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Diffstat (limited to 'lib/common_test/doc/src/basics_chapter.xml')
| -rw-r--r-- | lib/common_test/doc/src/basics_chapter.xml | 75 |
1 files changed, 44 insertions, 31 deletions
diff --git a/lib/common_test/doc/src/basics_chapter.xml b/lib/common_test/doc/src/basics_chapter.xml index c1bb365b1f..20141d2561 100644 --- a/lib/common_test/doc/src/basics_chapter.xml +++ b/lib/common_test/doc/src/basics_chapter.xml @@ -28,54 +28,65 @@ <rev></rev> <file>basics_chapter.xml</file> </header> - + <marker id="basics"></marker> <section> <title>Introduction</title> - <p> - The Common Test framework (CT) is a tool which can support - implementation and automated execution of test cases towards different - types of target systems. The framework is based on the OTP Test - Server. Test cases can be run individually or in batches. Common - Test also features a distributed testing mode with central - control and logging. This feature makes it possible to test - multiple systems independently in one common session. This - can be very useful e.g. for running automated large-scale regression - tests. + <p>The <em>Common Test</em> framework (CT) is a tool which supports + implementation and automated execution of test cases towards arbitrary + types of target systems. The CT framework is based on the OTP Test + Server and it's the main tool being used in all testing- and verification + activities that are part of Erlang/OTP system development- and maintenance. + </p> + + <p>Test cases can be executed individually or in batches. Common Test + also features a distributed testing mode with central control and logging + (a feature that makes it possible to test multiple systems independently in + one common session, useful e.g. for running automated large-scale regression + tests). </p> <p> The SUT (System Under Test) may consist of one or several target - nodes. CT contains a generic test server which together with - other test utilities is used to perform test case execution. - It is possible to start the tests from the CT GUI or from an OS- or - Erlang shell prompt. <em>Test suites</em> are files (Erlang + nodes. CT contains a generic test server which, together with + other test utilities, is used to perform test case execution. + It is possible to start the tests from a GUI or from the OS- or + Erlang shell. <em>Test suites</em> are files (Erlang modules) that contain the <em>test cases</em> (Erlang functions) to be executed. <em>Support modules</em> provide functions that the test cases utilize in order to carry out the tests. </p> - <p> - The main idea is that CT based test programs connect to - the target system(s) via standard O&M interfaces. CT - provides implementations and wrappers of some of these O&M - interfaces and will be extended with more interfaces later. - There are a number of target independent interfaces - supported in CT such as Generic Telnet, FTP etc. which can be - specialized or used directly for controlling instruments, - traffic generators etc.</p> + <p>In a black-box testing scenario, CT based test programs connect to + the target system(s) via standard O&M and CLI protocols. CT + provides implementations of, and wrapper interfaces to, some of these + protocols (most of which exist as stand-alone components and + applications in OTP). The wrappers simplify configuration and add + verbosity for logging purposes. CT will be continously extended with + useful support modules. (Note however that it's + a straightforward task to use any arbitrary Erlang/OTP component + for testing purposes with Common Test, without needing a CT wrapper + for it. It's as simple as calling Erlang functions). There + are a number of target independent interfaces supported in CT, such as + Generic Telnet, FTP, etc, which can be specialized or used + directly for controlling instruments, traffic load generators, etc. + </p> <p>Common Test is also a very useful tool for white-box testing Erlang - code since the test programs can call Erlang API functions directly. - For black-box testing Erlang software, Erlang RPC as well as - standard O&M interfaces can be used. + code (e.g. module testing), since the test programs can call exported Erlang + functions directly and there's very little overhead required for + implementing basic test suites and executing simple tests. For black-box + testing Erlang software, Erlang RPC as well as standard O&M interfaces + can for example be used. </p> <p>A test case can handle several connections towards one or several target systems, instruments and traffic generators in parallel in order to perform the necessary actions for a test. The handling of many connections in parallel is one of - the major strengths of Common Test! + the major strengths of Common Test (thanks to the efficient + support for concurrency in the Erlang runtime system - which CT users + can take great advantage of!). </p> </section> @@ -186,7 +197,7 @@ <taglist> <tag>all()</tag> - <item>Returns a list of all test cases in the suite. (Mandatory)</item> + <item>Returns a list of all test cases and groups in the suite. (Mandatory)</item> <tag>suite()</tag> <item>Info function used to return properties for the suite. (Optional)</item> <tag>groups()</tag> @@ -197,12 +208,14 @@ <tag>end_per_suite(Config)</tag> <item>Suite level configuration function, executed after the last test case. (Optional)</item> + <tag>group(GroupName)</tag> + <item>Info function used to return properties for a test case group. (Optional)</item> <tag>init_per_group(GroupName, Config)</tag> <item>Configuration function for a group, executed before the first - test case. (Mandatory if groups are defined)</item> + test case. (Optional)</item> <tag>end_per_group(GroupName, Config)</tag> <item>Configuration function for a group, executed after the last - test case. (Mandatory if groups are defined)</item> + test case. (Optional)</item> <tag>init_per_testcase(TestCase, Config)</tag> <item>Configuration function for a testcase, executed before each test case. (Optional)</item> |