Annotating GUI test automation playback and debugging

1. A computer-implemented method comprising:

testing a graphical user interface (GUI) of an application with a test automation tool; and

during runtime of the test automation tool, automatically overlaying a visual cue on the GUI, the visual cue pointing to a GUI object of the application and containing a comment regarding an event relating to the GUI object that is expected to occur in runtime, wherein automatically overlaying the visual cue on the GUI further comprises:

incorporating an annotation method into the test automation tool; and

passing information of the GUI object to the annotation method without intervention of a user testing the GUI.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein automatically overlaying the visual cue on the GUI further comprises:

displaying the visual cue during runtime when the test automation tool tests a function relating to the GUI object.

3. A computer-implemented method comprising:

testing a graphical user interface (GUI) of an application with a test automation tool; and

during runtime of the test automation tool, automatically overlaying a visual cue on the GUI, the visual cue pointing to a GUI object of the application and containing a comment regarding an event relating to the GUI object that is expected to occur in runtime, wherein automatically overlaying the visual cue on the GUI further comprises:

automatically playing an audio sound clip relating to the GUI object, the visual cue containing a path to the audio sound clip.

4. The method of claim 3 , wherein automatically overlaying the visual cue on the GUI further comprises:

identifying the GUI object with an identifier; and

passing the identifier to an annotation method to annotate the GUI object on the GUI.

5. A computer-implemented method comprising:

testing a graphical user interface (GUI) of an application with a test automation tool; and

during runtime of the test automation tool, automatically overlaying a visual cue on the GUI, the visual cue pointing to a GUI object of the application and containing a comment regarding an event relating to the GUI object that is expected to occur in runtime, wherein the visual cue contains the comment of an author of the test automation tool to inform a user testing the GUI of the vent that is expected to occur in a successful test run.

6. The method of claim 5 , wherein the visual cue is displayed as an annotation overlay having a programmable offset from the GUI object.

7. A system comprising:

data storage to store a test automation tool and an application;

a display to display a graphical user interface (GUI) of the application;

a computing entity coupled to the data storage and the display, the computing entity to test the GUI with the test automation tool and, during runtime, to automatically annotate a GUI object of the application with an annotation overlay that points to the GUI object, the annotation overlay to contain a comment regarding an event relating to the GUI object that is expected to occur in runtime; and

a audio signal generating device to play an audio sound clip identified by the annotation overlay that points to the GUI object.

8. A system comprising:

data storage to store a test automation tool and an application;

a display to display a graphical user interface (GUI) of the application;

a computing entity coupled to the data storage and the display, the computing entity to test the GUI with the test automation tool and, during runtime, to automatically annotate a GUI object of the application with an annotation overlay that points to the GUI object, the annotation overlay to contain a comment regarding an event relating to the GUI object that is expected to occur in runtime, wherein the computing entity is to execute an annotation method at runtime to display a comment regarding the GUI object.

9. The system of claim 8 , wherein the application is a Web application or a mail application.

10. The system of claim 8 , wherein the GUI object includes a button, a link, or a text box displayed on the GUI.

11. A computer readable storage medium including instructions that, when executed by a processing system, cause the processing system to perform a method comprising:

testing a graphical user interface (GUI) of an application with a test automation tool;

during runtime of the test automation tool, automatically overlaying a visual cue on the GUI, the visual cue pointing to a GUI object of the application and containing a comment regarding an event relating to the GUI object that is expected to occur in runtime;

identifying the GUI object by addressing an entry of a table in an Extensible Markup Language (XML) document using an XPATH language, the table containing definition of the GUI object; and

passing the entry of the table to an annotation method to annotate the GUI object at runtime.

12. A computer readable storage medium including instructions that, when executed by a processing system, cause the processing system to perform a method comprising:

testing a graphical user interface (GUI) of an application with a test automation tool;

during runtime of the test automation tool, automatically overlaying a visual cue on the GUI, the visual cue pointing to a GUI object of the application and containing a comment regarding an event relating to the GUI object that is expected to occur in runtime; and

identifying the GUI object to annotate at runtime by passing an identifier in a cascading style sheet to an annotation method.

13. A computer readable storage medium including instructions that, when executed by a processing system, cause the processing system to perform a method comprising:

testing a graphical user interface (GUI) of an application with a test automation tool;

during runtime of the test automation tool, automatically overlaying a visual cue on the GUI, the visual cue pointing to a GUI object of the application and containing a comment regarding an event relating to the GUI object that is expected to occur in runtime; and

identifying the GUI object to annotate at runtime by passing an identifier in a domain object model to an annotation method.

14. A computer readable storage medium including instructions that, when executed by a processing system, cause the processing system to perform a method comprising:

testing a graphical user interface (GUI) of an application with a test automation tool;

during runtime of the test automation tool, automatically overlaying a visual cue on the GUI, the visual cue pointing to a GUI object of the application and containing a comment regarding an event relating to the GUI object that is expected to occur in runtime; and

identifying the GUI object to annotate at runtime by passing a name of the GUI object to an annotation method.

15. A computer readable storage medium including instructions that, when executed by a processing system, cause the processing system to perform a method comprising:

testing a graphical user interface (GUI) of an application with a test automation tool;

during runtime of the test automation tool, automatically overlaying a visual cue on the GUI, the visual cue pointing to a GUI object of the application and containing a comment regarding an event relating to the GUI object that is expected to occur in runtime, wherein the visual cue contains the comment of an author of the test automation tool to inform a user testing the GUI of the event that is expected to occur in a successful test run.

16. The computer readable medium of claim 15 , wherein automatically overlaying a visual cue on the GUI further comprises:

automatically playing an audio sound clip relating to the GUI object, the visual cue containing a path to the audio sound clip.

17. The computer readable medium of claim 15 , wherein the method further comprises:

displaying the visual cue as an annotation overlay that has a programmable offset from the GUI object.