Automating modular manual tests including framework for test automation

US8239826B2 · kind B2 · utility

Assignee

• International Business Machines Corporation · US

Inventors

• Dennis W. Elenburg · Sachse, US
• Judith Keeley · Winchester, US
• Robert Levy · Watertown, US
• Francis J. McGrath · Wellesley, US
• Mark Metheny · Shirley, US
• René D. Morrow · Salem, US
• William C. Tobin · Chelmsford, US
• Mark Victory · Westford, US
• Steven Walton · Acton, US

Key dates

• Filing date: Mar 13, 2006
• Grant date: Aug 7, 2012
• Expiry date: May 10, 2030

Classification

• Technology area (CPC G): Physics
• CPC primary: G06F11/3438
• WIPO field: Computer technology
• WIPO sector: Electrical engineering

Abstract

An automation framework for automation of modular scripts based on a method for automating a script step in a modular script is provided. In accordance with one embodiment of the invention, the method comprises preparing a software environment for automation; performing one or more user actions on a software product executing on a computer system, the actions being representative of the script step that is to be automated, while the computer system records the user actions such that the modularity of the modular script is retained and the script step is automated; and providing user input to the computer system indicating that all the user actions have been performed. The modular script may be a modular test script prescribing test script steps that test a software product. Script steps that are shared by a large number of modular scripts and that are affected by a change to a corresponding software product need to be re-automated or updated only once, leading to automatically updated modular scripts that share the updated script steps.