Explain TestOptimal - Web Functional/Regression Test Tool

About TestOptimal Testing Tool

- TestOptimal provides a convenient way for the functional/ regression/ load/ stress testing of the web–based applications in an automated way. 

- It also works for the java applications. 

- The technology behind the TestOptimal testing tool is the MBT or model based testing and some mathematical optimization techniques. 

- It generates as well as executes the test cases directly from the model of the application. 

- Actually, TestOptimal is itself a web – based application. 

- It has facilities for integrating it with the JUnit. 

- Furthermore, it can be run along with the NetBeans and Eclipse.

- Another striking feature of TestOptimal apart from the technology is that it uses is the application modeling with graphs.

- Example of such graphs are the state chart XML or in short SCXML. 

- These charts have drag and drop user interface that are capable of running  on  the standard browsers. 

- TestOptimal has a number of test sequencers that effectively meet the testing needs of different users. 

- Mscript or java is used for the automation of the tests i.e., the XML – based scripting. 

-TestOptimal provides statistical analysis of the virtual users and test executions required for load testing. 

- TestOptimal can be integrated with other tools such as QTP, quality center etc. with the help of its web service interface. 

- TestOptimal supports multiple browsers on a number of platforms such as Unix, Linux and Windows.

- The following constitute this model – based test automation suite for load and performance testing:

1. Test optimal basic MBT
2. proMBT
3. enterprise MBT
4. runtime MBT

- Model based testing and DDT (data driven testing) are combined together by the TestOptimal so as to provide a sophisticated and efficient test automation and test case generation tool. 

- With MBT, one can find the defects in the early stages of the development cycle, thus enabling a quick and efficient response. 

- TestOptimal animates the test execution that provides the user with an insight in to the testing. 

- This also enables the user to validate the model visually. 

- It also lets you track the requirement coverage.

-The test cases can be visualized with the help of various graphs. 

- For achieving the desired test coverage, there are a number of algorithms capable of generating requires test sequences. 

- The same automation scripts and models can be re–purposed if the user wants to perform load and performance testing.

- TestOptimal helps you cut down the length of the development cycle and at the same time achieving desired test coverage. 

- This in turn improves you response to the frequent changes and makes you confident about your software.

- With TestOptimal, it is sure that over 90 percent of your coverage requirements will be met and release turnaround time will be improved. 

Features of TestOptimal

Below we state some unique features of this excellent testing tool:

1. Finite state machine notation via MBT modeling.
2. Superstate and sub-model: With this feature a larger model can be partitioned in to smaller library components that are reusable.
3. Graphs: It provides various graphs such as the MSC (message sequence chart), coverage graph, model graph, sequence graphs and so on.
4. Model import and merge: It offers various modeling formats based up on XML and UML XMI such as the graphML, graphXML and so on.
5. Test case generation: It comes with many sequencers such as the optimal sequencer, custom test case sequencer, random walk and so on.
6. Scriptless data driven testing
7. Scripting offered in mscript and java.
8. ODBC/ JDBC support: Relational databases can be accessed and operations such as reading, writing, storing and verifying test results can be performed.
9. Integration with REST websvc, JUnit, java IDE specifically netbeans and eclipse, remote agents and so on.
10. Cross browser testing support on browsers such as chrome, IE, opera, firefox and safari.

Explain Tellurium - Web Functional/Regression Test Tool

- Tellurium is an automated testing framework developed exclusively for the web–based applications.

- It is an open source tool and based up on user interface module.

- All UI elements grouped together are called as the UI module. 

- Usually, a composite UI object is what that a UI module represents in a format similar to that of the basic nested UI elements. 

- Building of UI locators is actually possible because of the UI module. 

- This tool comes with a Firefox plug – in called the TrUMP (tellurium UI model plugin) using which one can create UI modules automatically.

- The duty of the framework is to perform object to locator mapping or OLM. 

- It does this at the execution time automatically so that the user finds it easy to define the UI objects just by their respective attributes. 

- Another technique used by tellurium is the GLC or the group locating concept for the exploitation of the information contained in the UI components. 

- This information is used for locating the locators.

- It defines a complete new language for web testing known as the domain specific language or DSL. 

- UI templates are one of the powerful features of tellurium. 

- These templates can be used for representing many identical UI elements with their dynamic size at the run time. 

- These elements are quite useful for testing dynamic web elements like for example a data grid.

- Another characteristic feature of tellurium is that it can composite the UI objects very nicely in to tellurium widget objects. 

- The tellurium widgets thus obtained can be packed as a jar file. 

- Each of these widgets can be used as a single tellurium UI object once included with the jar file. Java and groovy wrote the code for the tellurium core. 

- However, tellurium trump and engine can be implemented with jQuery and JavaScript. 

- Users are free to test cases in any of these languages: groovy, pure DSL, or java. 

- Tellurium is kind of a portable framework and runs up on selenium. 

- JUnit and TestNG testing frameworks are both supported by tellurium. 

- Tellurium is hosted on Google code as an open source project.

- It comes with Apache license 2. 

- The credit for the creation of this tool goes to Jian Fang of the Georgia institute of technology.

- The major flagship project of the tellurium team is the tellurium core. 

- The UI modules act as a backbone to the tellurium tests since they define the html content of the page that is being tested. 

- But it does not make use of CSS and xpaths for defining the UI elements as selenium do. 

- It uses a much better thing i.e., DSL that also defines the relationships among those modules. 

- JUnit or TestNG can be used as testing container as preferred by you. 

- It is required to write the UI module DSL for writing a selenium test case. 

- This can be either be done using TrUMP or manually. 

- The robustness of the tests are further improved by the tellurium’s santa algorithm. 

- This algorithm locates the UI module at the execution time DOM. 

- But this feature is only available in 0.7.0 and higher versions.

- The lower versions require that the run – time locators are generated by the tellurium core based up on the definition of the UI module. 

- The selenium commands are then passed by to the tellurium for locating individual UI elements. 

- Using trump UI module DSL can be generated just by clicking on the page elements. 

- The DSL then can be saved to a groovy class and can be used by the tests any time. 

- It is the use of UI modules that have made the tellurium so expressive.

What are key technologies supported by Maveryx? - Part 2

In this part of the article we shall discuss about the remaining 3 key technologies of the Maveryx automated testing tool:

5. Extensibility: 

- The plug–in system of the Maveryx is quite extensible.

- It can be made richer by customizing. 

- Maveryx allows the users to customize the default functionality and other specific desired capabilities using individual plug – ins.

- A number of plug–ins for a number of reasons are supported by the Maveryx tool. 

- Few of those reasons have been listed below:

a) For adding support dedicated to the complex as well as custom GUI controls.

b)  For adding test actions such as APIs that are proprietary.

c)  For adding new algorithms for matching.

d) For integrating the maveryx with a number of other tools like bug tracking tools, SCM tools and so on.

- Maveryx has got it all: the reliable and easy to use testing environment and intuitive testing functionality to help you create the best test project. 

- Maveryx holds a collection of powerful but easy to use java APIs that help in creating better regression and functional test cases. 

- Since Maveryx is an open source tool so you have the power of modifying it or extending it any way to fit your requirements. 

- Plug–ins are the things that help you in this regard. 

- They can be installed and removed at any times. 

- Maveryx has been designed so as to allow the mechanisms and hooks that help in enhancing the frame work without calling for any major changes in the infrastructure of the system. 

- Extensions can be made in either of the two ways:

Ø  By adding a new functionality or

Ø  By modifying an existing one

- Programming interface is another thing that helps with the extension of the maveryx tool. 

- By installing core plug–ins, you enhance the capabilities of the Maveryx making it to adapt your specific requirements or your organization’s specific requirements. 

- Customizing Maveryx increases its functionality and increases the speed of the testing process.

6. Eclipse plug–in

- Maveryx comes with a separate plug – in for the eclipse tool. 

- It consists of the software tools that can be deployed to make use of the java eclipse IDE, thus granting the developers and software testers with an ability of designing, building and executing the automated test scripts using the Maveryx testing tool.

- This plug–in provides assistance to the software testers who are using Maveryx in the creation of the new test classes for test projects and generation of the java code via Maveryx’s frame work.

7. Test Reporting: 

- When you execute a test case, you do not have to worry about generating the metrics. 

- Maveryx does it all for you through its test reporting key technology. 

- It automatically generates the metrics. 

- Plus, it also puts all the detailed reports at your fingertips.

- The results of the tests execution are also displayed automatically. 

- Actually, all this is done in coordination with the eclipse plug–in.

- The plug–in in turn makes use of a number of Maveryx’s reporting features for the creation of the reports and live charts during the execution process of the tests.

- The plug–in only creates the finalized test reports that give an explanation regarding the results of the tests through visual aids such as charts, tables, statistics and so on.

The maveryx software testing tool has got a number of other features such as:

- Test logging capabilities

- Automated verification points

- Multi – application testing

- Distributed application testing

- Error handling feature that is customizable

- Multilingual testing

- Keywords

What are key technologies supported by Maveryx? - Part 1

Maveryx’s unique key technologies are what that makes it so useful. There are 7 of them and we shall discuss about only 4 here.

1. No GUI Maps: 

- Maveryx is an automated testing tool that it does not makes use of GUI maps for locating the GUI objects.

- It carries out the analyzation and the identification of the GUI objects to know their properties at the time of the scripts execution without taking help from a GUI map. 

- When a test is run, a scan is carried out by the Maveryx software and it takes some of the snap shots of the interface of the application under testing or AUT. 

- Maveryx then processes each of the snap shots using an advanced GUI objects finder. 

- This object finder then recognizes the object and locates it so that you can straightaway start writing the test cases and you don’t have to wait. 

- Automated scripts can be developed early by the testers during the software development life cycle. 

- This is done in parallel with the development of the application. 

- However, the test scripts are developed only when the application is ready to be tested. 

2. GUI objects finder: 

- This advanced finder identifies as well as locates the objects very well that have been embedded in the scripts during the run time itself using many of its pattern – matching capabilities. 

- A number of searching algorithms are used by Maveryx for the recognition and the location of the objects during the execution session of the tests. 

- These algorithms remain applicable even for the objects to which changes have been made since the creation of the tests and partial descriptions have been encoded in to the test scripts. 

- It also carries out a search for the run – time objects that seem to match the test object fully or partially.

Below mentioned are the matching algorithms that are supported:

- Exact: This algorithm lets you search for a test object that is exactly same as the one mentioned in the test scripts.

-  Case insensitive: This algorithm is somewhat same as that of the first one but ignores the case.

- Partial: This algorithm lets you find a match based up on the partial data.

- Wild card: Using this algorithm you can match objects using the common regular expressions.

- Levenshtein distance: This algorithm lets you perform approximate matching through some fuzzy logic and edit distance.

- Thesaurus searching: This algorithm lets you find related terms be it in broader terms or in narrow terms or conceptual in a vocabulary called ‘wordnet’.

- Google translation: This algorithm is best suited for internationalization testing or multilingual testing and it lets you find translations.

   With so many algorithms the objects finder has proved to be quite effective in cutting down the time and effort made by the testers in maintaining the scripts. It also provides all the facilities to the testers to write the automated tests from the partial, lacking and unstable specifications. Further the testers are also enabled to automate the test cases that have developed resilience against frequent changes that are made to the interface of the application thus avoiding the need for the continuous rework on the scripts. 

    

     3. Data driven testing: 

    This maveryx implements through Microsoft office excel spreadsheets as well as XML files.  A number of data bases are also supported by the maveryx tool.

   4. Keyword driven testing: Using excel spreadsheets Mavryx creates data tables which it uses for developing test cases. Test actions or the keywords are stored in the spreadsheets and XML files. 

Explain Maveryx? For what purposes it is designed?

About Maveryx Testing Tool

- Maveryx has been developed as a GUI, Regression testing and automated functional testing tool for applications written in java. 

- But Maveryx is different from the other automated GUI testing tools in the way that it does not make use of GUI maps for the creation and execution of the automated tests. 

- The recognition of the GUI objects to be tested takes place at the time of the execution. 

- This is done using an advanced GUI objects finder. 

- Fuzzy and exact matching algorithms are supported by this search engine. 

- Such algorithms are also used in the identification of the test objects present in the application user interface. 

- With GUI maps, the automation process cannot be started early and so this search engine avoids GUI maps thus enabling the automation process start before the application is actually made available for testing. 

- On the other hand, possibility for deriving the tests from requirements that are either partial or lacking is achieved through approximate matching. 

- Approximate testing also allows for the scripts that have resilience against the frequently changing nature of the application. 

- Many of the software quality assurance teams deploy Maveryx primarily for carrying out automated testing in agile and traditional environments as well. 

- Data driven testing is also supported by the Maveryx for java applications. - It also supports a number of platforms such as:

1. Windows
2. Linux
3. Mac

- Maveryx does not use GUI maps for objects recognition rather it locates the objects at the run time directly when the scripts execution is in progress. 

- While the Maveryx runs a test, simultaneously it also carry out a scanning of the interface of the application under test or AUT and also searches for controls as well as the objects that require manipulation. 

- The GUI objects finder carries out an unique identification process for every test object. 

But what powers this advanced search engine?

- It is powered by a set of algorithms inclusive of the approximate as well as exact matching. 

- This technology makes it possible to get a closest match between the objects in AUT and GUI object encoded in the test scripts. 

- GUI object finder can perform this operation even if the full operation regarding the GUI object is not available. 

- The scripting language used by the Maveryx is of course the java. 

- It is because of this that Maveryx can be integrated with any of the java IDE such as netbeans, eclipse and so on. 

- Further, it can also be integrated with testing framework such as the IBM rational functional tester, JUnit and so on.

- In addition to the above mentioned testing methodologies, it also allows for using the keywords and verification points so that the test coverage can be increased, script reuse can be promoted and number of automated tests can be increased. 

- Various key technologies employed by the Maveryx are:

1. No GUI maps
2. GUI objects finder
3. Data driven testing
4. Keyword driven testing
5. Extensibility
6. Eclipse plug in
7. Test reporting

- Few characteristics features of maveryx are:

1. Test logging capabilities
2. Automated verification points
3. Multi – application testing
4. Distributed application testing
5. Error handling feature that is customizable
6. Multilingual testing
7. Keywords

- Metrics regarding the test cases are generated automatically by the Maveryx software.

- It also produces detailed reports with results.

- A number of reporting features are available with the eclipse plug – in of the Maveryx using which live reports and performance charts can be created during the run time of the test. 

- It also helps in the production of the final reports accompanied by statistics and table charts. 

Explain Rapise - Web Functional/Regression Test Tool

In this world of web–based applications, every application is unique and therefore its testing needs are also different from the other applications. To satisfy all those different testing requirements, environments, specifications, scenarios and so on we require many different testing tools. So a number of web functional/ regression testing tools have been developed and all of them possess some unique features that suit to needs of the different testers. 

In this article we discuss about one such web functional/ regression tool called Rapise that has been developed by the Inflectra inc. 

About Rapise

- This tool provides a platform for functional test automation. 

- The architecture of this tool is quite open and can be extended if required. 

- These two qualities make it very flexible for testing the applications.

- Rapise has built–in cross–browser testing capabilities that support several versions of the following web browsers:

1. Microsoft internet explorer
2. Mozilla firefox and
3. Google chrome

- It supports the following applications:

1. Ajax
2. GWT
3. YUI
4. Flash/ flex
5. AIR
6. Silverlight and so on.

- Microsoft excel spreadsheets can be used for following approaches such as keyword driven testing and data driven testing.

- Rapise identifies the objects based up on CSS and Xpath. 

- Rapise comes with a built–in OCR i.e., optical character recognition.

- It relies on JavaScript for scripting purpose. 

- An open format is used for storing the scripts as well as the identified objects unlike other tools that store them in a database or a proprietary binary file. 

- The JavaScript editor included with Rapise is full function edition and has a feature called the automatic code completion. 

- An active JavaScript debugger that is plug-gable plus has watches and break points, is also included in Rapise tool. 

- Rapise has made cross browser testing much easier than before. 

- This is all because of the cross – browser testing capabilities that are of the best standard and multiple browser versions as mentioned earlier in the article. 

- You have the choice of recording and creating one test script and executing the same in all the major browsers without making any modifications to it. 

- Rapise claims to have the most flexible as well as the powerful test automation features ever available in the market. 

Features of Rapise Testing Tool

Below we mention some features of Rapise testing tool:

1. Learn and go functionality: This lets you create test scripts rapidly. This works in a more efficient manner than what traditional recording and playback methods we have. The editing of the object takes place during the learning process.
2. Keyword driven testing and data driven testing
3. Windows and web application testing
4. Can be extended using Javascript
5. Adobe AIR and Flash support
6. Supports DevExpress, Infragistics and telerik controls.
7. Support for Qt framework
8. Integrated reporting capabilities that are very powerful.
9. Integration with SpiraTest for effective test management.

- This tool has leveraged the power of extensible architecture by a great measure. 

- For user, the JavaScript source code has been made available for library recognition as well as execution. 

- All these features let you automate the test where other testing tools are bound to fail. 

- With such advanced features, Rapise can be called as the most customizable, extensible and flexible test automation tool. 

- Key functions can be modified by the users as per their requirement and the recording aspects can be customized with the help of custom plug – in libraries. - Since Rapise is using Javascript, a broad range of users can access it.  

Explain Jubula - Web Functional/Regression Test Tool

Today we have around 100 tools available for functional and regression testing of the web based applications. Jubula is one among such tools and will be discussed here in detail. 

About Jubala

- This is an open source tool that is available both as a standalone application and as a part of the eclipse package.  

- The former comes with an installer that is quite easy to use and the latter one can be downloaded from an update site. 

- Jubula client can be used for viewing the actual and the expected results and also it can be used for viewing the current as well as the previous results. 

- Here, you can easily the automatic screenshots whenever an error occurs. 

- Jubula supports many applications such as:

1. Html
2. Swing
3. SWT/ RCP/ GEF and so on.

- Some features of Jubula tool have been listed below:

1. Heuristic object recognition
2. Command line client
3. Context sensitive help in client
4. Multi – user database for storing projects
5. Portability
6. Version control

- Command line has been included in this tool so as to facilitate continuous integration.

- Version control is achieved via the exports in XML format. 

- The contribution in this regard was made by BREDEX GmbH (also the developer of GUI dancer). 

- The GUIdancer was actually built up on the lines of Jubula core and offer some more features. 

- Jubula is not dependent on any platform windows, unix, linux or MAC. 

- A project by the name of ‘jubula functional testing tool’ was created as an open source project. 

- This project was a part of the eclipse technology project. 

- Other functional testing tools work up on the thing that the saving and management of the scripts is done through coding. 

Now depending up on the testing approach you are following, your test automation process may involve steps like recording, generation or straightaway writing of the code. 

What differentiates Jubala from other testing tools?

- It considers the importance of the automated acceptance tests as same as that of the project code. 

- According to Jubula, same best practices (reusability, modularity, readability etc.) should be used for creating these tests as well without requirement of any extra code. 

- Thus, the power of testing is given in the hands of the software testers and at the same time for the customers the access improves for monitoring the tests. 

- This results in a code free approach that minimizes the need for test maintenance, thus allowing the users to write the tests from their perspective. 

- If the team focuses on the software from the viewpoint of the user, it can gains a whole lot of quality info which often goes un-utilized when only JUnit tests are run.

- Jubula comes with a library of actions which is used for creating the tests. 

- You can combine the actions contained in the library using drag and drop.

- This library contains all the necessary actions that one may require for writing the tests. 

- This library is also independent of platform and application which implies that you can start writing the tests before the software is actually made available to you. 

- When you work with Jubula, you save on time since as soon as the code is committed the tests can be executed. 

- The time between the introduction of an error and catching it is reduced.

Objectives of Jubala

Jubula has got the following objectives:

1. Providing tooling for carrying out automated GUI testing on html and java based applications.
2. Specifying and maintaining a model specifications and requirements of the tests.
3. Providing API for projects so that the test scenarios can be generated, test can be executed and results can be obtained. 

What are different Web Functional/Regression Test Tools?

As functional and regression testing is important for many software systems, the same way it is important for the web applications to undergo the functional and regression testing. At present we have a number of tools available for web functional/ regression testing.  

In this article we shall discuss many such tools available:

1. ManageEngine QEngine: This tool is for functional testing and load testing of the web applications. This tool enables you to carry out GUI testing in minutes and below are some of its features:

Ø Portability: With this feature you can record scripts in windows and play them in linux without any need of recreation.

Ø  Scripting capabilities: These are simplified script creation, keyword driven testing, data – driven testing, object repository, Unicode support.

Ø  Playback options: It includes playback synchronization, chain scripts, multiple playback options etc.

Ø  Validation and verification: The tool comes with a rich library of built – in functions for constructing function calls for requirements such as dynamic property handling, database handling, and screen handling and so on.

Ø   AJAX testing

Ø  Reporting capabilities: The tool provides you with clear and powerful reports indicating the status of the execution of the test.

2. SeleniumHQ: This tool has a number of smaller projects that combined to create a testing environment to suit your needs:

Ø  Selenium IDE: This one’s an add – on for firefox and can be used for replaying the tests in the same.

Ø  Selenium remote control: Web browsers can be controlled with this client/ server system located on either a local host or a remote one.

Ø  Selenium grid: This is the same as the previous one but can handle multiple servers at a time.

Ø  Selenium core: Testing system based on JavaScript.

Ø Further specific selenium projects have been developed for ruby, eclipse and rails.

3. Rapise: It was developed by Inflectra inc. This tool has an extensible architecture and cross browser testing capabilities. It supports various versions of Mozilla Firefox, chrome, MS internet explorer and so on. The tool comes with built – in support for AJAX, YUI, GWT, AIR, Silverlight, flash/ flex etc. one can use this tool for carrying out keyword as well as data driven testing through excel spreadsheets. The tool identifies the objects based up on CSS and Xpath. For bitmaps, the tool comes with a built – in OCR (optical character recognition). It uses JavaScript for scripting purposes and therefore also has a JavaScript editor.
4. funcUnit: This is an open source web application testing framework. The API is based up on JQuery. Almost all the modern browsers are supported on Linux and MAC. Selenium can also be used for executing the tests. It can simulate various user input events clicking, typing, and dragging the mouse and so one. 

5. qUnit: Any JavaScript code that is generic can be tested by this tool. It is somewhat similar to the JUnit but operates up on JavaScript features. 

6. EnvJS: This is a simulated browser environment and an open source tool whose code has been written in javascript. 

7. QF – test: It has been developed by quality first software  as tool for cross  - platform testing and cross browser automation of the web applications. It can be used to test web applications based up on html, ajax, GWT, exTJS, richfaces, Qooxdoo, java and so on. The tool has got some small scale capabilities for test management, intuitive user interface, extensive documentation, capture/ playback mechanism, component recognition and so on. It can be used for handling both custom and complex GUI objects. It has got customizable reporting and integrated test debugger system. 

8. Cloud testing service: This enables the cloud capabilities to be utilized while web testing. It has been developed by the cloud testing limited. Here, web functionality can be recorded via selenium IDE and a web browser. The scripts can be uploaded to the cloud testing website.