VISUALIZE EXECUTION
Pattern Summary
When running tests display which test case is currently executing
Category
Execution
Context
This pattern is helpful when running unattended tests
Description
When executing long-running automated tests it is quite useful to be able to see at a glance which test case is currently executing. To achieve this you should display the test case Id somewhere on the screen.
Implementation
Some suggestions:
- If you are testing windows in which you have to insert text that is inconsequential for the test case, simply insert the test case id.
- If your test tool or TEST AUTOMATION FRAMEWORK supports it, write the test case information to some otherwise unused screen area.
- It is best to think about this when you start writing automated tests rather than adding it in later. This would be a good thing to try out when you DO A PILOT.
Potential Problems
It will take time to implement this after a lot of tests have already been written. It's possible that displaying the test id will slow down the execution of the tests (hopefully not by much).
Issues Addressed
This pattern is only used by other patterns (SET STANDARDS and UNATTENDED TEST EXECUTION).
Experiences
from Seretta: One of the applications we test automatically is our portfolio management for insurance policies. Whatever test case we designed, we always needed a partner name as the policy holder, so as a rule the partner’s name is identical with the unique test case id. In this way just glancing at the screen tells us how far the suite has been executed.
If you have also used this pattern and would like to contribute your experience to the wiki, please go to Feedback to submit your experience or comment.