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Logroll Version 0.17 Update

 
Logroll v0.17 is out with bug fixes and some ease of use improvements.


Download it now and make your Automated Build Studio server do fancy tricks like:
  • Create and update a slick build status web page with summary and detail views.
  • Create a build server status RSS feed you can add to your home page
  • Play different music based on build pass or fail
  • Send build status updates to email and mobile phones
Download Logroll


The project RssSampleProject.bxp in the Logroll archive is pre-configured to demonstrate Logroll.

How to use the RssSampleProject with Logroll:


  1. Copy all files that came with Logroll to a new directory.

  2. Open RssSampleProject.bxp in ABS.

  3. Double-click the Configure Logroll/Export Log operation.

     Edit the message text to set the options for your FTP server,

     web server and email preferences.

  4. Upload abs_rss.css, abslog.css and abs_rss.xsl and the gif files to

     the same directory you specified in the Configure Logroll

     setting ServerLogPath. These files allow you to view

     (YourMacroName)_rss.xml feed as a normal web page.

  5. If you set PlayMusic, add the playlists ABS_Fail and ABS_Pass to iTunes

     and fill them with appropriate tracks.

  6. Save RssMacroSample.bxp and run it.

 

  The macro will randomly succeed or fail and it will call Logroll to

  handle the log. Skip to the "Setup your feed reader" section below

  to read more.


You can add Logroll to your macros with just a few easy steps.

How to add Logroll to your macro:


  1. Copy logroll.bxp to your macro directory.

  2. Open your macro in ABS.

  3. Open the RSSSampleProject macro in another instance of ABS.

  4. Copy the FinalAction submacro from RSSSampleProject to your macro.

  5. In your macro, create a new submacro with the name GlobalError.

  6. In your macro, add operation 'Run submacro' to end of the GlobalError

     submacro, set it to call FinalActions.

  7. In your macro, set the macro properties to 'Run submacro if fails:'

     to run GlobalError. (Files/Macro Properties)

  8. In your macro, double-click the Configure Logroll/Export Log operation.

     Edit the message text to set the options for your FTP server,

     web server and email preferences.

  9. Upload abs_rss.css, abslog.css and abs_rss.xsl and the gif files to

     the same directory you specified in the Configure Logroll

     setting ServerLogPath. These files allow you to view

     (YourMacroName)_rss.xml feed as a normal web page.

 10. If you set PlayMusic, add the playlists ABS_Fail and ABS_Pass to iTunes

     and fill them with appropriate tracks.    

 11. Run your macro.

Try it out


    Once you've modified your macro to call Logroll and changed the settings

    for your servers and email, just run your macro to test it.

    

    If your FTP server settings are good, Logroll will upload the log

    to an RSS file on your webserver after every build and you can monitor

    macro status from your RSS reader.

    

    Logroll will also upload an HTML version of the log file to the same

    directory so you can drill down on summaries to see log details.

    (note: older html logs are not cleaned up yet, that's coming in the next version.)

    

    If your email settings are good, Logroll will email log summaries to

    each email address you specified when the build passes, fails or always.

    

    If you have iTunes installed, Logroll will play a song from the playlists

    ABS_Fail or ABS_Pass when your macro passes or fails.

Setup your feed reader:

   Add the feed to your RSS feed reader.

   The feed URL will be something like:

      http://(yourserver.com)/abslogs/(YourMacroName)_rss.xml.

View it in your browser:

   Just load http://(yourserver.com)/abslogs/(YourMacroName)_rss.xml in

   your browser.

   
Notes:

   * Logroll will create empty ABS_Fail and ABS_Pass feeds in iTunes if

     you don't create them.

   * RSS reader services like Bloglines, Microsoft Live and Google don't

     update immediately. Use a desktop feed reader for immediate feedback.

Download Logroll version 0.17

TestComplete Web Testing Quick Tip: Checking Image Size Specifications

 

TestComplete can do more than just perform functional testing of web pages; it also provides scripting access to elements and element attributes of web pages shown in Internet Explorer. This lets you easily check the attribute values and determine whether the page matches the quality standards adopted in your organization.

TestComplete Web Testing Quick Tip: Checking for Mailto Links

 

Using TestComplete, you can get access to web page elements and check different element attributes. For example, you can check whether the page contains some mailto links (the A elements with the mailto protocol specified, as mailto:johnsmith@johnsmithcompany.com). This check will guarantee that all people who visit your web page are able to contact you or your company (for more information on this, see http://www.xs4all.nl/~sbpoley/webmatters/checklist.html, the Other checks section).

TestComplete Web Testing Quick Tip: Checking ALT attributes of IMG Tags

 

TestComplete provides scripting access to web page elements as well as to methods, properties and events of elements. Using this functionality, you can check different characteristics of a web page and its elements. For example, you can check whether the ALT attribute is specified for all images on the page. Why is this attribute so important?

Automated Build Studio - Using the Microsoft Visual Studio Team Explorer Integration

 
Click to display image

Automated Build Studio is tightly integrated with the Team Explorer panel of Microsoft Visual Studio 2005 allowing you to run ABS macros directly from Team Explorer. This blog post provides more information on the integration:

Saving the Testing Zone

 
I was reading up on something concerning productivity in a software development environment and I found question 8 in the Joel Test. An excerpt can be found below.

Using FindAll in VBScript and JScript

 

Due to the soon to be corrected help file of TestComplete, many people believe that the FindAll method can not be used outside of DelphiScript. Below are example of FindAll in VBScript and JScript

Regular Expression Evalulator for DelphiScript

 

Hints on converting TestComplete 3 plug-ins to TestComplete 4. As well as the converted HISutils plug-in for regular expressions.

TestComplete Object Names in .NET Applications

 

In TestComplete 3 there were two standard ways to reference objects; native names for Open applications and the Window method for those exceptions where the application is not open.


These methods have obvious advantages, short names and uniform object naming in different applications, however both also have several annoying disadvantages, especially when applied to .NET Open applications.

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