Recording Automated Tests

[bjtallguy]

Hi all

I have started a new job creating automated tests for Jade thin client applications.

Neither TestPartner, or Visual Studio 2010 can reliably record interactions with the Jade (6.3) GUI.

What framework has it been developed with? .Net3 ?
Or something older like Win32 widgets.

Can anyone else recommend a test tool for recording user interaction?

Thanks

BJ

[JohnP]

There is a tool called Automatic Test Code Generator that was developed by the Jade Benchmark Lab that records and replays gui actions.

It captures gui activity by tracking the firing of gui event methods such as Button::click, TextBox::lostFocus etc. From this it generates JADE code in the form of test classes and methods. These can then be executed to replay the original recorded actions. The schemas are loaded under the schema in which the app runs. Few if any changes are required to the application schema, so the production system does not need the new schemas loaded. Utilities are provided to facilitate record and replay.

We use ATCG regularly in benchmarks and automated functional tests. There are a few external users also.

On the plus side, ATCG generates JADE code that you can modify, for example to cycle through various test data inputs, or change dates. On the other side, it only records form and control event method actions, so if you rely on a lot of interactions with ActiveX etc, you will need to code those yourself.

If this sounds interesting, contact your account manager for more information.

[torrie]

I remember using a Jade utility to do some performance and load testing when I worked in the UK, unfortunately I can't remember its name. The utility would allow you to run clients on multiple machines and then set off the tests on all the clients. The management interface recorded both the test results and performance of each test. The tests were methods on a class similar to the way that Unit Tests work. We used the tool to test the throughput of a Web Service provider.

Is this tool part of the ATCG? If not, is it still available?

[bjtallguy]

Thanks for the ideas.

I'm still looking for a tool capable of driving the GUI itself as this will most closely simulate the end users' environment.

ATCG sounds useful in its own right and I'll raise it with our developer team real soon now.

BJ

[JohnP]

BJ, part of the reason we developed ATCG was that GUI-driven tools aren't reliable, or so I'm told. Something about the windows id's changing? I don't recall the specifics.

Torrie, there was another tool called Performance Test Framework that was developed in 2000 or so. It has been provided to a site or two in the UK, so that may be what you are referring to. It has (by default) three green graphs at the bottom of the control app - is that what you remember? ATCG was designed to generate test classes that are useable by PTF. Some of the benchmarks we still run use PTF, and some of the test classes were generated by ATCG.

To use PTF in its original form, you have to manually code things like button clicks, listbox selections etc. ATCG automates that, to reduce the effort involved in creating tests. For functional testing, ATCG is the better choice. For performance testing, PTF can be used to drive ATCG-generated test code.

[torrie]

The PTF was what I remember. It was a useful tool for multi user scenarios (Load testing, locking and concurrency etc.)

[bjtallguy]

BJ, part of the reason we developed ATCG was that GUI-driven tools aren't reliable, or so I'm told. Something about the windows id's changing? I don't recall the specifics.

Gotcha. That is certainly the problem I am seeing and like it or not, it looks like ATCG is the solution.

Time for a new thread: Jade7 compatibility.

Thanks again.