Lightweight Test Automation Framework for ASP.NET

What is the Lightweight Test Automation Framework for ASP.NET?

The Lightweight Test Automation Framework for ASP.NET was developed and is used by the ASP.NET QA Team to automate regression tests for the product. It is designed to run within an ASP.NET application.

Tests can be written in any .NET Framework language. They use an API to manipulate and verify the DOM of the browser. This framework supports running tests in Microsoft Internet Explorer, Mozilla Firefox, Apple Safari, and Opera.

Note that even though the Lightweight Test Automation Framework for ASP.NET can be used to automate testing for any general-purpose Web application, its design was driven by the needs of the QA Team to automate ASP.NET regression tests.

How do I use the samples?

1. Download the sample from the Web site and then open it in Visual Studio 2008. The Web site contains a small application and tests to automate it. The following illustration shows the Web site structure.

WebStructure.gif

2. Navigate to Home.aspx to interact with the Web site. To log in, use the user name ValidUser and use any string for the password. The page contains a GridView control that lets the user edit, delete, and insert data about school classes and grades. The following illustration shows a screen shot of the sample application.

SampleApp.gif

3. Navigate to \test\Default.aspx. This loads the testing UI, shown in the following illustration:

TestingUI.gif

4. Select tests from the tree view and then click Run Tests. The tests will run and display their progress in the right-hand frame.
5. To examine the test code, browse to the App_Code\Tests folder, and then open any file to inspect the test source code.

How do I debug test errors?

When a test fails, it is marked in red in the test tree. To examine the log, click the test name. The log information is displayed as shown in the following illustration:

Debug.gif

The log contains the stack trace of the test and the DOM that was captured by the Lightweight Test Automation Framework at the moment of failure.
You can also have the test framework write a simple log to disk. To do so, select the Write Log to Disk check box before you run the tests. Note that this feature requires write access to the Web site’s root folder.

How do I use the Lightweight Test Automation Framework for ASP.NET with my own Web site?

To use the test framework in your Web site, follow these steps.

1. Copy LTAF.dll into the Bin folder of your Web site. If you are testing a Web application, add the DLL as a reference to the project.

2. Copy Default.aspx and DriverPage.aspx into a folder in the Web site.

By convention, the ASP.NET QA team uses the Test folder, but you can use any folder that you want. These are the pages that are required in order to run the tests. If you are testing a Web site project, put tests in the App_Code folder. If you are testing a Web application project, you can put tests in any folder.

How do I filter the test tree?

The automation framework accepts the query-string values that are useful for filtering and running tests. You add these arguments when you request a page in the browser in order to start a test.

You can use the following query-string variables:

Additional Resources

For more information, see the following resources: