Towards deploying model-based testing with a domain-specific modeling approach

Model-based testing automating the generation of test cases is technically superior to conventional scripted testing. However there have been difficulties in deploying the methodology in large scale industrial context. In this paper we present a domain-specific approach to model-based GUI testing that should be easier to adopt than more generic solutions. The method is based on keywords and action words that are considered as best practices in conventional GUI test automation. The basic idea is to record GUI events just like in capture/replay tools, but instead of producing scripts that can be hard to maintain, we produce sequences of keywords. These sequences are further transformed semiautomatically into Labeled Transition Systems where action words are used as transition labels. The action words model user behavior at a high level of abstraction while the keywords correspond to the GUI navigation. We also describe the associated tool set that we are developing and an example of using the approach.