PushToTest is building a new Ajax-based record/playback utility that will output Selenese tests. We will name this TestMaker IDE, and it may be adopted as Selenium IDE 2. PushToTest\'s goal is to provide an open source alternative to HP QTP and VUGen. The design document for this project is at downloads.pushtotest.com/201001/TM_IDE_Design.pdf

Here is an engineering status update for May 1, 2010:

The work on TestMaker IDE (TMIDE) is going well. The code leverages Sahi in a way that records Ajax applications much better than Selenium can handle. Venky and Narayan have proven the architectural choices (Titanium, ExtJS, JQuery) of deploying TMIDE as an Ajax application. There is a lot more design work needed to achieve a usable tool.

The top level TMIDE goal is to provide an open source alternative to HP\'s QTP tool. We need TMIDE to provide a smooth transition from QTP to TestMaker. QTP is missing test orchestration user interface elements - because HP intends QTP only for functional testing. QTP also depends on its proprietary hooks into the real browser. TMIDE builds test scripts that are intended for playback in HtmlUnit to repurpose the test script as a functional test, load and performance test, and business service monitor.

Perhaps the most time consuming customer and pre-sales support issue at PushToTest is:

\"Why does my test work in Firefox and fail in HtmlUnit?\"

HtmlUnit is designed to simulate the browser experience for the purposes of testing, not to duplicate the Firefox experience. There are many things that PushToTest can do to improve the test authoring and test debugging tasks while running the application in HtmlUnit.

I am working on a new design for TMIDE that addresses this issue. Look for the design in the coming week. Here are the primary goals for the new design:

1) Test authors graphically see what HtmlUnit sees in a Web page as it operates the test. For example, TMIDE runs an individual test script command, automatically uses the savePage() method we implemented in SeleniumHtmlUnit, then views the saved page in Firefox, then repeats for the additional commands in the test.

2) Control Javascript function operations in HtmlUnit. This will use the new ProofTest code. ProofTest in TestMaker selectively skips execution of functions. For example, ProofTest dynamically removes the Google Analytics <script> tag operation from a Web page without modifying the page.

3) Use HtmlUnit to identify test objects. For example, TestMaker IDE enables test authors to identify DOM nodes (and their children) as test objects.

4) Provide debug trace logging utilities in HtmlUnit. For example, dynaTrace Ajax Edition functions running in HtmlUnit identify the call stack of Javascript functions.

With these new features, test authoring of Rich Internet Applications (RIA using Ajax, Flex, Flash) becomes a whole lot easier.

I would love your feedback on the above goals.

Thanks.

-Frank

An updated design document and product roadmap is at:

pttdownloads.s3.amazonaws.com/TM_IDE_Design_v2.pdf

We are seeking your feedback, comments, improvements, and ideas.

Antoine

FYI. We renamed the TestMaker IDE project to TestMaker Object Designer (TOD.)

-Frank

Work is progressing nicely on the TestMaker Object Designer.

We are now working on the following schedule:

August 30, 2010 - Alpha testing release (Functionally complete, many bugs)
September 16, 2010 - Beta testing release (Coincides with JavaOne)
October 1, 2010 - Release Candidate 1
December 30, 2010 - Final release

Here is the list of remaining tasks to complete:

1) Flex Recorder - ala Flex Monkey style of recording from Flex components using Adobe Flex Automation API. Recorded Flex tests are stand-alone from Sahi and Selenium tests. TestMaker orchestrates Flex, Sahi, and Selenium tests as part of a use case with multiple steps.

2) Flex Runner - a component to playback the Flex recording. This is analogous to Htmlunit playing a Selenium script. The Flex Runner is the key to repurposing the test to be a functional test, load and performance test, and service monitor.

3) XSD for Designer native files

4) Htmlunit Viewer - Shows Htmlunit view of an application state in playback of a Sahi and Selenium

5) Sahi - SahiHtmlunit - Runs Sahi scripts in headless browser

6) Conditionals and Looping (Selenium and Sahi). We are following the design put forward at wiki.openqa.org/display/SEL/flowControl

7) Export to unit test (Java, Ruby, Groovy, Java, C#, Perl, PHP, Python - Selenium RC - Choose your browser - Browser opens, runs your test). Gives choice of Selenium, Sahi, Flex, and then browser/RC or headless/Htmlunit. For Flex, gives choice of browser or Flex runner.

8) DPL Options panel: Get next row, Get row #, Get random row

9) Options Panel: Error handling (stop on error)

10) Editor integration - drag Designer objects into Editor Use Case definitions

11) Proof Test options

12) Test Object Description panel: Name, Creator, Links, Version, Categorization

13) Cut, copy, paste commands

The team would love input from the community. Please post your thoughts here. Thanks!

-Frank

We currently use Sahi for running automated tests. I\'d love to see how they might integrate with TOD. Are you guys still on schedule for a beta mid-September?

-Aaron

2010 ended and 1st month of January is going to end, no beta release yet...