Silktest – THE AUTOMATED TESTING PROCESS

The testing process has these 4 steps :
• Creating a testplan (if you are using the testplan editor)
• Recording a test frame.
• Creating testcases
• Running testcases and interpreting their results.
Creating a testplan
If the testplan editor is used, the automated testing process is started by creating a testplan. A basic testplan is structured as a hierarchical outline and contains:
• Descriptions of individual tests and groups of tests. As many levels of description can be used.
• Statements that link the test descriptions in the plan to the 4Test routines, called testcases, that accomplish the actual work of testing.
Recording a test frame
Next, record a test frame, which contains descriptions, called window declarations, of each of the GUI objects in your application. A window declaration specifies a logical, cross-platform name for a GUI object, called the identifier, and maps the identifier to the object’s actual name, called the tag. In addition, the declaration indicates the type of the object, called its class.
Creating testcases

The 4Test commands in a testcase collectively perform three distinct actions :
• Drive the application to the state to be tested.
• Verify the state (this is the heart of the testcase).
• Return the application to its original state.
The powerful object-oriented recorder can be used to automatically capture these 4Test commands to interact with the application, or to white the 4Test code manually if one is comfortable with programming languages. For maximum ease and power, these two approaches can be combined, recording the basic testcase and then extending it using 4Test’s flow of control features.
Running testcases and interpreting results
Next, run one or more testcases, either by running a collection of scripts, called a suite, or, if you are using the testplan editor, by running specific portions of the testplan. As each testcase runs, statistics are written to a results file. The results file and its associated comparison tools allow you to quickly pinpoint the problems in your application.
A Test Frame
The test frame is the backbone that supports the testcases and scripts. It is a file that contains all the information about the application’s GUI objects that Silk Test needs when you record testcases. This information minimally consists of a declaration for each GUI object, but can also include any data that you want to associate with each GUI object, as well as any new classes and methods that you want to define.
A window declaration specifies a cross-platform, logical name for a GUI object, called the identifier, and maps the identifier to the object’s actual name, called the tag. Because the testcases use logical names, if the object’s actual name changes on the current GUI, on another GUI, or in a localized version of the application, only the tag in the window declarations need to be changed; don’t need to change any of the scripts. Variables, functions, methods, properties can be added to the basic window declarations recorded by Silk Test.
To record declarations for the main window and menu hierarchy of your application.

1. Start up your application and Silktest.
2. Select File / New. The New dialog appears.
3. Select the Test Frame radio button and click OK. The New Test Frame dialog is displayed, allowing to create a test.
4. Frame file for an application displayed in the Application list box.
5. Select the application fro the Application list box. If a Web application is tested, different fields are seen.
6. Click OK. The new test frame file is created. The file contains the 4Test declarations for the main window and all its menus, as well as a generic declaration that is valid for each of the standard message boxes in the application.

A Test Plan
A Testplan is made up of a large amount of information, a structured, hierarchical outline provides an ideal model for organizing and developing the details of the plan. A testplan consists of two distinct parts
• An outline that describes the test requirements
• Statement that connect the outline to the 4Test scripts and testcases that implement the test requirements.
Using the testplan, we can create and run tests.

To start a new testplan :
• Select File / New
• Select Testplan and click OK.
An empty testplan window opens.

A Test Suite
A Test Suite is a collection of test scripts. Consider a case that we are having a set of script (.t) file. If we want to run these scripts against our application, we have to select the required testcase or we have to run the entire script file. But after the completion of that script file, the user has to manually change that to the next script file to run those testcases available in that script. Instead of that silktest provides a way to continuously select a set of script files and run those script files at-a-stretch. This can be done by creating a new Test Suite file and declare the needed script files in that suite file.
To start a new test suite:

1. Select File / New.
2. Select Test Suite and click OK.
3. In that suite file enter the script file names to run continuously.
4. Save that script file.
5. Compile the script file and run it.
6. Now the process of running the script will not stop after the completion of the first script file, instead of that it will automatically pass to the next script file and run the testcases available there.
Assume a case where there is a folder called silk scripts in c drive with five test script files. Here in the suite file, we are calling all the script files instead of running those script files separately. The suite file will look like as given below :
use c:\silkscripts.\script.t” use c:\silkscripts.\script2t” use “c:\silkscripts./script3.t” use “c:\silkscripts\script4.t” use “c:\silkscripts\5.”

A Test script

A testscript file contains various testcases for various test conditions.

A Testcase
In a script file, a testcase ideally addresses one test requirement. Specifically, a 4Test function that begins with the testcase keyword and contains a sequence of 4Test statements. It drives an application to the state to be tested, verifies that the application works as expected, and returns the application to its base state.
• In the silktest tool, select the File -> Now option the menu bar.
• In the resulting dialog box �New�, there will be options for selecting different kind of files.
• Select the file type 4� test script� option.
• It will open a new script file.
• Before start writing the testcase, declare the necessary file that is to be used in that script file.
• Start with the keyword �testcase� followed by the testcase name. The name of the testcase is whatever as selected by the user. But make sure that by looking at the name of the testcase, the objective of the testcase should be understandable.
• Start the tests from the scratch so that the silktest will start eh application and to the testing from the base state.
• Use necessary conditions / loops if necessary.
• At the end of each and every script, print a statement to know whether the test case has achieved its objective or not. The user can make sure that the particular part of the application is error free by looking at the message you print.
• Try to make the testcase effective and time consuming (say) by keeping the second tests continue from the place where the first test finishes.
• A sample testcase for registering into the yahoo mail.
Testcase registration ()
• Browser.LoadPage “mail.yoo.com”)
• Sign In YahooMail.SetActive ()
• SignIn Yahoo.Mail.objSingIn YahooMail.SignUp.Now.Click()
• Sleep (3)
• WelcomeTo Yahoo.Set Active
• Welcome To yahoo.objWelcomeToYahoo.LastName.SetText(“lastname”)
• Welcome To Yahoo.objWelcomeToYahoo.LanguageConten1.Select(5)
• WelcomeTo Yahoo.objWelcome ToYahoo.ContactMeOccassionally About.Click ()
• Welcome To Yahoo.objWelcome To Yahoo.Submit ThisForm.Click()
• If Registration Success.Exists ()
• Print (“Test Pass”)
• else
• logerror (“Test Fail”)

Silk Test – Introduction

Silk Test is a tool specifically designed for doing REGRESSION AND FUNCTIONALITY testing. It is developed by Segue Software Inc. Silk Test is the industry’s leading functional testing product for e-business applications, whether Window based, Web, Java, or traditional client/server-based. Silk Test also offers test planning, management, direct database access and validation, the flexible and robust 4Test scripting language, a built in recovery system for unattended testing, and the ability to test across multiple platforms, browsers and technologies.
You have two ways to create automated tests using silktest:

1. Use the Record Testcase command to record actions and verification steps as you navigate through the application.
2. Write the testcase manually using the Visual 4Test scripting language.

1. Record Testcase
The Record / Testcase command is used to record actions and verification steps as you navigate through the application. Tests are recorded in an object-oriented language called Visual 4Test. The recorded testreads like a logical trace of all of the steps that were completed by the user. The Silk Test point and click verification system allows you to record the verification step by selecting from a list of properties that are appropriate for the type of object being tested. For example, you can verify the text is stored in a text field.

2. Write the Testcase manually
We can write tests that are capable of accomplishing many variations on a test. The key here is re-use. A test case can be designed to take parameters including input data and expected results. This “data-driven” testcase is really an instance of a class of test cases that performs certain steps to drive and verify the application-under-test. Each instance varies by the data that it carries. Since far fewer tests are written with this approach, changes in the GUI will result in reduced effort in updating tests. A data-driven test design also allows for the externalization of testcase data and makes it possible to divide the responsibilities for developing testing requirements and for developing test automation. For example, it may be that a group of domain experts create the Testplan Detail while another group of test engineers develop tests to satisfy those requirements.
In a script file, an automated testcase ideally addresses one test requirement. Specifically, a 4Test function that begins with the test case keyword and contains a sequence of 4Test statements. It drives an application to the state to be tested, verifies that the application works as expected, and returns the application to its base state.
A script file is a file that contains one or more related testcases. A script file has a .t extension, such as find .t
Other Segue products

The Silk products include

Sit Test for functional and regression testing
Silk Performer for load and performance simulation
Silk Pilot for functional and regression testing CORBA and EJB servers
Silk Radar for automated defet tracking
Silk Vision for enterprise application health monitoring
Silk Express for a scalability and load testing consulting solution.

Silk Test Features :

Some of the feature of silk test are given below.
• Easy to use interface
• Built in recovery system
• The object oriented concept
• Record & Play
• Multi-kind application testing
• Automatic generation of results
• Browser & Platform independent
• 24 x 365 unattended testing
• Distributed Access to Test Results
• Cross Platform Java Testing
• Testing Across Multiple Browsers and Windows Versions
• Support for HTML, XML, JavaScript, Java, Active X, Windows controls, and Visual Basic.
• Single-recording testing for cross-platform Java testing with the Silk Bean.
• Against Over 35 Databases.
• Link Tester
• Validation of Advanced Database Structure and Techniques
• Creation of
Test Plan
Test Frame
Test Suite
• Integration with other silk products.
Silk Test Architecture
Normal use of an application consists of a person manipulating a keyboard and mouse to initiate application operations. The person is said to be interacting with the GUI (Graphical User Interface). During Silk Test testing, Silk Test interacts with the GUI to submit operations to the application automatically. Thus Silk Test can simulate the actions of a person who is exercising all the capabilities of an application and verifying the results of each operation. The simulated user (Silk test) is said to be driving the application. The application under test reacts to the simulated user exactly as it would react to a human rest. Silk Test consists of two distinct software components that execute in separate processes :
Silk Test host software
The Silk Test host software is the program you use to develop, edit, compile, run and debug your 4Test scripts and test plans. This manual refers to the system that runs this program as the host machine or the Silk Test machine.
The Agent
The 4Test Agent is the software process that translates the commands in your 4Test scripts into GUI-specific commands. In order words, it is the Agent that actually drives and monitors the application you are testing. One Agent can run locally on the host machine. In a networked environment, any number of Agents can run on remote machines. This manual refers to the systems that run remote Agents as target machines. This manual refers to the systems that run remote Agents as target machines. In a client/server environment, Silk Test drives the client application by means of an Agent process running on each application’s machine. The application then drives the server just as it always does. Silk Test is also capable of driving the GUI belonging to a server or of directly driving a server database by running scripts that submit SQL statements to the database. These methods o directly manipulating the server application are intended to support testing in which the client application drives the server.
Limitations of Silk Test:

Some of the limitations of Silk Test are given below:
• SilkTest may not recognize some objects in a window / page due to some technical reasons.
• Silk Test may not recognize some window frames.
• The ‘tag’ value may get changed frequently.
• Sometimes it will be difficult to activate some window.
• It may be necessary to make some modifications if testing should be shifted to other browser / operating system.
• In web based applications, sometimes, silktest will take the links as simple text.
System Requirements :

The minimum requirement, a system needs to run the silk test is given below :

Windows NT, Windows 95, 98 or 2000
Pentium 466 Mhz or better processor (application dependent)
32 MB RAM
60MB Hard Disk

Supported Environments:

Netscape Navigator 4.x
Internet Explorer 4 and 5
Active X, Visual Basic 5 and 6
Java JDK 1.3
Swing 1.1
Microsoft Web browser control

SilkTest Introduction to Automation

[docstoc docId=”86121734″ mId=”-10″ width=”630″ height=”550″ slideMode=”true” showRelatedDocs=”true” showOtherDocs=”true” allowdownload=”true” url=”http://embed.docstoc.com/docs/86121734/SilkTest-–-Introduction-to-Automation”%5DSilkTest – Introduction to Automation[/docstoc]