ExpeccoNET Walkthrough

Aus ExpeccoWiki

Inhaltsverzeichnis

1 Overview
2 Setup and Configuration
3 Adding Users
4 Defining a Project
5 ExpeccoNET Login
6 TestSuite Management and Test Automation

Overview

expecco and expeccoNET are two separate components. expecco is a native-GUI application, which is used for test-development and execution. expeccoNET is a multi-session web-server application which is accessed via a webBrowser. These two programs can be used independent from each other. If you dont need the testautomation and projectmanagement features of expeccoNET, you can use expecco as a standalone tool, or even setup for simple automation using cron (unix) or the automated tasks feature (windows). However, you have to care for the management and revisioning of testSuites and testResults manually or by help of another tool (cvs, svn or another project mangament tool).

On the other hand, expeccoNET can also be used without expecco for project and quality management tasks.

Both components talk to each other via HTTP and/or SOAP protocols. They can therefore be easily integrated into other infrastructures - for example, if another quality management tool is used to control expecco's test execution, or if other test-executors are to be controlled by expeccoNET. Using this mechanism, we have sucessfully integrated a customer's own test execution engine into the expeccoNET framework, to be automated by expeccoNET.

Setup and Configuration

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More information on how to install and setup expeccoNET is found in the "ExpeccoNET Configuration Manual".

Adding Users

The very first data to be entered are users and user groups. As "Administrator", navigate to the "Users" section in the "Organisation" area, and create users as required.

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More information on how to configure users and permissions is found in the "ExpeccoNET User Setup Manual".

Defining a Project

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More information on the project management features is found "ExpeccoNET Project Setup Manual".

ExpeccoNET Login

We assume that expeccoNET has already been installed, and you are registered as user with upload/download permission. Let us also assume, that a number of projects have already been defined in the expeccoNET database and you have been given permission to access (some of them).

Open a webBrowser (firefox or IE) and login to expeccoNET with your userName/password combination:

and usually arrive in the status- and todo-overview page of the dashboard:

TestSuite Management and Test Automation

Step1: Create the TestSuite (in expecco)

The testSuite is created as usual, using expecco. Notice, that only the pro version has the expeccoNET-interfacing support built-in. This is required to upload/download testSuites, defect-reports and testResults to/from expeccoNET from within expecco.

In order to be able to communicate with expeccoNET, a dialog form has to be filled before. First open the settings dialog:

and navigate to the expeccoNET settings page:

and enter the name of the host on which expeccoNET is installed, your expeccoNET-username and password. The default port (80) is usually ok, unless the expeccoNET host also serves regular webpages. If in doubt, ask your expeccoNET administrator, which port is used.

Click on the "Check Reachability" button to see if a connection is possible (server is up and running and your username/password combination was correct).

If you have multiple expeccoNET servers running (for example, for separate departments), it is wise to save the setup by name. To do so, enter a descriptive name and click on "Remember Setup". You will then find those saved configurations later in the upper pull-down list ("Use Saved Setup") of that dialog.

Step2: Upload the TestSuite to expeccoNET

Once the setup is correct, the "Upload to expeccoNET" and "Download from expeccoNET" file-menu items will be enabled. When activated, these will open a corresponding dialog. Choose the expeccoNET-project, to which this testSuite is to be assigned (choose "Unspecified" or "All", if a testSuite is to be used with multiple projects, is unknown to you or not yet defined):

If that testSuite is validating the implementation of a requirement or reproducing a defect, you can also associate the uploaded testSuite to a requirement or defect right from within this dialog (or else, you can do it later, in expeccoNET, as shown below). After entering the optional summary description, press the "Ok" button to initialte the upload:

After the upload, your testSuite will be listed in expeccoNET's browser GUI in the testcases area:

Of course, even if not using the automation feautures, expeccoNET can be very helpful as a central repository for test-suites and test-results.

Step3: Create a TestDefinition (= Parametrisation)

ExpeccoNET distinguishes between a test-suite and a test-definition. A testSuite is the raw suite, as uploaded by expecco. Of course, it is often required to use a single suite with different parameters or to choose different sets of testplans from a suite. Such a parameter set is called a test-definition and managed in a separate page within expeccoNET. A single test-suite may be part of multiple definitions.

In order for a parameter value to be seen by expeccoNET, it must be specified as such in the top-level environment of the testSuite, and marked as "Visible in ExpeccoNET". That means, that the test-developer must have marked the variable as such in expecco:

All visible variables are shown in expeccoNET's test-definition form:

Step4: Create a TestSchedule (= tell it when to execute)

The last thing required is a schedule. This defines when a test should be executed, and where it should run.

There are multiple trigger options for the execution:

periodically
upon receipt of a trigger via email or file
by watching a source code repository for changes
remote-controlled (via a SOAP-call)
manually from the webBrowser

In this example, the trigger is defined to execute the test every night on any available host:

Of course, expeccoNET needs to know which hosts should be used for test execution. Hosts for test execution should be defined in the TestHost page:

That's it !
All you have to do now is to wait until the next morning and look at the result...

If you dont want to wait, you can also try an execution immediately. Go back to the testDefinitions list, find the definition in the list (notice, that the execute icon is enabled if there is any reachable host with a matching CPU/OS) and click on "Execute":