# US 2018/0025503 A1 · Visual regression testing tool > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2018/0025503 A1 - Document ID: US20180025503A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 15/218,861 - Filed: 2016-07-25 - Published: 2018-01-25 - Earliest claimed: 2016-07-25 - Assignees: Intuit Inc. - Applicants: Intuit Inc. - Inventors: Carol Chiam-Mei TSAI; Nirja SHAH; Muzaffar H. MALIK - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20180025503A1 ## CPC - G06F 40/143: Markup, e.g. Standard Generalized Markup Language [SGML] or Document Type Definition [DTD] - G06F 11/368: {for test version control, e.g. updating test cases to a new software version} - G06T 1/0007: {Image acquisition} - G06T 7/90: Determination of colour characteristics - G06T 11/60: Creating or editing images; Combining images with text - G06V 30/418: Document matching, e.g. of document images - G06T 2207/10004: Still image; Photographic image - G06F: ELECTRIC DIGITAL DATA PROCESSING (computer systems based on specific computational models G06N) - G06T: IMAGE DATA PROCESSING OR GENERATION, IN GENERAL - G06V: IMAGE OR VIDEO RECOGNITION OR UNDERSTANDING ## Abstract Techniques are disclosed for performing visual regression testing for a software application. In one embodiment, a regression testing tool identifies a first collection of web pages from a first version of the application, and captures an image of each identified web page. The regression testing tool identifies, for one or more of the identified web pages, a corresponding web page in a second collection of web pages from a second version of the application, and captures an image of the corresponding web pages. The regression testing tool identifies differences in pixel values for images in the first collection and images in the second collection to determine differences between the image of at least one web page in the first collection and the image of the corresponding web page. The regression testing tool generates an image providing a visualization of the one or more differences. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A computer-implemented method for performing visual regression testing of an application, comprising: identifying a first collection of web pages associated with a first version of the application by traversing web links from an initial web page of the first collection; capturing an image of each web page identified by traversing the web links from the initial web page of the first collection; identifying, for one or more of the web pages in the first collection, a corresponding web page in a second collection of web pages associated with a second version of the application; capturing an image of the corresponding web pages in the second collection; identifying differences in pixel values for images in the first collection and pixel values for images in the second collection to determine one or more differences between the image of at least one web page in the first collection and the image of the corresponding web page in the second collection; and generating an image providing a visualization of the one or more differences. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the image providing the visualization of the one or more differences is generated upon determining that an amount of differences in pixel values for the image of the at least one web page in the first collection and the image of the corresponding web page in the second collection exceeds a defined threshold value. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the image of the at least one web page in the first collection includes content generated from output of a test harness interacting with the first version of the application and wherein the image of the corresponding web page in the second collection includes content generated from output of the test harness interacting with the second version of the application. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein generating the image comprises superimposing the image of the corresponding web page in the second collection on the image of the web page in the first collection. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) The computer-implemented method of claim 4, wherein the visualization of the one or more differences displays the one or more differences in color, shading or grayscale. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the second collection of web pages associated with the second version of the application are identified by traversing web links from an initial web page of the second collection. ### Claim 7 (depends on 6) The computer-implemented method of claim 6, wherein the web links from the first collection and second collection are identified by parsing hypertext markup language (HTML) content of one or more web pages in the first collection and second collection for one or more attributes that have a uniform resource locator (URL) as a value. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein each corresponding web page in the second collection is identified by matching a uniform resource locator (URL) for the web page in the second collection to a URL for one of the web pages in the first collection. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the first version of the application is a version of an online interactive accounting service exposed to users over a data communications network, and wherein the second version of the application is a version of the online interactive accounting service exposed that has not been exposed to users. ### Claim 10 A computer-readable storage medium storing instructions, which when executed on a processor, perform an operation for visual regression testing of an application, the operation comprising: identifying a first collection of web pages associated with a first version of the application by traversing web links from an initial web page of the first collection; capturing an image of each web page identified by traversing the web links from the initial web page of the first collection; identifying, for one or more of the web pages in the first collection, a corresponding web page in a second collection of web pages associated with a second version of the application; capturing an image of the corresponding web pages in the second collection; identifying differences in pixel values for images in the first collection and pixel values for images in the second collection to determine one or more differences between the image of at least one web page in the first collection and the image of the corresponding web page in the second collection; and generating an image providing a visualization of the one or more differences. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The computer-readable storage medium of claim 10, wherein the image providing the visualization of the one or more differences is generated upon determining that an amount of differences in pixel values for the image of the at least one web page in the first collection and the image of the corresponding web page in the second collection exceeds a defined threshold value. ### Claim 12 (depends on 10) The computer-readable storage medium of claim 10, wherein the image of the at least one web page in the first collection includes content generated from output of a test harness interacting with the first version of the application and wherein the image of the corresponding web page in the second collection includes content generated from output of the test harness interacting with the second version of the application. ### Claim 13 (depends on 10) The computer-readable storage medium of claim 10, wherein the visualization of the one or more differences displays the one or more differences in color, shading or grayscale. ### Claim 14 (depends on 10) The computer-readable storage medium of claim 10, wherein the second collection of web pages associated with the second version of the application are identified by traversing web links from an initial web page of the second collection, and wherein the web links from the first collection and second collection are identified by parsing hypertext markup language (HTML) content of one or more web pages in the first collection and second collection for one or more attributes that have a uniform resource locator (URL) as a value. ### Claim 15 (depends on 10) The computer-readable storage medium of claim 10, wherein each corresponding web page in the second collection is identified by matching a uniform resource locator (URL) for the web page in the second collection to a URL for one of the web pages in the first collection. ### Claim 16 A system, comprising: a processor; and a memory containing a program which, when executed on the processor, performs an operation for visual regression testing of an application, the operation comprising: identifying a first collection of web pages associated with a first version of the application by traversing web links from an initial web page of the first collection; capturing an image of each web page identified by traversing the web links from the initial web page of the first collection; identifying, for one or more of the web pages in the first collection, a corresponding web page in a second collection of web pages associated with a second version of the application; capturing an image of the corresponding web pages in the second collection; identifying differences in pixel values for images in the first collection and pixel values for images in the second collection to determine one or more differences between the image of at least one web page in the first collection and the image of the corresponding web page in the second collection; and generating an image providing a visualization of the one or more differences. ### Claim 17 (depends on 16) The system of claim 16, wherein the image providing the visualization of the one or more differences is generated upon determining that an amount of differences in pixel values for the image of the at least one web page in the first collection and the image of the corresponding web page in the second collection exceeds a defined threshold value. ### Claim 18 (depends on 16) The system of claim 16, wherein the image of the at least one web page in the first collection includes content generated from output of a test harness interacting with the first version of the application and wherein the image of the corresponding web page in the second collection includes content generated from output of the test harness interacting with the second version of the application. ### Claim 19 (depends on 16) The system of claim 16, wherein the second collection of web pages associated with the second version of the application are identified by traversing web links from an initial web page of the second collection, and wherein the web links from the first collection and second collection are identified by parsing hypertext markup language (HTML) content of one or more web pages in the first collection and second collection for one or more attributes that have a uniform resource locator (URL) as a value. ### Claim 20 (depends on 16) The system of claim 16, wherein each corresponding web page in the second collection is identified by matching a uniform resource locator (URL) for the web page in the second collection to a URL for one of the web pages in the first collection.