A Framework for Monkey GUI Testing

Abstract

Testing via graphical user interfaces (GUI) is a complex and labor-intensive task. Numerous techniques, tools and frameworks have been proposed for automating GUI testing. In many projects, however, the introduction of automated tests did not reduce the overall effort of testing but shifted it from manual test execution to test script development and maintenance. As a pragmatic solution, random testing approaches (aka "monkey testing") have been suggested for automated random exploration of the system under test via the GUI. This paper presents a versatile framework for monkey GUI testing. The framework provides reusable components and a predefined, generic workflow with extension points for developing custom-built test monkeys. It supports tailoring the monkey for a particular application scenario and the technical requirements imposed by the system under test. The paper describes the customization of test monkeys for an open source project and in an industry application, where the framework has been used for successfully transferring the idea of monkey testing into an industry solution.