment-independent component having application object dependent variables that are defined by the data structure such that each said at least one GUI environment-independent component is capable of being operative in testing said plurality of different GUI application objects based on a common test script executed by the automatic test engine; and
storing a parameter file in a comma delimited file structured by said data structure, said parameter file being stored in storage for testing said plurality of different GUI application objects by the automatic test engine.
16. The method according to claim 15 , wherein: the individual fields include a “type” definition.
17. The method according to claim 15 , further comprising:
identifying parameter elements that are new to a specific version of an application.
18. The method according to claim 15 , wherein: the parameter file is organized in rows and columns.
19. The method according to claim 18 , wherein: the parameter file is a comma delimited text file.
20. The method according to claim 15 , wherein the environment part of the parameter file includes information that specifies Application Name, Launch Menu, Primary Window identification, Tab and related tab windows for each application object.