Tool Mentor: Implementing Test Components Using Rational Test RealTime

Purpose

This tool mentor describes how to implement test components using Rational Test RealTime.

It relates to this Rational Unified Process information:

• Implement Test
• Implement Test Suite

Overview

Test RealTime allows you to implement a practical, effective, and professional test process. Test RealTime includes testing solutions for any real-time, embedded, or networked software system, and is available for all major native and cross software development environments and programming languages.

Test RealTime integrates three testing tools:

• Unit Testing automates C and Ada software component testing.
• Object Testing is an object-oriented approach to behavior testing of C++ code.
• System Testing is a powerful environment for testing message-based applications.

This tool also incorporates four observation tools: Coverage, Trace, PurifyLT, and QuantifyLT.

The choice of which testing tool you should use with your application depends on the development environment and the nature of the application. For each testing tool, you need to develop a dedicated test script.

Before writing the actual tests for your application, Test RealTime requires that you create the test project and link the project to the application under test.

Tool Steps

To create a test script in Test RealTime, perform the following actions:

1. Create a project
2. Map to the application under test
3. Generate test script templates
4. Develop test scripts
5. Deploy virtual testers for system testing (optional)

1. Create a project

When Test RealTime starts, the Project Wizard offers to create a new project. Alternatively, you can manually run the Project Wizard with the following steps:

• From the File menu, select New... .
• In the New... dialog box, select Project and click OK.

The Project Wizard provides detailed on-screen instructions that guide you through the project creation process.

For detailed information on the Project Wizard, refer to the Rational Test RealTime User Guide.

2. Map to the application under test

The application under test is made up of source files. To point the Test RealTime project to the source files of your application, use the File Browser. The Project Wizard provides on-screen instructions to guide you through this process. 

Alternatively, from the Project menu, select Add to Workspace and Add Files to select individual files or Add Folder to add an entire directory containing the application source files.

3. Generate test script templates

Each particular testing tool requires that you write one or several dedicated test scripts to run against the application under test. However, Test RealTime simplifies this process by analyzing the source code under test (for Unit Testing and Object Testing only) and generating test script templates based on your application.

When a new project has just been created, the Project Wizard automatically offers to run the Test Generation Wizard. Alternatively, from the Project menu, select Generate Test... to run the Test Generation Wizard.

The Test Generation Wizard provides detailed on-screen instructions that guide you through the test script template creation process.

For detailed information on the Test Generation Wizard, refer to the Rational Test RealTime User Guide.

4. Develop test scripts

To write a meaningful test script that reflects functional or structural requirements, you need to complete the test script templates generated by the Test Generation Wizard.

In the Scripts section of the File Browser, or under the Test node in the Test Browser, double-click on the test script that you want to complete. This opens the Test RealTime Text Editor.

Use the Text Editor to edit and browse through your test scripts, as well as the source code under test, by clicking corresponding nodes in the Test Browser, the File Browser, or the Console.

For the actual methodology and syntax related to each testing tool language, refer to the Rational Test RealTime User Guide and the Rational Test RealTime Reference Guide.

5. Deploy virtual testers for system testing

This step only applies if you are using the System Testing tool.

Once you have developed the test script, System Testing requires that you deploy the virtual testers to their target hosts.

• Right-click a System Testing node and select Deploy Virtual Testers... from the context menu.
• Follow the instructions provided by the Virtual Tester Deployment Wizard. The Virtual Tester Deployment Wizard creates a Supervisor script within the System Testing node, indicating that the test is ready to be executed.

For further information about the generated supervisor script, please refer to the Rational Test RealTime User Guide and the Rational Test RealTime Reference Manual.

For More Information

For detailed information on how to run the test campaign, refer to the Tool Mentor titled Executing Test Components Using Rational Test RealTime.

Rational Unified Process