Tersus: Automated Testing

Automated TestingDate: Jul 23, 2008Tags:TestingIntroductionTest Runner is a framework for running automatic tests, which are helpful if you want to ensure important components of your application still work as they used to in the past ("regression testing").You can define sets of tests ("Test Suites"), each containing several tests of parts of your application ("Test Cases"), and then run all of them or any subset of them. As you run the tests, you can see which test is currently running, and for each test whether it has finished successfully or not.We distinguish between two types of tests:

Process Test Cases: Testing processes that have no manifestation on the screen (e.g. some calculation)

Display Test Cases: Simulating and testing parts of the application that involve user interaction (e.g. the user typing some data and then pressing a button).

The templates used in testing, Test Runner, Test Suite, Display Test Case, and Process Test Case, are available in the Testing category of the palette. Test Runner can be added to any application, and then you can test models from that application. Starting with version 1.1 of Tersus, the Examples project (provided as part of the standard installation of the Tersus Studio) shows how you do it. Examples/Tests/Test Runner demonstrates both process and display test cases. It uses a vertically split screen, where the left side is used to manage a hierarchy of test suites and test cases, while the right side is used for the display of those parts of the application that are simulated by the display test cases. To learn the usage of the Test Runner, try adding test cases to the Examples project.Adding a new process test

We'll add a test of the Add plug-in to the test suite of the Tersus Common Library

Open Examples/Tests/Test Runner and zoom into Tests Container/Common Library Tests

Add a new test suite by dragging Test Suit from the palette into Common Library Tests. Name it Math (this test suite will contain all tests of plug-ins from the 'Math' category of the palette), as in the following screen shot:

Add a new test case by dragging Process Test Case from the palette into the Math test suite. Name it Add.

Model the test case:

From the Repository Explorer, drag the model Common/Templates/Math/Add/Test1/Add - 2 Basic Tests into your new test case, as in the following screenshoot:
This model is expected to return two results - the number 5 (through the exit Partial Sum) and the number 25 (through the exit Sum).
Model the testing of the results - if indeed we do get 5 and 25, the test case should exit through its OK exit, as in the followig screenshot:

If you now save you model and run Examples, you'll see that there is a new branch 'Math' under the 'Common Library Tests' suite of tests. You can mark the 'Add' test case and run it. Adding a new display test

Add a new test case by dragging Display Test Case from the palette into Examples/Tests/Test Runner/Tests Container/Application Tests. Name it Math GCD View.

Model the 3 steps of the test case:

In Math GCD View/Open View: Set the tested view:
- From the Repository Explorer, drag Examples/Math/GCD/GCD View on the <Object> exit of Create View Element.
In Math GCD View/Interact: Model data entry of the two input numbers and clicking the 'Calculate' button:
- Entering the number 20:
  - Right click, select Add Element, and select Set Input Field Value. Rename the element to Set 1st Input Field Value.
  - Delete the redundant Control trigger of Set 1st Input Field Value.
  - Add a numeric constant 20 and connect it to to the Value trigger of Set 1st Input Field Value.
  - Zoom into Set 1st Input Field Value and set the input field whose value we want to set (from the Repository Explorer, drag Examples/Math/GCD/A on the Display Element exit of Find Input Field).
- Entering the number 28:
  - Right click, select Add Element, and select Set Input Field Value. Rename the element to Set 2nd Input Field Value.
  - Connect the Done exit of Set 1st Input Field Value to the Control trigger of Set 2nd Input Field Value.
  - Add a numeric constant 28 and connect it to to the Value trigger of Set 2nd Input Field Value.
  - Zoom into Set 2nd Input Field Value and set the input field whose value we want to set (from the Repository Explorer, drag Examples/Math/GCD/B on the Display Element exit of Find Input Field).
- Clicking the 'Calculate' button:
  - Right click, select Add Element, and select Click Element. Rename the element to Click Calculate Button.
  - Connect the Done exit of Set 2nd Input Field Value to the Control trigger of Click Calculate Button.
  - Zoom into Click Calculate Button and set the element whose clicking we want to simulate (from the Repository Explorer, drag Examples/Math/GCD/Calculate GCD Button on the Display Element exit of Find Display Element).
  - Connect the Done exit of Click Calculate Button to the Done exit of its parent process (Interact).
  - The resulting Intercat model should look similar to the following:
In Math GCD View/Verify Result: Model the testing of the result:
- Zoom into Get Display Element Value and set field whose value we want to test (from the Repository Explorer, drag Examples/Math/GCD/GCD on the Display Element exit of Find Display Element).
- Zoom out back to Verify Result and set the expected result (add a numeric constant 4 and connect it to to the Expected trigger of Compare Value).
- The resulting Verify Result model should look similar to the following:

If you now save you model and run Examples, you'll be able to run the ''Math GCD View' test case by itself. Note that as it runs, you can see the simulated display changes on the right side of the screen, as in the following screen shot: