Expecco Overview/en

expecco and expecco ALM

expecco is the component of the expecco tool suite that is responsible for the development and execution of tests. expecco is a client-side application that runs on the user's development system or as a "test execution slave" in a server farm (possibly virtual).

expecco ALM is a server application with a web-browser interface that is responsible for the distribution of test execution tasks among test slaves in a server farm, cares for the reservation of test resources, avoiding usage conflicts, archival and revisioning of test suites and test results, monitoring the project, notification of stakeholders etc.

Both expecco and expecco ALM can be ordered and used as separate products or used together for a total automated system.

expecco Base System (platform)

expecco is a modular system, consisting of a basic platform and extensions ("plugins") that provide domain specific functions and interfaces.

The basic platform deals with:

• loading and saving of test suites
• creation, editing & maintenance of a test suite
• test development with single step, breakpoints and execution of partial sequences
• test development with "live changes, while the system executes"
• debugging both on high (diagram-) level and low (script/code-) level
• execution of a suite
• seamless multi-language support for Java, Node.JS, Python, C/C++ and other languages
• monitoring the execution, collecting execution traces and logs
• collecting all data flows, message packages, intermediate results for later inspection
• reporting, generating human- and machine readable reports in various formats.

Execution of a suite can be both under human supervision, or completely standalone and automated, without human interaction. The first mode is typically used during test development, the later when the test suite goes into production.

Automated unsupervised execution can be controlled by command line arguments or by RPC calls via SOAP or REST. Thus, test execution can be triggered by a cron job (Unix), scheduled tasks (Windows), Jenkins or any other program.

The basic platform contains:

• expecco IDE
• libraries (standard library, ODBC, XML and others)
• Webtest: Selenium (Webdriver, HTML5, Smart GWT,etc.)
• manual tests (user guided test sequences)
• ports: serial/USB/parallel
• interfaces (DLL-calls, CSV, etc.)
• webservices (REST, SOAP, RPC)
• JavaBridge (to inject and execute Java code)
• .NETBridge (to inject and execute DotNET code)
• NodeJS Bridge starting with v19.1 (to execute Node/Javascript code)
• Python Bridge starting with v19.2 (to execute Python and Jython code)

Plugins

Extensions ("plugins") are available to test various UI-technologies, hard- and software interfaces, protocols and document formats. For example:

• Mobile Testing Plugin for iPhone, Android, Windows CE, Windows-Phone Apps
• GUI Test & Automation for Java-Swing, SWT and other UI frameworks
• GUI Test & Automation for Windows Applications (using UIAutomation2)
• GUI Test for Qt and other C/C++ based UI frameworks
• GUI Test of VisualWorks applications
• GUI Test for VNC connections
• Webtest using Selenium/WebDriver for Chrome, Firefox, IE, Edge, Safari, Opera and other browsers
• Interfacing to CAN bus systems (automotive)
• Interfacing to SomeIP (automotive)
• Interfacing to EDIFACT and SWIFT systems (finance)
• Interfacing to MQTT or OPC systems (manufacturing, Internet of Things)

Plugins typically consist of additional dll- and block libraries that provide the domain specific functions as ready-to-use building blocks. These are inserted into test sequences via drag & drop.

Other plugins provide integration into the existing QM infrastructure:

• Polarion Plugin to automate test execution under the Polarion ALM system
• Quality Center Plugin to interface with HP-QC
• Jira Plugin, to create issues in a Jira system
• expecco ALM plugin to interface with our own QM/Test center

Some plugins are already included in the base system (Selenium, expecco ALM), others need to be licensed separately.

Availability

Both expecco and expecco ALM are immediately available for Windows, Linux based systems in both 32bit and 64bit versions. A macOS version (64bit only) is in beta testing stage and will be available soon (currently upon request). Versions for Solaris and other Unix-based systems are available upon request.

Licensing

expecco licenses are available as single user (node-lock or dongle), floating user (using a license manager) or company licenses. expecco can be used in isolated environments without access to a company network or the internet (using single-user or detached license server licenses). Please contact eXept for pricing and conditions.

---

Copyright © 2014-2024 eXept Software AG