For the development and execution of automated test-cases for our customer (HP / HP OpenView Software) a test tool was to be selected which had to be well-suited to testing of JAVA GUI applications. The requirements that had to be met are:

  • Support for the whole Software life-cycle process: Configuration management, test case management, refactoring, component Tests, system Tests
  • Support for the platforms MS Windows, HP-UX, Linux, Solaris, AIX
  • Development of robust test-cases: Easy to capture, easy to execute, robust recognition of graphical components even without 'object.name', capturing and test-case development on a single platform, execution of the test-cases on multiple platforms (MS Win, Linux, HP-UX, Solaris, ...), execution of captured tests on a different platform, support for localized test-cases, easy to extend
  • Easy to use and / or well-known language for test-cases (Java, Perl, Python, ...)
  • Batch Mode (unattended execution)
  • Sensible licensing (to be used in complex test environments with firewall, proxy ?)
  • Simple installation of the tool: Simple mechanism, little or no dependencies
  • Easy and complete evaluation of test results
  • Support: prompt & competent support for questions concerning development and execution of test-cases, short & reliable development cycles

QF-Test at hp / daemons point:
low maintenance effort

Unfortunately, many of the well known tools of the more renowned vendors met only parts of the requirements. Especially remarkable during the evaluation was QF-Test's ability to run tests on different platforms. The standard recognition of graphical components is already very powerful. By making use of the Name- and ItemResolver extension API it should be possible - even in intractable situations (none or inconsistent Object.Names) - to create a robust test-case that will run reliably even in localized environments.

One can see clearly that the features of QF-Test have been implemented very practically. Only thereby is it possible to very efficiently create test-cases, which - during the usual changes of software throughout its life-cycle (a number of years in the current case!) - can always be adapted to the latest version with low maintenance overhead. Additionally, QF-Test's plugin interface opens the way for integration into the existing distributed test framework so that development of a lot more complex test-cases should be possible.

Therefore, QF-Test came off as the definite winner of the evaluation. The fact, that its license and support costs for development and execution were the lowest wasn't even taken into account.

(Original German texts and citations are translated into English.)