com.smartgwt.client.docs
Interface AutomatedTesting

public interface AutomatedTesting

Automated Testing

Smart GWT supports automated testing with a variety of tools.

Selenium

Smart GWT includes a free, custom Selenium extension for robust record and playback of tests, including the ability to record on one browser and play back on others, support for Selenium Remote Control allowing tests to be written in a variety of programming languages and run as scripts, as well as Smart GWT-specific enhancements to the Selenium IDE.

These extensions and a brief user guide can be found in the selenium/ directory in the top level of the SDK.

For load testing with Selenium, take a look at BrowserMob.

SOASTA

SOASTA's CloudTest product includes special support for Smart GWT with capabilities similar to our Selenium extensions, with special emphasis on load testing. Find out more at http://soasta.com.

Other tools

Smart GWT supports a special JavaScript API to allow other test tools to integrate in the same manner as Selenium and SOASTA. This API allows the test tool to record an abstract "locator" string representing the logical name for an interactive DOM element, and then during test playback, retrieve a DOM element given a locator.

This is critical because, like many modern Ajax systems, Smart GWT generates different DOM elements in different browsers, in different skins, and in different versions of Smart GWT. Testing tools that try to directly record the generated Smart GWT DOM produce extremely brittle tests because they are effectively recording undocumented internals.

Using the "locator" API allows you to record or write tests that will run in any browser supported by Smart GWT, in any version of Smart GWT, and in any skin. It also makes tests more readable and easier to understand and maintain.

Different testing tools vary in how easily they can be configured to use the locator API, and in some older tools it can be a large effort. We highly recommend using our Selenium extensions - it often makes sense to use them even if you have to use them in parallel with another, older testing tool. If you are forced to use another tool exclusively:

• Refer to the RmartClient documentation for the AutoTest class (because it's a JavaScript API). It can be found here
• Read over the source code of our Selenium extensions to get a clear understanding of how the Selenium integration works, because this will be analogous to the work you'll need to do
• Search the forums for other developers who are trying to use the same test tool with Smart GWT, and share efforts