Generating reusable testing procedures

A method for generating reusable testing methods, the method comprising:

• receiving a selection of a plurality of graphical user interface (GUI) components of a GUI from a developer, wherein the GUI components are configured to execute one or more commands;
• determining, automatically by a processor, attributes of the plurality of GUI components, wherein attributes include input values for GUI components and processes for providing respective admissible input values to respective GUI components;
• determining, automatically by the processor and using the determined attributes, that two or more GUI components of the plurality of GUI components are mutually exclusive with each other;
• generating, automatically by the processor, source code for testing the GUI using a default procedure, wherein the default procedure includes a first set of input values for GUI components of the plurality of GUI components and a first sequence,
• wherein the first sequence includes an order in which the first set of input values are provided to respective GUI components and an order in which the GUI components are executed during testing, the first sequence being automatically determined by the processor, the GUI components including a particular GUI component, the particular GUI component being one of the two or more mutually exclusive GUI components, wherein the particular GUI component is the only GUI component of the two or more mutually exclusive GUI components for which an input value is provided during testing,
• wherein the first set of input values includes a selection of a particular selectable element for a drop down GUI component having multiple selectable elements and default text for fillable fields of at least one GUI component, wherein the first set of input values is determined automatically by the processor based on historical input values for the GUI components, and wherein the default text for the at least one GUI component having a fillable field is gathered from a historical database, the historical database having GUI components that correspond to the at least one GUI component, and
• wherein the two or more mutually exclusive GUI components include at least two of a back button, a forward button, a submit button, an upload button, and a cancel button;
• receiving, from the developer, modifications to the default testing procedure, the modifications including a second set of input values for GUI components of the plurality of GUI components and a second sequence, the second sequence including a second order in which the GUI components are executed during testing, and wherein the second set of input values includes a set of mutually exclusive GUI components;
• modifying, by the processor and in response to receiving the modifications from the developer, the source code for testing the GUI using the default testing procedure to generate source code for testing the GUI using a final procedure,
• wherein modifying the source code for the default testing procedure to generate the source code for the final procedure includes replacing the first set of input values in the source code with the second set of input values,
• wherein the source code for the final procedure is configured to provide the second set of input values to the GUI components according to the second sequence to simulate the one or more commands, wherein certain GUI components of the plurality of GUI components are hard-coded to single input values across the final procedure, wherein other GUI components of the plurality of GUI components are parametrized to numerous input values based on the one or more commands, and wherein a single GUI component of the set of mutually exclusive GUI components is executed during testing;
• compiling the source code for the final procedure into executable object code;
• testing the GUI using the final procedure by executing the object code;
• storing the final procedure in a database, wherein the database includes data on the plurality of GUI components;
• retrieving the final procedure from the database in response to a prompt that includes a selection of at least one GUI component of the plurality of GUI components, wherein the prompt includes the one or more commands, and wherein the database stores the one or more commands;
• generating a testing coverage report of the GUI using the database, the testing coverage report including a list of GUI components that have been tested by at least one final procedure of the database, a list of each of the at least one final procedures for respective GUI components, and results of testing procedures;
• receiving a request for a testing coverage report for a GUI component of the plurality of GUI components;
• identifying the final procedure as a procedure that tested the GUI component;
• and
• graphically indicating upon the GUI the plurality of GUI components that were tested by the final procedure.