Method for automated software application testing

Abstract

A method for automatically testing a software program; which is provided with a TEST DATA file including all data to test the functions of the program, a SCREEN FIELD MAP file including screen field marks such as field number, title, screen position, etc. and an INTER-SCREEN NAVIGATION file for describing inter-screen relations, includes the following steps: identifying the screens needed for the test data, getting the identified screens, carrying out the tests and logging all discrepancies.

Claims

We claim:

1. A method for automatically testing a software application program by executing a plurality of test steps in a computer running the program and equipped with a displaying means for displaying information and a keying means for entering data into the computer, said computer also including;

a TEST DATA file containing data for testing the program,

a SCREEN FIELD MAP file containing a record for each screen specifying fields to be displayed, and

an INTER-SCREEN NAVIGATION file containing information defining the sequential relationships between the screens,

said method including the following steps:

collecting useful data for each of the test steps to be executed from the TEST DATA file and the SCREEN FIELD MAP file and storing the data in a STEP DATA work file;

for each of said test steps searching the INTER-SCREEN NAVIGATION file for a path linking the screens and generating a PATH work file; and

reading the PATH and STEP DATA work files in a predetermined sequence for emulating keying in by a user to the computer, for each of said test steps, the data stored in the STEP DATA work file to test the application program.

2. A method for automatically testing a software application program by executing a plurality of test steps in a computer running the program and equipped with a displaying means for displaying information and a keying means for entering data into the computer, said computer also including:

a TEST DATA file containing data for testing the program;

a SCREEN FIELD MAP file containing a record for each screen specifying fields to be displayed; and

an INTER-SCREEN NAVIGATION file containing information defining the sequential relationships between the screens;

said method including the following steps:

collecting useful data for each of the test steps to be executed from the TEST DATA file and the SCREEN FIELD MAP file and storing the data in a STEP DATA work file;

for each of said test steps, searching the INTER-SCREEN NAVIGATION file; for a Forward Path between an Objective Screen and an Entrance Screen, for an Ultimate Screen and for a Backwards Path between a Prior Screen and a Cross Screen; updating a Forward Path Non-Mandatory Key work file; and, setting the path for each of the test steps; and

emulating keying in by a user to the computer, for each of said test steps, data stored in the STEP DATA work file to test the application program.

Description

The present invention relates to tests of a software application in general, and in particular to a method for automated software application testing with relational data base.

With the increasing number of software applications being developed worldwide and the increasing complexity of every single one of them, there is a growing need in the industry for a tool to assist developers in testing efficiently and accurately their software applications.

The prevalent method in the industry for testing software applications is the use of a robot which records keystrokes then replays them. This method implies writing a TEST DATA document, then recording and playing back. The periodical publication NEWS 3X/400, which deals with the AS/400 system (system using a relational data base), has presented lastly two products: QES/Architect and WITT (February 93 issue). Both products have the same approach: keystroke record and play back with the possibility of having TEST DATA independent of the SCREEN FIELD MAP.

With these available prior art testing tools, the keystroke recording and playing back is especially fit for a ready to use software application. For all changes in such an application however, it becomes difficult to find the changes in the files of the recording, and to directly operate in the file. Thus, the only method left is proceeding with another recording and replaying for part of the application. With QES/Architect or WITT products, the independence of TEST DATA versus SCREEN FIELD MAP exists but there is no independence between the TEST DATA and the INTER-SCREEN NAVIGATION: TEST DATA cannot distinguish between data for the functions from data for navigation purpose.

The method for automated software application testing according to the invention presents over the QES/Architect or WITT products the advantage that independence of the three entities (TEST DATA, SCREEN FIELD MAP, INTER-SCREEN NAVIGATION) improves:

the writing of the TEST DATA for functional testing, by using the data base,

the use of the specifications for INTER-SCREEN NAVIGATION data (these specifications being coded according to the computer programs explained further in the present description of the invention), and

the change of one of the three entities without modification of the two others.

A further improvement is the writing of the TEST DATA for functional testing without knowing the SCREEN MAP and the INTER-SCREEN NAVIGATION specifications. This is specially useful when the application screens (i.e. the various displayed screens proposed by the application in the course of its running, to a user) are issued by an Application Language Generator, according to its own standard, and which are sometimes only available at the end of the coding.

Besides the three entities, the LOGIC implemented in the testing method according to the invention, automatically emulates the terminal with the TEST DATA, using the above three entities.

An advantage of that LOGIC outside the three entities is the possibility, by changing the LOGIC, to use the same TEST DATA for a software application generated on different platforms (AS/400, RISC, etc.).

The invention includes a method to run an automated software application testing, using three entities:

TEST DATA file, containing all data to test the functions of the software application,

SCREEN FIELD MAP file, containing the screen field marks (i.e. the field number, its position in the screen, its title, etc.), and

INTER-SCREEN NAVIGATION file, describing the inter-screen relation, the method comprising a logic to:

find the screens needed for the test data,

get these screens and carry out the tests, and

log all the discrepancies.

More particularly, the invention includes a method for automated software application testing thru a plurality of test steps, in a computer for running said software application and equipped with displaying and keying-in means and including therein:

a TEST DATA file, containing data to test the functions of the software application,

a SCREEN FIELD MAP file, containing specifications of the fields of the screens displayed to a user by the software application in the course of its running, and

a INTER-SCREEN NAVIGATION file, containing the specifications of the relations between said screens,

the said method comprising:

collecting useful data for each of said plurality of test steps and saving them in a STEP DATA work file,

searching for each of said plurality of test steps, for a path linking said screens, and making up a PATH work file, and

emulating for each of said plurality of test steps the keying-in by a user using said application program.

The invention will be better understood from the following detailed description read in conjunction with the following schematics:

FIG. 1 shows a TEST DATA file, built up with the present method from an Application data base and a Complementary data base.

FIG. 2 shows the format of the SCREEN FIELD MAP file. It can be the screen specifications.

FIG. 3 shows the format of the INTER-SCREEN NAVIGATION file. It can be the inter-screen navigation specifications.

FIG. 4 shows the architecture of the method for automated software application testing according to the invention.

FIG. 5 shows the STEP DATA work file to explain the running of automated software application testing according to the invention.

FIG. 6 shows the PATH work file to explain the running of automated software application testing according to the invention.

The three entities are explained thereafter, in conjunction with the figures.

1. TEST DATA file in FIG. 1, contains data for the tests of the functions. Each test step is built regarding one data base file and follows the structure:

1st record: ACTION Code, with the following classification:

active ACTION Code, such as CREATE, MODIFY,

passive ACTION Code, such as READ,

result such as PRINT, DELETE,

Next records: Field names of the data base file, with their data and an index for selection Key Fields.

Key Fields are selection fields of the relational data base.

The TEST DATA files are obtained in two stages:

Firstly, the structure of a test step is made up from an Application data base and a Complementary data base. The Application data base is the data base of the software application. The Complementary data base has been `manually` built up with the fields which are not taken into account by the Application data base but described in the specifications, such as options for data processing, prints, etc. Then, the TEST DATA with ACTION Codes are written by copy from the structure.

2. SCREEN FIELD MAP FILE in FIG. 2, contains the specifications of the screen fields. Each record has the following format:

Field name,

ACTION Code,

Screen name,

Field mark, to locate the field on the screen (it can be the field number, its position, its title, etc.).

A key field of the TEST DATA file is related to several screens in the SCREEN FIELD MAP file.

A non-key field of the TEST DATA file is related to one screen per ACTION Code in the SCREEN FIELD MAP File.

The SCREEN FIELD MAP file can by obtained in two ways:

the first way is to get SCREEN FIELD MAP file as screen specifications for the application: that specification is coded as in the invention.

the second way is to process the Screen Definition Source files of the application mock-up, when it exists and is approved: these files contain three fields (field name, screen name, and Mark, which is the position in the screen given for example by two figures that are the line number and the column number), the fourth one (Action Code) being issuable from a standard (screen name for example) or put `manually`.

3. INTER-SCREEN NAVIGATION FILE in FIG. 3, contains the inter-screen relations. Each record has the following format:

SOURCE SCREEN name,

COMMAND, a code for succession of key-ins and commands which applied on that screen, provides the results as seen further,

MOTION (`forward`, `backwards`), when the COMMAND causes a change of screen (blank field if there is no MOTION),

TARGET SCREEN name (blank field if there is no MOTION),

Response, if the COMMAND causes print or delete.

The INTER-SCREEN NAVIGATION file can be obtained in so far as a part of the specification of the application: that specification is coded as in the invention with the following Command code corresponding to the following Action:

    __________________________________________________________________________
    COMMAND    ACTION
    __________________________________________________________________________
    Direct COMMANDS
    1-Key-in `x` on the SOURCE SCREEN
    2-`Enter`key
    *PFk
    1-PFk key
    Selection COMMANDS
    *K
    1-Key-in the key data of the test step on the SOURCE SCREEN
    2-`Enter` key
    *Ki
    1-Selects, on the SOURCE SCREEN, the record with the key data
               of the test step, and marks it with `i`
    2-`Enter` key
    Input COMMANDS
    1-Inputs, on the SOURCE SCREEN, the non-key data of the test step
    2-`Enter` key
    Other COMMANDS
    *S
    1-Key-in the key data of the test step on the SOURCE SCREEN
    2-Inputs, on the SOURCE SCREEN, the non-key data of the
    test step
    3-`Enter` key
    C1(C2
    1-any above command C1
    2-any above COMMAND C2
               ex: *K(*S
               ex: *Ki(*Pfk
    __________________________________________________________________________

    ______________________________________
    Test Step Group of data for an elementary ACTION: CREATE
              or READ or MODIFY, etc (see Fig.1)
    Entrance Screen
              The first screen of the application
    Current Screen
              The screen where the application stands
    Prior Screen
              The current
              screen, before starting a new Test Step
    Objective Screen
              One or several screens are needed to key-in
              the Test Step data: the last one
              is called the `Objective Screen`
    Ultimate Screen
              The screen after the Test Step is over
    Forward Path
              When the application calls new screens, it's
              on the `Forward Path`
    Backwards Path
              When the application returns to previously called
              screens it is on `Backwards Path`
    Cross Screen
              The screen as the crossing of `Backwards Path`
              and the `Forward Path`
    Key Field A field which is a selection field of the
              relational data base
    Forward Path
              File saving all
    Non mandatory
              the Key Fields with their TEST DATA
    key work file
              for the `Forward Path` linking the
              Entrance Screen and the Current Screen
    ______________________________________

    ______________________________________
    /*Collect TEST DATA */
    >Read the next Test Step in the TEST DATA file
    >Write to STEP DATA work file
      ACTION Code,
      all Key Field names, their related data and the index K
      all non-Key Field names and their related data
    /* Add Screen names and Marks for non-Key Field names */
    >Do For every composite key (ACTION Code / Non-Key Field name)
     >Read the SCREEN FIELD MAP file
     >Write the screen name and Mark to STEP DATA work file
    for the related
         composite (ACTION Code / Non-Key Field name)
         /*the Mark here is ll.sub.-- cc*/
    >Enddo
    >Define Objective Screen = the last screen name, for the Read step above
     /*Define mandatory Key Fields */
    >Do for every composite key (Key Field name / data) of
    STEP DATA work file
     >IF not in the Forward Path Non Mandatory Key work file:
      /* this file is detailed with routinc 3 */
     >Write in the STEP DATA work file an index M for related
         composite (Key Field name / data)
     >Endif
    >Enddo
    ______________________________________

    ______________________________________
    MODIFY
    K       Company      XYZ
    K M     Serial N.cent.
                         12345
            Address      BORDEAUX    SCR342 05 13
            Objective.sub.-- screen: SCR342
    ______________________________________

    ______________________________________
    >Initial condition: TARGET SCREEN = Objective Screen
    >Do while TARGET SCREEN not equal to Entrance Screen
     >Read the INTER-SCREEN NAVIGATION file for the composite key
      (MOTION = `FORWARD`/ TARGET SCREEN)
     >Write the record to PATH work file
     >TARGET SCREEN = SOURCE SCREEN, from the above record
    >Enddo
    >Call the subroutine: MKF (for: Mandatory Key Field) CHECKING,
    >If the MKF CHECKING is KO: search another path, i.e. restart routine
    ______________________________________

    ______________________________________
    /* If the ACTION Code is passive (such as READ) there is no
    MOTION */
    >If ACTION Code = READ
     >WRITE to PATH work file the following record
       (SOURCE SCREEN = Objective Screen and COMMAND = READ)
    >Endif
    /* Search for active ACTION Code (such as CREATE, MODIFY) */
    >If ACTION Code = CREATE or MODIFY
     >Read the INTER-SCREEN NAVIGATION file for the composite key
       (SOURCE SCREEN / COMMAND) = (Objective Screen / *S)
     >Write the record in PATII work file
    >Endif
    /* Search for ACTION Code which are result such as PRINT, DELETE */
    >If ACTION Code = PRINT or DELETE
     >Read the INTER-SCREEN NAVIGATION file for the composite key
       (SOURCE SCREEN / response) (Objective Screen / ACTION Code)
     >Write the record in PATH work file
    >Endif
    ______________________________________

    ______________________________________
    >Build up the list of screens of the following path:
     >If the Ultimate Screen is reached with the MOTION `Forward`:
     take the Forward Path defined at the end of the Routine 2 by the
     PATH work file.
     >If the Ultimate Screen is reached with the MOTION `Backwards`:
     take the Forward Path (defined at the end of the routine 2 by the
     PATH work file) between the Entrance Screen and the Ultimate Screen.
    >Do For all the Key Field names of the above screen list
     >WRITE the Forward Path Non Mandatory Key work file with
     (Key Field name and its data used in the Test Step)
    >Enddo
    ______________________________________

    ______________________________________
    >Initial condition: SOURCE SCREEN = Prior Screen
    >Do until crossing the Forward Path (i.e. until Cross Screen)
     >Read the INTER-SCREEN NAVIGATION file for the composite key
       (MOTION = `BACKWARDS` / SOURCE SCREEN)
     >Write the record to PATH work file
     >SOURCE SCREEN = TARGET SCREEN
    >Enddo
    ______________________________________

    ______________________________________
    >Set the PATH work file in the same order as the screens passes:
     >Backwards Path
     >Forward Path between the Cross Screen and the Objective Screen
    >Call the subroutine: MKF CHECKING,
     >If the MKF CHECKING is KO: search another Backwards Path
     (i.e. restart at routine 4, after refreshing the PATH work file in the
     status of the Routine 4 beginning)
    ______________________________________

    ______________________________________
    >Do for each mandatory Key Field name of STEP DATA
     >Check the link between records of the 2 files
     SCREEN FIELD MAP file      Path file
     Field name = mandatory Key Field name
     ACTION Code = `KEY`
     Screen name =      Screen name
    >Enddo
    ______________________________________

    ______________________________________
    >Initial condition: the application is at the Current Screen = Prior
    Screen
    >READ sequentially the PATH work file to get COMMAND and
    TARGET SCREEN
    >If the COMMAND = a Selection COMMAND (*K or *Ki)
     >Do until end of file
     >Read SCREEN FIELD MAP file for the composite key
        (screen name / ACTION Code) = (Current Screen / `KEY`)
        to get the Mark and the Field name
     >Emulation: Set the cursor for the Mark
     >Read the STEP DATA work file for the Field name to get the data
     >Emulation: key-in the data
     >Enddo
     >Emulation: `Enter` key
     >If COMMAND = *Ki: key-in `i` on the index zone then `Enter`
     >Call routine: Screen Identification Checking for TARGET SCREEN
    >Endif
    >If COMMAND = an Input COMMAND (such as *S)
     >Do until end of file
     >Read sequentially STEP DATA work file for screen name =
    Current Screen
            to get Mark and data
     >Emulation: Set the cursor for the Mark and key-in of the data
     >Enddo
     >Emulation: `Enter` key
     >Call routine: Screen Identification Checking for TARGET SCREEN
    >Endif
    >If COMMAND = a Direct COMMAND (such as x or *PFi)
     >Emulation: Key-in (x plus `Enter`) for COMMAND x,
     or key-in PF-key according to *PFi
     >Call routine: Screen Identification Checking for TARGET SCREEN
    >Endif
    >If COMMAND = Passive COMMAND (such as READ)
     >Do until end of file
     >Read sequentially STEP DATA work file for screen name =
    Current Screen
        to get Mark and data
     >Emulation: Set the cursor for the Mark and read
     >Compare reading with data
      >If comparison is not OK: log a message
     >Enddo
    >Endif
    ______________________________________

    ______________________________________
    >Initial condition: TARGET SCREEN name
    >Check the identification of the Current Screen (it can be the screen
    name)
    >If not OK
     >Log a message
     >Synchronize by emulation of backwards PFkey until a known screen
    /*In the present embodiment, synchronization is at the Entrance Screen*/
    >Endif
    ______________________________________

• Inventors
  Bonne, Francois; Grillet, Jean-Marie; Mansel, Guy; Rouah, Paul;
• Assignee
  International Business Machines Corporation (Armonk, NY)
• Published
  Apr-14-1998
• Current US Classes:
  703/22
  707/1
  714/45
  714/732
  714/736
• Application #
  729227
• International Classes
  G06F 011/00; G06F 011/23
• Field of Search
  395/500 395/601 395/604 395/704 395/603 395/602 395/611 395/614 395/621 395/183.21 395/183.22 364/578 364/580 371/22.4 371/25.1
• Examiner
  Nguyen; Tan Q.
• Agent
  Cockburn; Joscelyn G., Frisone; John B.
• US Patent References:
  4847751
  5045994
  5157782
  5218605
  5233611
  5333252
  5355497
  5367671
  5390325
  5594892