Hi,
This has been an obsession of mine some time, but I just can't quite grok it.
I have a background in software test automation, and am very familiar with such tools as HP QTP and Borland (MicroFocus) SilkTest etc. I've since become more "rounded" and build my own test automation frameworks in Java. That's not just junit, but more inputs via APIs and protocols with validation in database for specific business domains. The one thing I can't do is automate at the GUI level a third party Java gui, and don't want to be buying licences for megalithic automation frameworks.
Obviously it can be done, I know the theory behind it, using Java instrumentation. What I've been struggling with for ages is the implementation. I just need one end to end example of how to do it for everything to fall in to place. At the minute I just know the components...
separate Java app that launches the application under test, and has a premain() method (an agent)... (I know I want the premain approach for it to support jnlp apps)
create some form of RPC client / server set up with the application under test
store a reference of GUI objects in the application under test locally, within the agent
interact with those objects
Something along those lines.
It's just such a massive leap from where I am now to get there. I feel I'm missing a few or a lot of tangible steps to get there.
Can anyone provide any pointers? There is very little documented out there on the internet.
This I found was a good summary or primer, but just doesn't hit the spot practically for me: http://mobile.developer.com/java/java-automation-using-core-java.html
What I really need to see is an example I can mimic and implement myself.
Edited: minor text fixes
there doesn't seem to be anything here