Method of, and apparatus for, testing computer hardware and software

A non-transitory computer readable medium comprising instructions configured when executed to perform a method of defining an automated test configured, when executed, to test a system under test comprising one or more computer programs being executed on one or more computer devices, the method comprising the steps of:

• a) defining an executable model of the system under test, the system under test comprising a plurality of operational states, at least one operational state having one or more executable actions associated therewith operable to execute predetermined operations and/or transition the system under test between operational states, the executable model being executable by a test program and comprising a plurality of model states, wherein at least some of the model states are representative of operational states of the system under test;
• and
• b) defining one or more selectable model actions which are selectable by the test program within one or more model states, each model action being representative of one or more actions on the system under test which are executable within the one or more operational states represented by the respective one or more model states and each selectable model action is configured by default to be available to be selected
• c) assigning one or more preconditions to one or more model actions, wherein any model action having one or more preconditions assigned thereto cannot be selected by the test program unless any preconditions assigned thereto are satisfied;
• d) utilising the test program to select a sequence of available model actions;
• and
• e) generating, by the test program from the selected sequence of model actions, an automated test for execution on the system under test, wherein the automated test utilizes image analysis to identify one or more image objects in a graphical user interface of the system under test by searching for an expected image object in the graphical user interface using one or more reference images associated with the automated test.

A hardware computing apparatus for defining an automated test configured, when executed, to test a system under test comprising one or more computer programs being executed on one or more computer devices, the system under test comprising a plurality of operational states, at least one operational state having one or more executable actions associated therewith operable to execute predetermined operations and/or transition the system under test between operational states, the computing apparatus being configured to:

• a) define an executable model of the system under test, the system under test comprising a plurality of operational states, at least one operational state having one or more executable actions associated therewith operable to execute predetermined operations and/or transition the system under test between operational states, the executable model being executable by a test program and comprising a plurality of model states, wherein at least some of the model states are representative of operational states of the system under test;
• and
• b) define one or more selectable model actions which are selectable by the test program within one or more model states, each model action being representative of one or more actions on the system under test which are executable within the one or more operational states represented by the respective one or more model states and each selectable model action is configured by default to be available to be selected
• c) assign one or more preconditions to one or more model actions, wherein any model action having one or more preconditions assigned thereto cannot be selected by the test program unless any preconditions assigned thereto are satisfied;
• d) utilise the test program to select a sequence of available model actions;
• and
• e) generate, by the test program from the selected sequence of model actions, an automated test for execution on the system under test,
• wherein the automated test utilizes imagee analysis to identify one or more image objects in a graphical user interface of the system under test by searching for an expected image object in the graphical user interface using one or more reference images associated with the automated test.

A hardware computing apparatus operable to test a system under test comprising one or more computer programs being executed on one or more computer devices, the computing apparatus being configured to:

• a) utilise an executable model of the system under test, the system under test comprising a plurality of operational states, at least one operational state having one or more executable actions associated therewith operable to execute predetermined operations and/or transition the system under test between operational states, the executable model comprising a plurality of model states, wherein at least some of the model states are representative of operational states of the system under test;
• and
• b) select a sequence of selectable model actions to define an automated test, each model action being representative of one or more executable actions on the system under test, wherein each model action is configured to be available to be selected by default;
• and
• c) assign one or more preconditions to one or more model actions, wherein any model action having one or more preconditions assigned thereto cannot be selected by the test program unless any preconditions assigned thereto are satisfied;
• d) utilise a test program to select a sequence of available model actions;
• and
• e) generate, from the selected sequence of model actions, an automated test for execution on the system under test,
• f) execute the automated test on the system under test, wherein the automated test utilizes image analysis to identify one or more image objects in a graphical user interface of the system under test by searching for an expected image object in the graphical user interface using one or more reference images associated with the automated test.