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Automated Testing in Enterprise Explorer

  • 15 November 2019
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durette
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I’ve deployed about 80 system changes this year (both configuration and development), and I’d like to move faster. I want to implement automated testing with the eventual goal of implementing continuous deployment. I need an automated means of signing off on system changes, for both IFS-supplied deliveries and our in-house developed code.

 

A true end-to-end test would require us to drive simulations from the Enterprise Explorer GUI, then validate the system outputs. Has anyone done this?

 

(We’re on Apps 9 UPD 13.)

 

 

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Best answer by haetse 19 November 2019, 12:50

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durette
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UI testing is absolutely necessary, though. Ongoing development in Enterprise Explorer by IFS hasn't been consistent about where business logic "belongs". Changes might appear in the database PL/SQL, in the middle tier Java, or in the client tier .NET, with no rhyme or reason on why the change was deployed to that area instead of somewhere else.

The personal and base profiles are also very sensitive to changes. IFS expects every customer is willing to rebuild everything from scratch whenever an update is applied.

Our internal changes can be isolated, yes, but that doesn't catch any potential cross-talk with external changes.

If you find this forum useful, please consider paying back to the community in your own areas of expertise. -- Kevin Durette - https://www.linkedin.com/in/kevindurette
Clausharder
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Hi

ClickLearn offers automated testing features through their replay functionality. So you can record a scenario and replay that in your test environment with different data sets. This can work for end to end processes as well but I do recommend that you have smaller captures that you connect instead of one long recording. IFS Scope Tool is a tool IFS and partners can use to create the end to ends and use with ClickLearn. You can contact ifs@clicklearn.com for more details. 

H
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You can use “any” Windows UI testing tools to drive the IFS EE user interface.

Some examples of what I’ve seen

My main concern with tests on UI level are that such tests are quite “expensive” to maintain.

Often slow to execute. Often fragile to changes. Dependent on specific data setup. 

And the big advantage of UI testing is that is very closely resembles what the real end-user does.

H
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Sometimes UI testing is the best option.

IFS Enterprise Explorer UI controls (most of them) is automatable through MSAA and therefore supports many Windows desktop UI testing toolkits (as mentioned above)

durette
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Can ClickLearn support Jenkins-style triggers (or can it integrate with Jenkins)?

If you find this forum useful, please consider paying back to the community in your own areas of expertise. -- Kevin Durette - https://www.linkedin.com/in/kevindurette
Clausharder
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Hi Kevin

it is no a very advanced test tool like BluePrism or similar tools. It has though the major benefit that it uses the work instructions as starting point so you only have to create content once. It can also use decision gates etc to define different cases. 
 

but as mentioned please reach out to ifs@clicklearn.com for more. 
 

Regards Claus

Clausharder
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Haetse, agree - that is why testing on the basis of your Work instructions and solution documentation helps to keep content in sync.

S
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Hey Kevin,

 

What automated testing software did you end up going with?  I am currently looking into implementing automated testing to handle IFS updates and customizations.  Both ClickLearn and Katalon Studio seem like solid solutions.  Seems that ClickLearn has tighter IFS integrations, but is far more expensive especially if we want to implement continuous integration.

 

Thanks,

Zenon

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