GuiTesting

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About this document

This is an official Request for Comment (RFC) for Testing.

For details on RFCs in general, check out the Wikipedia Entry: Request for Comments (RFCs)

Status

30/10/06 Not yet completely written but open for public comment

31/10/06 Short investigation of testing environments started: see below; based on JUnit extensions but any suggestions welcome!!

How to Comment

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Proposal

Apart from the currently already implemented JUnit tests, the Cytoscape framework needs tests that cover (and preferably automatically test) user interaction; functional/regression tests. All along the following lines:

1. create a brief overview GUI testing environments

2. code-spike: 'load a network and move nodes around'

3. extend this as a default test framework for GUI tests

4. implement this (or have this implemented) for all basic GUI operations

5. extend tests to include PerformanceProfiling

6. put up a small set of recommended GUI and JUnit tests for plugin developers; including data

Biological Questions / Use Cases

* Typical user scenarios are recorded as GUI actions in a file that can be re-used for automated testing

Requirements

GUI-testing environment:

* OpenSource

* Java; preferably JUnit integration

* Record/Play-back facilities

* Code and script facilities

* Active community; under active development

General Notes

Based on requirements above currently investigated:

* SwingUnit

* Jemmy

* JFCUnit

* Abbot

Open Issues

Backward Compatibility

Implementation Plan

• /Implementation Plan

Comments

Piet: I have done some testing using the Abbott framework but as I see it now this might be of use when testing 'black box' plugins, but for the framework and core plugins (where the source is available) the SwingUnit provides the most structured way of writing Gui tests.