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 for generating 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 a model of the system under test, the system under test comprising a plurality of operational states where at least one operational state has one or more executable actions associated therewith operable to execute predetermined operations and/or transition the system under test between operational states, the 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;
• b) defining one or more selectable model actions which are available and selectable within one or more model states, wherein each model action is representative of one or more actions of the system under test which are executable within the one or more operational states represented by the respective one or more model states and one or more model actions are operable, when selected, to transition the model between model states;
• c) assigning one or more test description sections to one or more model actions, wherein each test description section comprises one or more operation commands configured, when executed, to cause a test program to execute one or more operations on the system under test and one or more validation commands operable, when executed, to determine whether one or more operation commands have been executed correctly;
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• d) selecting, using a processor, a sequence of model actions;
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• e) generating, from the test description sections assigned to the selected sequence of model actions, a sequence of operation and validation commands for execution on the system under test as an automated test, wherein one or more operation commands and/or validation commands 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 generating 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 computing apparatus being configured to:

• a) define a model of the system under test, the system under test comprising a plurality of operational states where at least one operational state has one or more executable actions associated therewith operable to execute predetermined operations and/or transition the system under test between operational states, the 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;
• b) define one or more selectable model actions which are available and selectable within one or more model states, wherein each model action is representative of one or more actions of the system under test which are executable within the one or more operational states represented by the respective one or more model states and one or more model actions are operable, when selected, to transition the model between model states;
• c) assign one or more test description sections to one or more model actions, wherein each test description section comprises one or more operation commands configured, when executed, to cause a test program to execute one or more operations on the system under test and one or more validation commands operable, when executed, to determine whether one or more operation commands have been executed correctly;
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• d) select, using a processor, a sequence of model actions;
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• e) generate, from the test description sections assigned to the selected sequence of model actions, a sequence of operation and validation commands for execution on the system under test as an automated test, wherein one or more operation commands and/or validation commands 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 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 a model of the system under test the system under test comprising a plurality of operational states where at least one operational state has one or more executable actions associated therewith operable to execute predetermined operations and/or transition the system under test between operational states, the 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;
• b) select, using the model, a sequence of one or more selectable model actions which are available and selectable within one or more model states, wherein each model action is representative of one or more actions of the system under test which are executable within the one or more operational states represented by the respective one or more model states and one or more model actions are operable, when selected, to transition the model between model states;
• c) utilise one or more test description sections assigned to the selected sequence of model actions to define a sequence of i) operation commands for execution on the system under test and ii) validation commands operable, when executed, to determine whether one or more operation commands have been executed correctly as an automated test;
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• d) execute the sequence of operation commands on the system under test as an automated test, wherein one or more operation commands and/or validation commands 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.