TestMaker - Selenium IDE

User Interface Design

Frank Cohen, CEO
(408) 871-0122
fcohen@pushtotest.com
January 4, 2010
Intellectual Property of PushToTest. (c) 2010 All rights reserved.

This is a user interface design proposal for an upcoming version of PushToTest TestMaker for Selenium IDE. Many TestMaker users need the
following solution:

1) A competitive open source alternative to HP Quick Test Professional (QTP) for record/playback of Web application and Rich Internet
Applications (RIA, using Ajax, Flex, Flash)

2) Record/playback within Microsoft Internet Explorer (MS IE) and Firefox

3) Test development productivity enhancements in TestMaker

This document is meant to convey a discussion between the TestMaker developers and community and the Selenium developers and
community. It is a living document.

Note: All trademarks mentioned in this document are the trademarks of their respective holders. For example, HP QuickTest Professional is a
trademark of HP.
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Product Roadmaps
TestMaker 5.4 TestMaker 5.5 TestMaker 5.6

• More efficient user • Improved TestNode • Test Management

experience stability (Scheduler, Policy,
Coverage)
• Still uses local file system • Grid Testing
as repository
• Improved User Experience: • Central repository stores
test artifacts
• Desktop application Functional Testing
deployment (Windows,
• Improved User Experience: • User interface deploys as
Unix/Linux, Mac) Selenium IDE RIA application through
Web browser
• Easier to learn, easier to • Flex Record/Playback
demonstrate

Selenium IDE 1.0 Selenium IDE 2.0 Selenium IDE 2.1

• Firefox plug-in • Firefox, IE, Safari Record • Selenium/WebDriver

Compatibility
• First official release • Competitive with HP QTP
• Data and Object Enabled

This proposes Selenium IDE 2.0 functional requirements and links the release to the TestMaker 5.5 and 5.6 roadmap.
The goals include:

1) Introduce a new Ajax-based record/playback tool that is compatible with MS IE, Firefox, and Safari.

2) Flex record/playback is offered through the Adobe Flex Automation API and FlexMonkey.

3) Enable test operation experience drill-downs to rapidly determine the cause of an application issue.

TestMaker 5.5 delivers:

1) Selenium IDE 2.0 functions

2) Refactor the TestMaker TestNode architecture to provide a more stable, crash proof, and self-recovering
operation.

3) Implement a test Grid engine to run tests on a group of available TestNodes automatically.
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TestMaker 5.5 Goals

‣ Enhances Record/Playback
‣ Web 1.0
‣ Rich Internet Applications (RIA, using Ajax, Flex, Flash)
‣ Record in Microsoft Internet Explorer, Firefox, Safari
‣ Implemented in Ajax using Extjs.com toolkit
‣ Attracts HP QTP Users To Switch to TestMaker/Selenium

TestMaker 5.5 delivers a compelling open-source alternative to HP QTP Users.

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TestMaker 5.6 Goals

TestMaker 5.6, Selenium,

Products QTP 10, QC, LoadRunner
soapUI

Functional Tests ✓ ✓

Load and Performance Tests ✓ ✓

Test Management ✓ ✓

Cost $50K-$100K $300K-$2 M

Cloud Testing ✓

Modern App Support (Ajax) ✓

Vertical Testing (SAP, Oracle Apps) ✓

TestMaker 5.6 provides a compelling open source alternative to HP QTP, LoadRunner, and Quality Center.
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Comparison to HP QTP
Selenium IDE 2
Selenium IDE 1.0 HP QTP 10
with TestMaker

Record/Playback Firefox MS IE, Firefox, Safari MS IE

Verification ✓ ✓ ✓

Exception Handling ✓ ✓

Data-Driven Testing ✓ ✓

Custom UI Objects ✓ ✓

Add-In Extensibility ✓ ✓

Results 350+ charts 125 charts

Test Management Integration Collabnet Team Forge Quality Center (QC)

Detailed comparison at http://www.pushtotest.com/docs/thecohenblog/web-testing-tools-comparison

The QTP users I've met are looking for more than documentation and training on how to switch. They need an open source version of QTP.
Selenium does a good job at deliver solutions to technical developers and testers. However, Selenium requires scripting knowledge. The
majority of QTP users are building tests in "Keyword/Tree view" (not in Expert mode.) They depend on QTP to do the script creation for them.

Selenium's architecture makes it possible to deliver a competitive offering provided we keep the needs of today's QTP user in mind. See the
above table for an initial list of feature improvements for Selenium IDE 2.

Find a detailed comparison of QTP and Selenium. See http://www.pushtotest.com/docs/thecohenblog/web-testing-tools-comparison

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New Functions (IDE 2, TM 5.5)

‣ Record in IE, Safari, and Firefox
‣ Integrated Data Editor
‣ Reusable Test Objects
‣ User Transaction Definition for Advanced Reporting
‣ Record/Playback of Flex/Flash unit tests
‣ HtmlUnit Visual Playback for Easy Test Script Debugging
‣ Standard Report Logging Schema
‣ Test Scenario Support (Multiple Test Use Cases)
‣ CSS Selector Support
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License Proposals
‣ PushToTest proposes to fund Selenium IDE 2.0 development and
maintenance under GPL v2 license

‣ TestMaker GPL v2
‣ Selenium Core, RC, Grid continue under Apache 2.0

PushToTest distributes TestMaker source code under a GPL v2 license. Most people download the pre-built
and certified TestMaker Command or TestMaker Enterprise product under a commercial license.

Selenium distributes Selenium Core, RC, and Grid under an Apache 2.0 license.

This proposal offers Selenium IDE 2.0 under a GPL v2 license.

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Record/Playback Layout
Browse HtmlUnit Source

Recorder Playback

The Recorder function appears either in an embedded frame within the browser window (with its own drop-
down menus) or in a floating window of its own. The Recorder controls record and playback. Playback happens
in an embedded frame within the browser window. The Playback frame offers the following tabs:

Browse - displays the normal browser view of the application page

HtmlUnit - displays the WebClient.asXML() output with pretty-print formatting applied
Source - displays the browser’s View Source view of the page. Remembers the vertical line number between
page reloads.
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Create A New Test

New Test

Web application test

Ajax application test

Flash/Flex application test

Cancel OK

Selenium IDE 2 supports multiple recording syntax: Selenese, FlexMonkey. Others are possible in future
releases.

When the user choose File -> New Test Case the Selenium IDE opens a modal dialog box for the user to
identify the test case type:

a) Web application test and Ajax application test save in the Selenese table format.
b) Flash/Flex application test saves in the FlexMonkey format.

When the user chooses Ajax test Selenium IDE senses for a page reload within 10 seconds of a click event.
When there is no reload, Selenium IDE automatically inserts a waitForElementValue command. It is up to the
user to enter the element target.
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Main Panel Layout

Menu Bar

Tool Bar

Chooser Bar

Test Tool Bar

Steps Editor

Step Tool Bar

Record/Playback Control Bar

Detail Panel Area

The Main Panel Layout provides user interface elements to record and playback tests and test suites.

Menu Bar - See slide 11

Tool Bar - Global tools to create a new test, create a new test suite, export a test, access the user guide, and
exit Selenium IDE
Chooser Bar - Select an open Test Suite. A Test Suite contains one or more Test Cases.
Test Tool Bar - Displays icon to add a new Test Case to the current Test Suite.
Steps Editor - Displays Test Steps grouped by Test Case.
Step Tool Bar - Displays icons to add special test steps, including Insert Action, Insert Checkpoint, Start
Transaction, End Transaction, and Add Data Source
Record/Playback Control Bar - Displays controls to start/stop record and playback
Detail Panel Area - Displays panels for working with XPath expressions, logs, data files, and test objects
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Drop-down Menus
‣ File - New Test Case, New Test Suite, Export, Save, Save As..., Close
‣ Edit - Cut, Copy, Paste, Clear, Select All
‣ Options - Preferences
‣ Help - About Selenium IDE, User Guide, Selenium HQ

Exported files implement a jUnit-style TestCase class with setUp, runTest, and tearDown methods. Each is
enabled to received a hashmap of input data fields. See the output of the Transformer in TestMaker 5.4 for an
example template.
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Record Tests and Scenarios

File Edit Tools Help

Audit Suite Purchase Suite

start_report_test.selenium

login_test.selenium

1 open /products/signin.html

2 type id frank

3 type password mypassword

4 click submit

Ajax Recording

Logs Docs Paths Object Repository Data

Startup of the Recorder displays a Unititled Test Suite containing one Untitled Test Case, and an insertion point at the top of an empty set of Steps.

Recording button indicates mode. In Recording mode the button displays “Recording!”. Recordable actions (click, type, select) appear as new Steps in the currently selected Test Case. In
Playback mode the button displays “Record”.

Clipboard functions allow drag-and-drop and copy-paste. The Steps Editor uses Drag And Drop techniques described at http://www.extjs.com/deploy/dev/examples/tree/reorder.html

Step Tool Bar icons perform the following functions:

Insert Action - Adds a new empty Step.
Insert Checkpoint - Adds a Validation step. Validator chooser panel appears above currently selected Step.
Start Transaction
End Transaction
Add Data Source

File menu has the following commands:

User may switch in and out of Ajax recording mode (with auto insert of waitForElement, setFrame, pause) by clicking the Ajax checkbox element.
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Checkpoints
File Edit Tools Help

Audit Suite Purchase Suite Assert Verify Wait

TextPresent
start_report_test.selenium
ElementPresent
login_test.selenium

1 open /products/signin.html Cancel OK

2 type id frank

3 type password mypassword

4 click submit

Ajax Recording

Logs Docs Paths Object Repository Data

Click the Insert Checkpoint icon in the Step Editor Toolbar to view the Checkpoint Chooser. Select from Assert,
Verify, Wait. Click OK to insert a new Step into the current selection point.
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Data-Driven Tests
File Edit Tools Help

Audit Suite Purchase Suite

start_report_test.selenium
myCSV Data Source
login_test.selenium
First Name
1 open /products/signin.html
Last Name
2 type id frank
Password
3 type password mypassword

4 click submit
Cancel OK
5

Ajax Recording

Logs Docs Paths Object Repository Data

Click the Add Datasource icon to identify a Comma Separated Value (CSV) file, Relational Database (RDBMS), or
data generating object to provide operational test data to a step.

The + icon adds a new data source.

Clicking on a data field inserts a placeholder in the currently select step to receive the data field at test run
time.

The x icon removes the data source.

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Logging Panel
Logs Docs Paths Object Repository Data

Info
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Paths Panel
Logs Docs Paths Object Repository Data

XPath //div[2]/big/big/big/a Link, ID, Name, CSS

Selector, XPath, DOM,
//div[2]/big/big/big/a
//div[3]/big/big/big/a
Object

Text Inner HTML Browser

The Paths panel increases test developer productivity by enabling locator construction and experimentation.
This is our homage to the XPather add-on in Firefox.
 17 Open Source Test Automation

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Test Object Repository Editor

Logs Docs Paths Object Repository Data

Types Operations Objects

Page Type Log-in

Frame Click Product Form

Window Drag Search
List Select Log-out
Form Close

Name Log-in

Author Frank Cohen, fcohen@pushtotest.com

Version 1.0

1 type id frank

2 type password mypassword

3 click submit

A macro editor for groups of Selenium commands. Enables an alternative to QTP Virtual Objects and third-
party custom controls. Object definition is a simple XML format defined at http://downloads.pushtotest.com/
201001/objdef.xsd. Objects are referred to by reference to a URL within the Selenium and Flex Monkey
scripts.
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Data Editor Panel

Logs Docs Paths Object Repository Data

CSV ~/mydata.csv Browse

Live editing of CSV and RDBMS operational test data.

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Flash (SWF)/Flex Testing

File Edit Tools Help

Audit Suite Purchase Suite

start_report_test.selenium

login_test.selenium

1 open /products/signin.html

2 type id frank

3 type password mypassword

4 click submit

Ajax Recording

Logs Docs Paths Object Repository Data

Flex Monkey record and playback function. http://flexmonkey.gorillalogic.com/gl/stuff.flexmonkey.html

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IDE SDK
‣ This project must include documentation on how to implement
changes to the IDE, including:

‣ Adding additional Panels

‣ Changing the IDE to support changes in the Test file schema
‣ User extensions
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Learn More
‣ http://www.pushtotest.com/docs/forums/testmaker-6-discussion/
422165897