We just released Xceptance LoadTest 4.0. This release of our load test software got some really nice feature enhancements to make your regression testing easier. So we stick to our general software approach: One tool for regression and load testing. One set of scripts for both purposes.
Script Developer
As an alternative to writing test cases in Java, you can now use the XLT Script Developer to create script test cases. Script test cases are based on a simple syntax and a reduced set of operations, which makes them a perfect fit for non-programmers. Only the Script Developer, which is an extension to Firefox, is necessary to create, edit, and manage basic script test cases.
To create a new script test case, the test designer simply uses the application under test. All interactions with the application are recorded in the background and stored to an XML script file as a sequence of script commands. While recording, assertion commands to validate the web pages may be inserted manually. From the Script Developer, script test cases can be replayed in Firefox at any time to quickly check whether the test case still runs successfully.
Existing script test cases can be modified later on, for example, to add new or delete obsolete commands. Common command sequences, which could be reused in other test cases as well, can be refactored to parameterizable script modules. Finally, any recorded value can be extracted out of the script into a test data file to separate test data from script code.
Script files can also be run outside of the browser, via the XLT framework, which simulates a head-less browser. This mode is suitable for unattended test case execution, during functional or load tests. When saving scripts, the Script Developer also creates JUnit test case classes as “wrappers” around script test cases, which serve as a bridge between the XLT framework and the script world. This way, from the framework’s point of view, script test cases are in no way different from test cases written in Java.
More Data to Query
For improved tests accuracy, you can now query the request and response data and run assertions on it. This permits checks on the communication because not all requests are reflected in the DOM tree.
Improved EC2 Handling
AWS (Amazon Web Services) added the ability to tag EC2 resources to simplify the administration of your cloud infrastructure. As a form of meta data, tags can be used to create user-friendly names and improve coordination between multiple users. The XLT EC2 administration tool ec2_admin features an additional menu which lets you select your EC2 resources based on the tag name.
Better Automation
To improve automation of tests, we added the ability to pass properties on the mastercontroller command line. Additionally the test definition file for the test suite can be redefined on the command line as well.
Faster Work Flow
When test goes wrong or a logging is turn up, the data to download from all agents can be pretty big. To get a fast or selective result, you can now decide how much data you want to download.
JDK Compatibility
Beginning with v4.0, XLT requires a Java virtual machine 6 or above to run. Java 5 is not supported any longer. The reason is the end-of-life announcement for JDK 5.
Misc
We refreshed HtmlUnit and updated it to version 2.8, Ruby got updated to 1.5.1, and WebDriver is now v2.0a6. The event API got simplified and is now easier to use.
Where to get it
More information about the release, the quick start guide, and the manual can be found in the release area. Of course, the full download of XLT 4.0 is available there too.
We are looking forward to your feedback, comments, and of course… Happy testing!