Title:       Web Replay
Author:      Emmanuel KARTMANN
Email:       emmmanuel@kartmann.org
Environment: VC++ .NET (2002)
Keywords:    Web Automated Testing Replay
Level:       Intermediate"
Description: This article presents an automated software testing tool for Web Applications (Internet/Intranet) based on Internet Explorer
Section      General
SubSection   Internet & Network

• Download Web Replay binary executable - 821 Kb
• Download source - 170 Kb

Introduction

Web Replay is an automated software testing tool for Web applications. It helps in detecting bugs and regressions in Web applications by replaying scenarios to test the application.

Using WebReplay, you can automatically navigate to a Web page, fill in form fields, click on the submit (OK) button, and then continue to another Web page.

To use Web Replay, build an XML Scenario File (see below), type the name of the file in the edit box and click on the Replay button.

Background (optional)

Web Replay is based on Microsoft's WebBrowser control (Microsoft® ActiveX® control). It embeds the control into a very simple dialog-based application which loads an XML scenario file and programmatically drives the WebBrowser control (via its COM Interface IWebBrowser2) to execute the scenario.

Using the code

Web Replay provides the following features:

• Replay scenarios from an XML File
• Support every feature supported by Microsoft Internet Explorer (includes Windows Integrated Authentication)
• Support HTML forms, HTML input elements, HTML hyperlinks (anchors)
• Support 2 actions on HTML elements: set_value and click:
  
  • set_value simulates a change in the HTML Element's value (input, select, etc...)
  • click simulates a mouse click on the HTML Element (any element)
• Support unnamed HTML elements: elements can be found with their associated value and/or innerText and/or Href
• Store and reload the last scenario file name (it uses a good old WebReplay.ini file) 
• Support dynamically-generated Web Sites (client-side):
  If your web site generates HTML within the browser (using javascript's commands like "document.write"), Web Replay can still play back a given scenario - it uses a timeout mecanism to find the dynamically-generated controls.

Sample XML Scenario

An XML Scenario file looks like this:

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="Windows-1252"?>
<web_replay>
  <scenario>
    <!-- Search something in codeproject -->
    <!-- Scenarios are divided into steps (one step per page download) -->
    <step>
      <!-- Every step can contain one or more actions -->
      <!-- Action can be of type "navigate" = Web Replay will navigate to the given URL -->
      <action type="navigate" url="http://www.codeproject.com" />
    </step>
    <step>
      <!-- Action can be of type "control" = Web Replay will interact with an HTML element -->
      <action type="control" name="target" event="set_value" value="WebReplay" />
      <!-- This field is unnamed; but it has a specific value attribute -->
      <action type="control" name="" value="Go" event="click" />
    </step>
  </scenario>
</web_replay>

To build a scenario file, you need to basically know the names (or ids) of HTML Elements within your Web Application. Alternatively, you can use an empty name and use the HTML Elements value (for unnamed items).

Points of Interest

How do you test code? Well, just write a test program! Web Replay helps you with this be providing a simple way of testing you Web apps. But it's still a brand new program; the TODO list is long...

Web Replay TODO List

• Play scenarios multiple times (even infinite loops to stress-test your Web application)
• Use of variables/expression in scenario files (to replay scenarios that are ALWAYS different)
• Batch playback of scenario files
• Enhanced error detection (e.g. a scenario should fail if a given HTML pattern is not found in the HTML page)
• Automated recording of scenario files (implement an event sink for IWebBrowser2 and record HTML Elements names/id and associated event)

History

V1.0 - $Date: 2005-06-16 11:50:08 +0200 (Thu, 16 Jun 2005) $