GUI Frameworks

1
Test Automation GUI Frameworks
Todd Pasley K. J. Ross Associates Pty. Ltd. PO
Box 131, West Burleigh, 4219 Ph 07 5522 5131
Fax [phone] toddp_at_kjross.com.au http//www.kj
ross.com.au
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Overview

• GUI Test Automation
• What is different about testing via GUIs?
• Methods of GUI automation
• Tools
• Key Framework Elements
• Our Approach
• Complexity Issues
• Future Work

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Example System Architecture
Client
Web
.NET
Interface
Interface
HTTP/S
Web Tier
Servlet
Engine
SOAP
XML
Application Tier
Application
Server
ODBC/SQL
Database Tier
Database
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Common Automation Choices
Client
Web
.NET
GUI Harness
Interface
Interface
HTTP/S
Web Tier
Servlet
Engine
SOAP
XML
Application Tier
Application
Server
ODBC/SQL
Database Tier
Database
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Types of GUI Automation Tools

• Analogue
• Hooks into keyboard and mouse events
• Playback occurs by co-ordinates
• Any GUI change results in script change
• Object Recognition
• Playback occurs based on objects
• Not positional dependant
• Greater allowance for GUI change
• Difficult to automatically detect all types of
  objects

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GUI Testing Tools

• Abbot http//abbot.sourceforge.net/
• IBM Rational Robot http//www.ibm.com/
• WinRunner http//www.mercury.com/
• SAFS http//safsdev.sourceforge.net/
• QARun http//www.compuware.com/
• Xrunner http//www.mercury.com/
• TestQuest http//www.testquest.com/
• Others http//testingfaqs.org/t-gui.html

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Action Word Approach
Actions
GUI Map
Steps
Target System
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Key Framework Elements

• GUIMap
• Used represent objects which can be verified or
  have actions performed on
• Actions
• Used to define how actions are performed on
  objects
• Assertions
• Used to assert the state or value of a object
• Test Scripts
• Specify what actions to perform
• Specify what to assert

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Example GUI Map

• ltmapgt
• ltitem id"APP" name"SampleMarketApplication"
  type"Window"gt
•     ltitem id"APP-0" name"ContractInfo"
  type"MSFlexGrid" /gt
•   ltitem id"APP-1" name"Contract"
  type"ComboBox" /gt
•     ltitem id"APP-2" name"Tab" type"TabStrip"
  /gt
•     ltitem id"APP-3" name"Options" type"Option"
  /gt
•     ltitem id"APP-4" name"Futures" type"Option"
  /gt
•     ltitem id"APP-5" name"Exchange"
  type"ComboBox" /gt
• lt/itemgt
• lt/mapgt

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Example Actions

• ltactiongt
• ltsetfocusgt
• ltitem typename"gtAPPLICATIONNAMElt/itemgt
• lt/setfocusgt
• ltclickmenugtMENUlt/clickmenugt
• lt/actiongt
• ltactiongt
• ltsettextgt
• ltitem typename"gtTEXTBOXNAMElt/itemgt
• lttextgtNEWTEXTlt/textgt
• lt/settextgt
• lt/actiongt

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Example Assertions

• ltassertiongt
• ltverifygridelementgt
• ltitem type"name"gtGRIDNAMElt/itemgt
• ltgridelementgt
• ltrowgtROWlt/rowgt
• ltcolumngtCOLlt/columngt
• lt/gridelementgt
• ltgridvaluegtGRIDVALUElt/gridvaluegt
• lt/verifygridelementgt
• lt/assertiongt
• ltassertiongt
• ltverifytextgt
• ltitem typename"gtTEXTBOXNAMElt/itemgt
• lttextgtTEXTVALUElt/textgt
• lt/verifytextgt
• lt/assertiongt

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Example Test Script

• Test Case TC-SFT-01 - Launching Calculator
• \TC-SFT-01, WinGUIAction,launch,Launch
  Calculator,APPcalc.exe,MAPcalc
• Test Case TC-SFT-02 - Change view from
  standard to scientific mode
• \TC-SFT-02, WinGUIAction,clickmenu,View in
  Scientific Mode,MENUampView-gtampScientific
• Test Case TC-SFT-03 - Send Keys attempting to
  divide by 0
• \TC-SFT-03, WinGUIAction,sendkeys,Attempt to
  divide by 0,KEYS3/0
• Test Case TC-SFT-04 - Click the equals button
• \TC-SFT-04, WinGUIAction,clickbutton,Click the
  'equals' button,BUTTONNAME\
• Test Case TC-SFT-05 - Send Keys attempting to
  divide by 0
• \TC-SFT-05,WinGUIAssert,verifytext,Check for
  error,TEXTBOXResultBox,TEXTVALUECannot divide
  by zero.

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Action Words Architecture
Keyword
analyser
Test
scripts
Config
Database
files
Utility
Transactions
Variable
storage and
Test case
retrieval
statistics
Launch
SetText
..
VerifyText
Playback Engine
(Agent)
TCP/IP
GUIMap
Application specific
WIN32 Module
Other Perl Libraries
Templates
Framework
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WIN32 Common Controls

• Common Controls
• Textbox, CommandButton, ComboButton etc
• MS developed public functionality to ensure
  compatibility with 3.11
• Very simple to verify and perform actions
• Various resources available

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Non-Common Controls

• Custom controls
• Win32 API will not be available
• Developers of custom controls can provide
• Copies of objects
• Hooks into objects (possible address space
  issues)
• OLE/COM server
• Standard non-common controls
• E.g. MSFlexGrid
• Requires strong understanding of WIN32
  Architecture
• DLL injection to counteract address space issue
• Function interception
• VTable modification
• GDI hooking Repaint

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Action Words Architecture
Keyword
analyser
Test
scripts
Config
Database
files
Utility
Transactions
Variable
storage and
Test case
retrieval
Advanced Object
statistics
Libraries
Launch
SetText
..
VerifyText
Playback Engine
(Agent)
TCP/IP
Application specific
GUIMap
WIN32 Module
Other Perl Libraries
Templates
Framework
Both
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Further Work

• Capture component
• Generic approach for non-common controls
• Extensibility improvements
• nUnit Forms Integration
• X-Windows