What is the architecture of SilkTest ?

When you test an application GUI, Gui objects are manipulated such as windows, menus, buttons etc. using mouse clicks and keyboard. SilkTest interprets these objects and recognizes them based on its class properties and methods that uniquely identify them. SilkTest simulates the operations done by the user (mouse clicks and keyboard entries) and verifies the expected results automatically.
SilkTest has two components that execute as separate processes:
- Host Software
- Agent Software
The machine on which the host software component runs is called the host machine. Host software is the component that is used to develop test plans and test scripts. Test scripts can be created, edited, compiled, run the scripts and then debug them.
The agent software is the component that interacts with the GUI of your application. The agent software drives and monitors the Application Under Test (AUT). It translates the commands in the 4Test script into the GUI specific commands. The AUT and the agent software have to run on the same machine. Each GUI object has a unique match to the 4Test object.
SilkTest testing process involves four steps:
- Creating a test plan.
- Recording a test frame.
- Creating test cases.
- Running test cases and interpreting these results.