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. 

What factors are needed to prioritize themes?

Need of users is considered before planning for a project. To achieve the best combination of product features, schedule, and cost requires deliberate consideration of the cost and value of the user stories and themes.
We need to prioritize and this responsibility is shared among the whole team. Individual user stories or features are aggregated into themes. Stories and themes are then prioritized relative to one another for the purpose of creating a release plan.

There are four primary factors to be considered when prioritizing:
1. The financial value of having the features.
2. The cost of developing new features.
3. The amount and significance of learning and new knowledge created by developing the features.
4. The amount of risk removed by developing features.

1. Determine the Value of Theme
- Estimate the financial impact over a period of time.
- It can be difficult to estimate the financial return on theme.
- It usually involves estimating number of new sales, average value of sales and so on.

2. Determine the Cost of Developing new Features
- Estimating cost of a feature is a huge determinant in overall priority of a feature.
- The best way to reduce the cost of change is to implement a  feature as late as possible.
- The best time to add feature is when there is no more time to change.
- Themes seem worthwhile when viewed in terms of time they will take.
- It is important to keep in mind that time costs money.
- The best way to do this while prioritizing is to do a rough conversion of story points or ideal days into money.

3. Learning New Knowledge
The knowledge that a team develops can be classified in two areas:
Product Knowledge
- It is the knowledge about what will be developed.
- It includes knowledge about features that are included and the features that are not included.
- Better knowledge of product will help the team to make better decisions.

Project Knowledge
- It is the knowledge about how product will be created.
- It includes knowledge about technologies, skills of developers, functioning of team together etc.
- The other side of acquiring knowledge is reducing uncertainty.

4. Risk
- A risk is anything that has not happened yet but might happen. It would threaten or limit the success of the project.
- Types of risks involved in a project are : schedule risk, cost risk and functionality risk.
- Struggle exists between high risk and high-value features of a project.
- Each approach has its drawbacks and the only solution is to give neither risk nor value total supremacy when prioritizing.

All these factors are combined by thinking first of the value and cost of the theme. Doing so will sort the themes into an initial order. Themes can then be moved forward or back in this order based on the other factors.