Adam Sroka wrote:

> ...Given that most web apps
> today are highly dependent on the Ajax stack I would not trust these
> frameworks unless they have *greatly* improved since the last time I
> looked at them.

If I can avoid my usual plagues and disasters for just a couple more
weeks now, I will _finally_ be publishing a chapter of /TFUI/.
(Woo-hoo! and _incredibly_ sorry about the wait, everyone!)

The chapter shows how to use Rails and Ajax to write a test runner, in
the style of Watir or Selenium. It uses Ajax to edit and maintain test
cases in a web page, and tests target pages in an IFrame.

The chapter shows how to build the core of this tool from Rails, its
existing test rigs, and some new test rigs I assemble on the fly. It
invents:

assert_xpath
assert_js
assert_ajax

Anyone proficient with Rails can sample the test runner itself here:

http://phlip.svnrepository.com/svn/yar_wiki/README

It currently beats on a couple of my Rails projects. If you install it
but don't build a controller for it, you get assert_xpath and
assert_js. (Only the wiki can do assert_ajax!)

Here's an extreme example of assert_xpath:

assert_xml x.target!

assert_xpath '/ul/li/table/tr/td/strong[ . = "test_hammy_squirrel" ]' do
assert_xpath '../../../../ul/li/table/tr/td/strong[ . = "script" ]' do
assert_xpath '../../../../div[ . = "# something tests hammy squirrel" ]'
end
end

The first assertion takes a string, parses it as XML, and puts it into
a secret member variable called <at> xdoc. The assert_xpath requires a
valid path, so you can put lots of query details into the path. Then
assert_xpath upgrades <at> xdoc to point to the selected node, and it
calls a block. assert_xpath inside the block then works on the
selected node. In the above example (which could be more ...
exemplary), the nested assert_xpath calls respond by reaching back up
the tree of nodes, and finding distant cousins of the selected nodes.

assert_js lexes intermediate JavaScript source into XML, so
assert_xpath can then query out its important details:

assert_xpath '/form/textarea' do |textarea|
assert_js textarea.attributes['onkeydown'] do
assert_xpath 'Statement[1]' do
assert_xpath '//Identifier[ <at> name = "Callee" and . =
"editor_keydown" ]'
end
end
end

That might be better than "assert_match /onkeydown.*editor_keydown/,
my_javascript". The match could break when irrelevant details change.

assert_ajax works by registering a JavaScript callback to file when an
Ajax command finishes. You can populate the callback with assertions
to check that your Ajax updated your DOM correctly.

--
Phlip
http://c2.com/cgi/wiki?ZeekLand <-- NOT a blog!!

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> Diodeus wrote:
>
> > http://beta.moveable.com/jameslab/ajaxio/
>
> Radical!

Another followup. The last time I did this project (I cheated and used
TkCanvas, instead of our endlessly convoluted Ajax landscape), I used
GraphViz for the geometry manager. That means, after the user declares
nodes and connections, I submit them as text to GraphViz, and it
determines the layout, using an industrial-strength and very
customizable constraint engine. Then it returns a raw geometry, and I
snap everything to its coordinates.

Here's an example using SVG as the intermediate layer:

http://wiki.rubygarden.org/Ruby/page/show/SvgCanvas

If you follow that, the links are kind'a old, so if anything broke
I'll refresh it. But there are better versions of SvgCanvas on my
desktop(s).

--
Phlip
http://c2.com/cgi/wiki?ZeekLand <-- NOT a blog!!

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Ben Rady wrote:

> I'm a project manager/technical lead at a company that builds tools for 2D
> and 3D graphics, and my team is fully test infected. We've had a debate
> going on for some time about what to do about inconsistent tests.

Your tests which run a long way from the tested code are insufficiently fuzzy?

> ...But when we do find them they always suck a lot of time away
> from the poor developer who's just trying to check in a change...

Can you get them to fail within 5 seconds of hitting the One Test
Button, while editing?

--
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http://c2.com/cgi/wiki?ZeekLand <-- NOT a blog!!

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If the test runs quickly, returns true results (no tail chasing from false false negatives, no misdirection through false positives), then keep it. It's useful. If it sometimes returns false results or takes a long time, then fuzzy is bad.

Ultimately, I fall back on Michael Feathers' "1) runs quickly, 2) helps to isolate errors". If it is too fuzzy for either of the criteria, it's too fuzzy. Otherwise, not.

----- Original Message ----
From: Phlip <phlip2005 <at> gmail.com>
To: testdrivendevelopment <at> yahoogroups.com
Cc: testfirstuserinterfaces <at> yahoogroups.com
Sent: Tuesday, March 20, 2007 9:53:27 AM
Subject: [TFUI] Re: [TDD] Is a bad test better than no test at all?

Ben Rady wrote:

> I'm a project manager/technical lead at a company that builds tools for 2D

> and 3D graphics, and my team is fully test infected. We've had a debate

> going on for some time about what to do about inconsistent tests.

Your tests which run a long way from the tested code are insufficiently fuzzy?

> ...But when we do find them they always suck a lot of time away

> from the poor developer who's just trying to check in a change...

Can you get them to fail within 5 seconds of hitting the One Test

Button, while editing?

--

Phlip

http://c2.com/ cgi/wiki? ZeekLand <-- NOT a blog!!

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__________________________________________________________
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<shameless plug>
I just wanted to let people know that InfoQ has just released the book
"Patterns of Agile Practice Adoption" and it is downloadable in
non-printable pdf format at
http://www.infoq.com/minibooks/agile-patterns. My completely unbiased
opinion is that this is an excellent read.
</shameless plug>

Amr

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Please not the link above does not include a '.' It should be
http://www.infoq.com/minibooks/agile-patterns

(oh, and by the way it is printable also!)

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