Identifying user interface elements using element signatures

Abstract

Systems and methods for performing automated software testing on user interface elements are disclosed. For instance, a first element of an application can be identified. A signature can be generated for the first element. The signature for the first element can include one or more attributes descriptive of the first element. After an update of the application, a candidate element signature can be generated for one or more candidate elements in the updated application. The signature for the first element can be compared to each candidate element signature to determine whether the first element matches each candidate element, thereby enabling the first element to be located after the update of the application.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A computer-implemented method of identifying user interface elements, the method comprising:
 identifying, by one or more computing devices, a first element of an application;   generating, by one or more computing devices, a signature for the first element, the signature for the first element comprising one or more attributes descriptive of the first element;   after an update of the application, generating, by one or more computing devices, a candidate element signature for one or more candidate elements in the updated application, each candidate element signature comprising one or more attributes descriptive of the candidate element;   comparing, by one or more computing devices, the signature for the first element to each candidate element signature to determine whether the first element matches each candidate element, thereby enabling the first element to be located after the update of the application; and   determining, by one or more computing devices, that a first candidate element from the one or more candidate elements matches the first element based at least in part on the comparing.   
     
     
         2 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 1 , further comprising identifying, by one or more computing devices, the one or more candidate elements from the updated software application. 
     
     
         3 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 2 , wherein identifying, by one or more computing devices, the one or more candidate elements of the updated application comprises identifying a candidate element that has the same address as the first element. 
     
     
         4 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 2 , wherein identifying, by one or more computing devices, the one or more candidate elements of the updated application comprises identifying a candidate element that has a same ID as the first element. 
     
     
         5 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 1 , wherein comparing, by one or more computing devices, the signature for the first element to each candidate element signature comprises determining a transformation distance between the signature for the first signature and each candidate element signature. 
     
     
         6 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 5 , wherein the transformation distance describes a difference in attributes between the signature for the first element and a candidate element signature. 
     
     
         7 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 1 , wherein the one or more attributes associated with the first element comprise one or more of a location attribute, address attribute, style attribute, size attribute, name attribute, or ID attribute. 
     
     
         8 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 1 , wherein the first element is a test element specified in a software test script configured to validate proper operation of the application. 
     
     
         9 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 8 , further comprising:
 (i) executing, by one or more computing devices, the software test script to validate proper operation of the application, the executing (i) comprising performing one or more testing operations on the test element; and   (ii) when the first candidate element is determined to match the test element, executing, by one or more computing devices, the software test script to validate proper operation of the updated application, wherein the executing (ii) comprises performing one or more testing operations on the first candidate element.   
     
     
         10 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 1 , wherein the update to the application causes a change to at least one of the one or more attributes associated with the first element. 
     
     
         11 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 generating, by one or more computing devices, an internal HTML representation associated with the application; and wherein   generating, by one or more computing devices, the signature for the first element comprises generating the signature for the first element based at least in part on the internal HTML representation; and   generating, by one or more computing devices, a candidate element signature comprises generating the candidate element signature based at least in part on the internal HTML representation.   
     
     
         12 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 1 , wherein the first element is associated with a tooltip user interface element to be displayed in the application. 
     
     
         13 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 1 , wherein the first element is associated with a web content transformation. 
     
     
         14 . A computing system comprising:
 one or more processors;   one or more memory devices, the one or more memory devices storing computer-readable instructions that when executed by the one or more processors cause the one or more processors to perform operations, the operations comprising:   identifying, by an automation module, a first element of an application;   generating, by the automation module, a signature for the first element, the signature for the first element comprising one or more attributes descriptive of the first element;   after an update of the application, generating, by the automation module, a candidate element signature of a candidate element in the updated application, the candidate element signature comprising one or more attributes descriptive of the candidate element;   comparing, by the automation module, the signature for the first element to the candidate element signature to determine whether the first element matches the candidate element, thereby enabling the first element to be located after the update of the application; and   determining, by the automation module, that a first candidate element from the one or more candidate elements matches the first element based at least in part on the comparing.   
     
     
         15 . The computing system of  claim 14 , wherein identifying one or more candidate elements of the application comprises identifying a candidate element that has the same address as the first element. 
     
     
         16 . The computing system of  claim 14 , wherein identifying one or more candidate elements of the application comprises identifying a candidate element that has a same ID as the first element. 
     
     
         17 . One or more tangible, non-transitory computer-readable media storing computer-readable instructions that when executed by one or more processors cause the one or more processors to perform operations, the operations comprising:
 identifying a first element of an application;   generating a signature for the first element, the signature for the first element comprising one or more attributes descriptive of the first element;   after an update of the application, generating a candidate element signature for a candidate element in the updated application, the candidate element signature comprising one or more attributes descriptive of the candidate element;   comparing the signature for the first element to the candidate element signature to determine whether the first element matches the candidate element, thereby enabling the first element to be located after the update of the application; and   determining that a first candidate element from the one or more candidate elements matches the first element based at least in part on the comparing.