Fuzzy location of a testable object in a functional testing tool

1. A method for fuzzily locating testable objects in a functional testing tool, the method comprising the steps of:

comparing object properties for a mapped testable object to object properties for each of a set of candidate objects for an application under test in the functional testing tool; and,

determining a best matching candidate object for said mapped object without requiring an exact match of said object properties in the functional testing tool.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein said comparing step comprises the step of comparing name/value pairs that describe properties and expected values of a mapped object to name/value pairs that describe properties and expected values for each of a set of candidate objects.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein said determining step comprises the step of determining a best matching candidate object for said object while requiring a matching of less than all object properties for said mapped object.

4. The method of claim 1 , further comprising the step of constructing an object mapping for each object implicated by a test script configured for processing in the functional testing tool.

5. The method of claim 4 , wherein said constructing step further comprises the step of constructing an object mapping having mapped objects which represent one of a direct referring means and an indirect means of accessing and managing objects in a graphical user interface of an application under test.

6. The method of claim 1 , further comprising the step of invoking a method member in said best matching candidate object, said invocation producing one of a return non-value object and a return value object.

7. The method of claim 6 , further comprising the steps of:

responsive to said invocation, obtaining a remote reference to a return non-value object; and,

establishing said reference in a data structure corresponding to a data structure to which return value objects conform.

8. The method of claim 7 , further comprising the step of registering said reference in the functional testing tool.

9. The method of claim 8 , further comprising the step of maintaining said reference until one of said reference becomes de-registered, a playback process associated with said registration terminates, and a termination of operation of the functional testing tool.

10. A method for locating a testable object in a functional testing tool, the method comprising the steps of:

establishing a value and a weighting for each of a selected group of properties for a test object in an object mapping;

computing a value for at least one of said properties for a candidate object in a graphical user interface for an application under testing;

for each computed value, comparing said computed value to a corresponding one of said established values to produce a score and weighting said score according to said established weight;

summing said weighted scores to produce a candidate score; and, locating the testable object based upon said candidate score in the functional testing tool.

11. A system for fuzzily locating a testable object in a functional testing tool, the system comprising:

a record process configured to produce both a test script and an object mapping in the functional testing tool;

a playback process configured to process said test script in the functional testing tool; and,

an object manager coupled to said playback process and configured to locate among candidate objects in a graphical user interface, a candidate object having a set of properties which partially matches another set of properties associated with a corresponding test object in said object mapping in the functional testing tool.

12. The system of claim 11 , wherein said object manager comprises a fuzzy recognition processor programmed to perform partial matching of said candidate object with said corresponding test object in said object mapping.

13. A machine readable storage having stored thereon a computer program for locating testable objects in a functional testing tool, the computer program comprising a routine set of instructions which when executed by the machine cause the machine to perform the steps of:

comparing object properties for a mapped testable object to object properties for each of a set of candidate objects for an application under test in the functional testing tool; and,

determining a best matching candidate object for said mapped object without requiring an exact match of said object properties in the functional testing tool.

14. The machine readable storage of claim 13 , wherein said comparing step comprises the step of comparing name/value pairs that describe properties and expected values of a mapped object to name/value pairs that describe properties and expected values for each of a set of candidate objects.

15. The machine readable storage of claim 13 , wherein said determining step comprises the step of determining a best matching candidate object for said object while requiring a matching of less than all object properties for said mapped object.

16. The machine readable storage of claim 13 , further comprising the step of constructing an object mapping for each object implicated by a test script configured for processing in the functional testing tool.

17. The machine readable storage of claim 16 , wherein said constructing step further comprises the step of constructing an object mapping having mapped objects which represent one of a direct referring means and an indirect means of accessing and managing objects in a graphical user interface of an application under test.

18. The machine readable storage of claim 16 , further comprising the step of invoking a method member in said best matching candidate object, said invocation producing one of a return non-value object and a return value object.

19. The machine readable storage of claim 18 , further comprising the steps of:

responsive to said invocation, obtaining a remote reference to a return non-value object; and,

establishing said reference in a data structure corresponding to a data structure to which return value objects conform.

20. The machine readable storage of claim 19 , further comprising the step of registering said reference in the functional testing tool.

21. The machine readable storage of claim 20 , further comprising the step of

maintaining said reference until one of said reference becoming de-registered, a playback process associated with said registering step terminates, and a termination of operation of the functional testing tool.

22. A machine readable storage having stored thereon a computer program for locating a testable object in a functional testing tool, the computer program comprising a routine set of instructions which when executed by the machine cause the machine to perform the steps of:

establishing a value and a weighting for each of a selected group of properties for a test object in an object mapping;

computing a value for at least one of said properties for a candidate object in a graphical user interface for an application under testing;

for each computed value, comparing said computed value to a corresponding one of said established values to produce a score and weighting said score according to said established weight;

summing said weighted scores to produce a candidate score; and,

locating the testable object based upon said candidate score in the functional testing tool.