Descriptive UI Maps for Scalable Automation Testing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current automation testing methods are inefficient and require significant coding efforts to test user interfaces with high densities of automation controls, particularly struggling with table-related controls like filtering, sorting, and editing, which limits scalability and productivity.
Innovation Solution
The approach involves creating a UI Map based on design documents that outlines the structure and relationships of UI controls, allowing for the generation of automation testing scripts with minimal coding, enabling modular and scalable testing across multiple UI controls and scenarios.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If current automation testing methods are used to test UIs with high density of automation controls, then testing coverage can be achieved, but significant coding efforts are required and scalability is limited
Solution Approach 1:
The patent creates a descriptive map that serves as a template or copy of the UI structure, which can be reused across multiple testing scenarios. Instead of writing custom code for each test, the system copies and adapts the descriptive map structure to generate test scripts automatically, significantly reducing coding effort while maintaining comprehensive testing coverage
Solution Approach 2:
The patent segments the UI into modular descriptive maps that represent different control groups or functional areas. Each map can be independently created, maintained, and reused, allowing the testing system to handle high-density controls through modular composition rather than monolithic code structures
2Reliability
If current automation testing methods are used for table-related controls, then testing functionality can be verified, but laborious coding tasks are involved
Solution Approach 1:
The patent creates a universal descriptive map structure that can represent various table-related controls (filtering, sorting, editing, selection) using a common template. This multi-functional approach allows the same descriptive map framework to handle diverse table operations without requiring separate custom code for each functionality, thereby verifying reliability while reducing coding complexity
3Productivity
If automation testing is scaled up to test UIs with high density of automation controls, then comprehensive testing can be achieved, but current approaches cannot efficiently scale
Solution Approach 1:
The patent performs preliminary action by creating descriptive maps that capture the UI structure and behavior in advance. These maps serve as pre-configured templates that can be quickly instantiated and executed for scaling up testing, eliminating the need to write and debug test scripts from scratch for each new UI, thus achieving scalability without proportionally increasing development time
4Reliability
If robust and scalable automation testing is implemented using current tools, then testing reliability can be improved, but significant coding skills are required
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a descriptive map as an intermediary layer between the UI under test and the automation testing framework. This intermediary captures the essential structure and behavior of the UI in a simplified, standardized format that can be processed automatically, allowing robust and scalable testing to be implemented without requiring testers to possess significant coding skills, as the descriptive map handles the complexity translation
Data Source
AI summary
Apparatus and methods for automation testing of a user interface (“UI”) using descriptive UI Maps are provided. A UI Map may list related UI controls, properties and functionality of the UI controls. A Data Sheet may provide test parameters used for each control in a particular test step. An Instructions Sheet may specify an automation test scenario to be applied. The Instruction Sheet may include a reference to the test parameters of the Data Sheet. Use of descriptive UI maps may provide a modular framework. Each UI Map may describe a group of functionally or logically linked controls on a UI page. As a result of description details being provided in the UI map, standard code may be written once to interpret and make use of those details. Typically no additional coding is required to automate test scenarios related to control groups associated with the UI.