Exploratory Test Assistant - autoit script for making notes while engaged in exploratory testing
Basically this is a small application to allow the jotting down of notes during exploratory testing. Notes can be logged to a text file and to the clipboard. Notes are generated according to user defined templates.
Most actions can be controlled by the keyboard.
Log entries are written to the end of the associated log file.
A drop down shows the current template in use.
The text area is the note to create.
Configuration via the eta.ini file.
This is a prototype to experiment with and build on. By using templates the generated log files can be parsed be other apps on various sites for report generation etc.
Aims:
- Majority of functionality keyboard driven
- Low memory footprint
- Useful in exploratory testing
- encourage note taking
- ease note taking
- portal for exploratory testing tools and tool launching
Possible future features:
- Keylogging (at discrete points in a process)
- embed results in the log file
- screencapture - embed filenames in the log file
- integrate with other exploratory test tools
- screencapture
- counterstring
- timers, alerts
- functionality from testing spreadsheet on compendium dev
- multiple configuration files
- apply configuration file changes without restarting app
- tail log file
- more macros
- documentation
- template files instead of all in the config file e.g. \templates\bug.txt
After starting eta.exe, GUI will be shown.
Defaults:
(these can all be changed by amending the BUI button text and changing the & position) Alt+L will create a log entry Alt+H will hide the GUI Alt+R will reset the text to the template defaults Alt+X will exit the application
Once hidden. ETA will be running in the background. use hot key Ctrl+Shift+E to show the GUI (You can amend this by changing the AppOpenHotKey in eta.ini).
File: Create New Log File - create a new file and associate it with the application as the current log file. Close Log File - no file will be associated with the app ReOpen Log File - associate an existing file with the app for logging to.
View Log File - open the log file in the associated text editor (or notepad - default)
Edit Properties - edit the properties (config) file in a text editor. Changes are only applied when the app is restarted.
Exit - exit the application
Edit: Reset Template - reset the text to the template defaults Create Log - create a log entry
Log To clipboard - log entries are sent to the clipboard when set Log to file - log entries are sent to the associated log file when set
Window: Hide - hide the window and leave the app running in the background. Ctrl+Shift+E to show GUI
eta.ini is the config file.
true false values are 0 for false, 1 for true leave a value blank to use the default
Macros
- @AppDir - the directory of the application without a trailing \
- @YYYYMMDD - current date in YYYYMMDD format-
- @HHMM - current time in HHMM format
- @CurrentDate - current date in system format
- @CurrentTime - current time in system format
Templates are used to define what type of notes can be created and the format of them.
Templates have a name
[Template:<name>]
A header, body and trailer
Header and trailer can be hidden by setting the mode to H or Hidden.
Macros can be embedded in the templates. Create new lines in the templates with \n - each config entry must be on a single line in the file.
Use your favourite editor by amending textEditorPath in eta.ini e.g. c:\notepad++.exe
Copyright 2006 Alan Richardson - Compendium Developments
Licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0 (the "License"); you may not use this file except in compliance with the License. You may obtain a copy of the License at
http://www.apache.org/licenses/LICENSE-2.0
Unless required by applicable law or agreed to in writing, software distributed under the License is distributed on an "AS IS" BASIS, WITHOUT WARRANTIES OR CONDITIONS OF ANY KIND, either express or implied. See the License for the specific language governing permissions and limitations under the License.