What are the features of Eggplant testing tool? How is Eggplant run?

Eggplant is the GUI test automation tool that uses the black box approach in its testing process. The product stands out in the category of the GUI test automation tool and has even received US patent for its extra ordinary features. 

Features of Eggplant

The features of eggplant are:

1. Guided record mode: This record mode is quite sophisticated in comparison to the regular mode. It generates code by means of capturing the images thus avoiding the extra and unnecessary recording of the keyboard and mouse events.
2. Debugging
3. Code completion
4. Eggplant can be integrated very well with the other quality management software. It can be further used for augmenting the systems like the HP quality center.
5. Eggplant features an execution only mode i.e., the software testers and developers have the freedom of running the tests unattended via the command line interface of the eggplant.

 It can be used for a number of testing methodologies such as:

1. Mobile testing
2. Cross browser testing
3. Cross platform testing
4. Rich internet application testing
5. Performance testing

A free trial of eggplant software can be downloaded from the website of the company. Some additions that were made to the version 11 of the eggplant are:

1. Integration of the OCR engine
2. Sense talk scripting
3. Mac OS X lion support

The mobile version of the eggplant lets the software testers to carry out automated testing on mobile devices. Eggplant mobile provided a universal solution for testing the mobile applications across a number of mobile operating systems such as the following:

1. Android
2. iOS
3. blackberry
4. Symbian
5. Windows

- The OCR engine that was integrated in version 11 of the eggplant is a global one and also supports the latest version of the windows – windows 8. 

- The scripts developed by the eggplant are reusable. 

- The eggplant software can be made ready within an hour and you can start writing test scripts and executing them without wasting much time.

- To set up the eggplant software follow the below mentioned steps:

Ø First install the eggplant application.

Ø Now set up the system under test and install a VNC server on it.

Ø Set up a VNC connection.

ØFor a better understanding of how to use the application it is recommended that you take a tour of it.

Testing Process with Eggplant

Now we present a brief overview of the testing process with eggplant:

1. Set up your SUT and a VNC connection as mentioned previously in the article.
2. The SUT is controlled through eggplant so that you can capture images indicating the SUT interface elements. These are the elements with which you want the eggplant to have an interaction with.
3. Third stage involves generation of the scripts that guide the eggplant regarding what is to be done at the image locations that you have selected.
4. You can execute the scripts as many times as you require carrying out a particular task such as validating a process.
5. The result is generated in the suite editor and consists of detail run info and statistics that you can use for analyzing your results.

Best thing about eggplant is that even if it can be installed only on one computer (since it comes only with one computer per license), it can test any number of other computers. The scripts are created on the controller machine from where they can be executed on any other computer. This it does through the VNC (virtual network computing) server which sends the commands to the SUT. 

Explain Eggplant (GUI testing tool)? What is the approach behind Eggplant?

- Eggplant is an automation testing tool developed exclusively for carrying out black box approach based GUI testing. 

- This test automation tool came in to market in the year of 2002 and the developer was the Redstone Software. 

- Later, in the year of 2008, TestPlant – a UK based company took Redstone software in it’s under. 

- Basic technology used here is the image matching technology. 

- This is seen as quite contrary to examining the application under test (AUT) at the object level. 

- This helps in automation of the whole system under test (SUT) rather than focusing up on the application – specific solution.

- This implies another thing which is that the system on which the AUT runs and the technology used for developing the AUT do not matter at all. 

- The eggplant operates up on two computer systems. 

- The purpose of these two systems can be defined as follows:

1. Controller machine: The purpose of this computer system is to author the scripts and execute them accordingly
2. SUT or system under test: The purpose of this computer system is to run the VNC server.

- A connection is established between the eggplant and the VNC server through a built in viewer that operates on the internet protocol suite. 

- Any system that has a dedicated VNC server can be used as the System under test. 

- Earlier, the controller environment IDE was available only for Mac but now it is available for various platforms including linux and windows.

- The controller machine authors the scripts via sense talk that is a proprietary scripting language. 

- This language is quite similar to English and therefore too easy to use. 

- This proprietary language is used along with the guided record mode. 

- By guided record mode, we mean that the navigation through the system and the verification of the test steps is taught to the eggplant by the script-er.

-  In the year of 2011, an announcement to launch a more advanced version of the then successful eggplant was made by the TestPlant. 

- This new version saw the integration of the optical character recognition (OCR) with the eggplant and was supported by ABBY. 

- It could be run in compatibility with the linux, windows and Mac versions of the eggplant. - In the same another eggplant product was launched that sought to improve test environments provided by the eggplant and was called the eggplant manager. 

- The characteristic features of the eggplant that make it so distinct from the other GUI test automation tools:

1. Guided record mode
2. Debugging
3. Code completion
4. Can be integrated with the other quality management software
5. Execution only mode

- Technology behind the eggplant is image recognition algorithms.

- These algorithms let view the screen of the system under test. 

- The US patent was secured by the eggplant to be ability to monitor the GUI on a second computer screen from the previous computer screen. 

- This made it possible to run the tool without requiring any manual intervention. 

- With this, the product came in to the eyes of the UK trade and investment, especially the DSA (defense and security arm).

- Any operating system, browser or technology is fit for running the eggplant.