JPH07200355A - Automatic test equipment for software - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To provide the software automatic test equipment in which a test job with respect to an application software and a peripheral equipment is automated completely to make the test job efficient and the high reliability and high production performance of the software are improved. CONSTITUTION:A test scenario commanded by a software test personnel 1 as a test object entered from an input device 3 is retrieved from a test scenario group 5a of a data section 5 by a data management section 4c of a processor 4 and when the test command in the retrieved test scenario is a peripheral equipment use test command, a corresponding peripheral equipment 6 is specified by equipment identification being a parameter in the test command and the peripheral equipment use test command is given to an equipment control section 4d provided to each peripheral equipment 6 and the equipment control section 4d allows a data management section 4c through an execution control section 4b to retrieve an equipment command corresponding to the test command and receives the retrieved command and uses the received equipment command to operate the peripheral equipment 6, and when the test command is an application software test command, the execution control section 4b decodes the test command and executes it.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a software automatic test apparatus for carrying out a test work which is one step of software development work, and more specifically, application software on a processor and a peripheral connected to the processor. The present invention relates to a software automatic test device that executes a test by interpreting and executing a test scenario in which a test procedure for a device is described by a test command sequence.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Control of a peripheral device in a conventional software test has been performed by a tester during a test operation by directly operating the peripheral device (that is, manual operation). In recent years, CAE (Computer Aided Engineering)
For example, software development support is being studied, and software automatic test technology that uses test scenarios is improving in order to reduce the human operation of test work that requires the maximum number of man-hours in software development work.

In the software automatic test, the debug tool is required to be automatically controlled from the test scenario. However, in the conventional technology, the application software is located on the same processor, so that the test scenario can be automatically controlled. However, as for the peripheral devices, it was not possible to realize a complete automatic test using the test scenario because it was a manual operation.

[0004]

In order to improve the productivity and reliability of software by reducing the number of test executions, when implementing automatic software testing utilizing test scenarios, conventional manual operation of peripheral devices Since remote control from the workstation is difficult and automatic control cannot be performed, automation of the entire test work was difficult.

The present invention has been made in view of the above,
It is an object of the present invention to provide a software automatic test device capable of improving efficiency of the test work by fully automating the test work for application software and peripheral devices and improving the software reliability and productivity. .

[0006]

In order to achieve the above object, the software automatic test apparatus of the present invention provides a test command for a test procedure targeting application software on a processing apparatus and peripheral devices connected to the processing apparatus. Is a software automatic test device that interprets and executes the test scenario described in the column for performing a test, and uses a peripheral device test command and an application software test command for a peripheral device operating on a processor different from the application software. Data storage unit that stores, as a test scenario group, various test scenarios that form a test procedure, and also stores, as a command list, the correspondence between the device command for actually operating the peripheral device and the peripheral device test command. Software tester The test scenario group designated by the above is retrieved from the test scenario group, and the data management unit that retrieves the device command corresponding to the peripheral device test command from the command list and the retrieved test scenario from the data management unit are received. When the test command in the test scenario is the peripheral device test command, the peripheral device corresponding to the device identification which is the parameter in the test command is specified and the test command is notified,
When the test command is the application software test command, the execution control unit that interprets and executes the test command and the peripheral device test command that is provided for each peripheral device and that is notified from the execution control unit It is characterized in that it has a device control unit that receives and causes the data management unit to retrieve a device command corresponding to the test command through the execution control unit and receives the device command, and operates the peripheral device according to the received device command.

[0007]

In the software automatic test apparatus of the present invention, the test scenario designated as the test target is searched from the test scenario group, and when the test command in the searched test scenario is the peripheral device test command, the test command is issued. The peripheral device corresponding to the device identification, which is a parameter in the above, is specified, the peripheral device test command is supplied to the device control unit provided for each peripheral device, and the device control unit manages the data through the execution control unit. When a test command is an application software test command, the execution control unit sends the device command corresponding to the test command to the peripheral device by the received device command. Interpret and execute.

[0008]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing the hardware configuration of a software automatic test apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention. In the figure, 2 is a display device, 3 is an input device, 4 is a processing device including a CPU and the like, 5 is a data section, and 6 is a peripheral device. This software automatic test equipment is mounted on a workstation and runs on an operating system. In this embodiment, UNIX
And assuming that it operates on X-Window.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing a detailed configuration of the software automatic test apparatus shown in FIG. 1, particularly the processing apparatus 4 and the data section 5. In the figure, 1 is a software tester. The processing device 4 includes a test scenario editing unit 4a for performing a test scenario editing operation, an execution control unit 4 for interpreting a command, and giving an instruction to each department.
b, a data management unit 4c that manages the database in the data unit 5, a device control unit 4d that controls the peripheral device 6 necessary for the test execution, and an application software 4e that is a software tool necessary for the test execution.
It consists of Further, the data section 5 stores a test scenario that stores a test scenario that forms a test procedure using a peripheral device test command for the peripheral device 6 operating on a processor different from the application software and an application software test command. It is composed of a group 5a and a command list 5b which stores the correspondence between the device command for actually operating the peripheral device and the test scenario command which is the peripheral device test command.

The command list 5b of the data section 5 is shown in FIG.
It is configured as shown in. In the figure, capital letter X
The first item such as XX, YYY, ... Represents a test scenario command for controlling a peripheral device,
The second item described as a small letter xxx, yyy, ... Represents a device command corresponding to the test scenario command of the first item. In this test scenario, it is described as "! Device identification device number test scenario command".

Next, the operation of this embodiment will be described with reference to the flow chart shown in FIG.

As shown in FIG. 4, when the software tester 1 inputs a command for executing a test or editing a test scenario from the input device 3, the software automatic test device operates (step 110). First, the case where a test execution command is input will be described. The software tester 1 inputs the test execution command from the input device 3 and simultaneously inputs the test scenario name (step 110). The test execution command and the test scenario name are supplied from the input device 3 to the processing device 4, and the execution control unit 4b of the processing device 4 interprets the command,
Recognize that the command is a test execution command (step 120).

When the execution control unit 4b recognizes that it is a test execution command, it supplies a test scenario name and a test scenario search instruction to the data management unit 4c. Upon receiving the test scenario search instruction, the data management unit 4c interprets the test scenario name received at the same time (step 13).
0), the test scenario group 5a in the data section 5 is searched to determine whether or not there is a test scenario to be implemented (step 14).
0,150). If the relevant test scenario does not exist in the test scenario group 5a of the data section 5, the data management section 4c notifies the execution control section 4b, and the execution control section 4b outputs an error message to the display device 2. (Steps 150 and 250).

If the relevant test scenario exists, the data management unit 4c outputs a test scenario extraction end message to the execution control unit 4b. When the execution control unit 4b receives the message from the data management unit 4c, it interprets the test scenario in an interpretive manner and issues a command to each unit according to the description in the test scenario to carry out the test (step 160).

Here, the application software 4
Since the instruction to e can be controlled by the same operating system, it can be implemented by describing the specified command in the test scenario (step 170).

Control of the peripheral device 6 is performed via the device control section 4d. This converts a test scenario command (a command for describing a test scenario) into a device command (a command for actually operating the device), sends this device command to the peripheral device 6, and outputs the result or state to the device. Is performed for each peripheral device 6 between the peripheral device 6 and the execution control unit 4b. When the execution control unit 4b recognizes a special format device control test scenario command "! Device identification device number test scenario command" in the test scenario, the device corresponding to the peripheral device which is the first parameter in this command. The command is supplied to the control unit 4d (step 180).

Upon receiving the test scenario command, the device control unit 4d receives the data management unit 4c through the execution control unit 4b.
Issue a device command reference instruction to. When the data management unit 4c receives this reference instruction, it refers to the command list 5b based on the test scenario command. Specifically, the data management unit 4c searches the command list 5b and finds a test scenario command corresponding to the received test scenario command from the first item in the list. Then, when there is a corresponding test scenario command, the device command for this command is selected from the second item. When the data management unit 4c selects a device command corresponding to the input test scenario command name, the device command is delivered to the device control unit 4d via the execution control unit 4b. This completes a series of conversion operations (step 190).

If the relevant test scenario command is not in the command list 5b, the data management unit 4
c notifies the execution control unit 4b to that effect, and the execution control unit 4b
Outputs an error message to the display device 2 and ends the test work.

When the relevant test scenario command is present in the command list 5b, the data management unit 4c transmits the device command corresponding to the designated test scenario command via the execution control unit 4b to the device control unit 4d. Supply to. Upon receiving the corresponding device command, the device control unit 4d performs a process for transmitting the device command to the peripheral device 6 (step 200). Specifically, the device number, which is the second parameter of the device control test scenario command, is connected to the peripheral device corresponding to the device number.
Convert to P address and open socket. When this work is completed, a device command is subsequently transmitted to the peripheral device 6 to perform post-communication processing such as closing the socket.

FIG. 5 is an explanatory diagram showing the processing from the conversion of the test scenario command to the end of transmission of the device command described above.

When the peripheral device 6 receives the device command as described above, the peripheral device 6 operates according to the device command (steps 210 and 220). When the device control unit 4d transmits a device command to the peripheral device 6, the peripheral device 6 starts autonomous operation and ends autonomously (step 230). Therefore, the process of the workstation is returned from the device control unit 4d to the execution control unit 4b,
Execute the following test scenario execution statement (command).

The test is repeated by repeating the above operation, and when all the execution statements in the test scenario are completed, the execution control unit 4b outputs an end message to the display device 2 (step 250), and the test work is ended. To do.

On the other hand, in step 110, when a command for editing a test scenario is input by the software tester 1 from the input device 3, that is, a test scenario edit command is input because the test scenario is modified. Then, this edit command is supplied to the execution control unit 4b of the processing device 4 and is interpreted by the execution control unit 4b (step 120). Then, the execution control unit 4b
Identifies that it is the edit command, the editing unit 4a
Is started to edit the test scenario (step 260). As a result, the edit screen is displayed on the display device 2, and the software tester 1 can correct and create the test scenario on the workstation according to the displayed edit screen.

[0025]

As described above, according to the present invention,
When the test scenario designated as the test target is searched from the test scenario group and the test command in the searched test scenario is a peripheral device test command, the peripheral corresponding to the device identification, which is the parameter in the test command, is searched. The device is specified, the peripheral device test command is supplied to the device control unit provided for each peripheral device, and the device control unit searches the data management unit through the execution control unit for the device command corresponding to the test command. Since the peripheral device is operated by the received device command, the control of the device from the test scenario, that is, the software control of the peripheral device from the workstation can be realized, and the high reliability of software and High productivity can be achieved and the control mode of peripheral devices can be simplified. . Further, since the device command and the test scenario command are converted, the user only needs to describe the test scenario command in the test scenario, and the user interface can be improved. Furthermore,
After the device control unit issues a device command to the peripheral device, the peripheral device operates autonomously, so the process is not taken by the device operation, the test work time is shortened, and the efficiency of test work Can be achieved.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a hardware configuration of a software automatic test device according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing a detailed configuration of the software automatic test apparatus shown in FIG. 1, particularly the processing apparatus and data unit.

FIG. 3 is an explanatory diagram showing the structure of a command list used in the software automatic test device of FIG. 1.

FIG. 4 is a flowchart showing an operation of the software automatic test device shown in FIG.

5 is an explanatory diagram showing a process from conversion of a test scenario command to end of transmission of a device command in the software automatic test device of FIG.

[Explanation of symbols]

 2 display device 3 input device 4 processing device 4a editing unit 4b execution control unit 4c data management unit 4d device control unit 4e application software 5 data unit 5a test scenario group 5b command list

 ─────────────────────────────────────────────────── ─── Continuation of the front page (72) Yasushi Iwamoto 1-6, Uchisaiwaicho, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo Nihon Telegraph and Telephone Corporation (72) Inhito Hisato Kauchi 1-6, Uchisaiwaicho, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo Nippon Telegraph and Telephone Corporation

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. A software automatic test device for executing a test by interpreting and executing a test scenario in which application software on a processing device and a test procedure targeting a peripheral device connected to the processing device are described in a series of test commands. In addition to storing the various test scenarios that constitute the test procedure using the test commands for the peripheral device and the test commands for the application software for the peripheral device operating on a processor different from the application software as a test scenario group, A data storage unit that stores, as a command list, the correspondence between the device command for operating the peripheral device and the peripheral device test command, and the test scenario designated by the software tester as the test target is searched from the test scenario group. The command A data management unit that retrieves the device command corresponding to the peripheral device test command from the test device, and the retrieved test scenario is received from the data management unit, and the test command in the test scenario is the peripheral device test command. In some cases, the peripheral device corresponding to the device identification which is a parameter in the test command is specified and the test command is notified, and when the test command is the application software test command, the test command is interpreted. And an execution control unit provided for each peripheral device to receive the peripheral device test command notified from the execution control unit, and to the data management unit through the execution control unit, a device command corresponding to the test command. To receive and then operate the peripheral device by the received device command. An automatic software test apparatus, which has a device control unit for controlling the software.