Functional Testing
Test the user experience not the code with the Eggplant™ automated testing tools
When developing a new application or website it is tempting to use automated software application tools that check the underlying code. The thinking is that this will identify any problems and lead to a stable, quality end product. But the user does not interact with the code directly. They use the application's interface and often problems that are not seen in the code will be seen in the interface. Deliver a quality user experience and leverage the power of automated functional testing software using Eggplant™ Functional Tester.
Functional testing is written from the user's perspective and used to confirm that the system does what users expect it to do. Priority is given to testing the application's usability rather than the complexity of the application's internal workings. Regardless of the quality of the underlying code, if the user interface doesn't work, the result is an inefficient and frustrating experience for the user.
Eggplant Functional Tester is the ideal functional testing software tool, its capture-and-compare approach allows you to translate use cases directly into tests that drive the interface just as a human user would. You will easily create tests that click, drag, and type, examining and interacting directly with the user interface.
Time spent performing functional testing at the user interface level is justified when you understand that it can reveal a number of deficiencies not immediately apparent when conducting a source code review. Take for example the following dialog box from Internet Explorer 5.0:
When tested at the level of the source code or the GUI objects, this panel would pass muster, but a functional test at the user-interface level would reveal that the OK button is misplaced (it's the small gray rectangle on the lower right corner of the image).
