Automated Test Scenario Simplification via Unessential Step Removal
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Software testing methodologies, such as manual testing and record and play testing, often require extensive time and effort due to the need for detailed test setups, especially during system upgrades where the impact on user code is unknown, and existing methods fail to efficiently prioritize and simplify the testing process.
Innovation Solution
A computer program and system that identifies and removes unessential test steps from non-executable human-readable test scenarios, generating a user-friendlier version by replacing unnecessary steps with returned values, removing default value explanations, and eliminating unproductive steps, thereby simplifying the testing process.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If manual testing and record and play testing methodologies are used to ensure comprehensive software quality assurance, then testing coverage and reliability are improved, but time consumption and operational complexity increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The system extracts and identifies unessential test steps from recorded test scenarios automatically. By analyzing the recorded steps and determining which ones are unnecessary (such as steps that don't affect the final outcome or steps that repeat default value entries), the system removes these extraneous steps to create a streamlined test scenario that maintains testing effectiveness while reducing time consumption and complexity
Solution Approach 2:
The system changes the parameter of test scenario complexity by automatically analyzing and removing unessential steps. This transformation converts a verbose, time-consuming test scenario into a concise version that preserves the essential testing logic while significantly reducing the number of steps users must manually execute or review
2Reliability
If detailed test setups are created to cover all possible scenarios during system upgrades, then testing completeness is improved, but ease of operation deteriorates due to the complexity of managing extensive test steps
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs self-service by automatically analyzing recorded test scenarios and identifying unessential steps without requiring manual user intervention. The automated analysis engine examines each step, determines its necessity based on the overall test objective and data flow, and removes unnecessary steps, thereby maintaining testing completeness while significantly improving ease of operation
Solution Approach 2:
The system extracts only the essential test steps from the recorded scenario, separating necessary actions from unessential ones. This extraction process creates a simplified test scenario that maintains completeness by preserving all critical testing logic while removing redundant steps that complicate user operation
3Measurement precision
If recorded test scenarios include all steps taken during system operation, then accuracy of test reproduction is improved, but device complexity increases due to inclusion of unessential steps
Solution Approach 1:
The system extracts and removes unessential steps from recorded test scenarios by analyzing data flow and step necessity. It identifies steps that do not contribute to the final test outcome (such as viewing help screens, entering default values that don't affect results, or navigating through intermediate screens that don't change state) and removes them, thereby reducing test scenario complexity while preserving accurate reproduction of essential testing behavior
Solution Approach 2:
Instead of starting with a complete recording and manually removing steps, the system inverts the approach by automatically analyzing the recorded scenario and intelligently determining which steps to remove. The inversion transforms the problem from manual simplification to automated intelligent filtering, maintaining accuracy while reducing complexity
Data Source
AI summary
Methods and computer systems for improving the user friendliness of a non-executable human-readable test scenario by removing unessential test steps, including: receiving a non-executable human-readable test scenario including unessential test steps; identifying the unessential test steps; and generating a user friendlier non-executable human-readable test scenario by removing the identified unessential test steps.