Deploying Robust Test Scripts with TestGen4Web

Developed by SpikeSource, TestGen4Web is a test script creation tool that provides a flexible format that the well known names in automated testing can use. While many programs, such as HTTPUnit, Selenium, and SimpleTest can perform automated testing, they require the user to handcode the transactions. TestGen4Web works to make this process much easier, allowing the user to record transactions for later usage in dedicated testing software.

Functioning as a plugin for Firefox 1.1+, TestGen4Web appears as a small toolbar at the bottom of the page. To record a transaction, the user simply presses the Record button, and goes through the steps that should be tested. The subsequent interaction is recorded as an XML file that many automated stress testing tools can read. TestGen4Web is also capable of functioning conditionally, allowing it to vary behavior based on server response. This can be very useful in more sophisticated web applications, where response is not always a static process.

It is important to note that transaction scripts are written dynamically. Individual steps of the transaction are written as the user interacts with the application. The recording can be paused, allowing the user to insert conditional statements and variables. The editor is simple and easy to use. Wizards make it simple to insert conditional statements in the XML.

Although TestGen4Web does not perform stress testing, the scripts can very easily be loaded into a utility such as SimpleTest. Combining TestGen4Web with the power of a stress testing utility can make regression testing a breeze. Developers can even assign the scripts to run as a cron job on the server, making it easy to spot problems as soon as they appear. Without such automated testing, it is easy for errors and other issues to creep in over time.

CSV file input is another handy feature of TestGen4Web. Should your application call for large amounts of data to be entered, a CSV file can potentially save a great deal of time. Instead of manually entering each value during a transaction recording, TestGen4Web can take a CSV file and enter those values in the appropriate input areas.
The transaction recording that is produced represents the entering of all this information, but without the need for the tester to spend a great deal of time.

As a Firefox extension, TestGen4Web is a free tool. This combined with its ease of use makes it an effective tool in software and web services testing.