Pattern Based GUI Testing for Mobile Applications

Abstract

This paper presents a study aiming to assess the feasibility of using the Pattern Based GUI Testing approach, PBGT, to test mobile applications. PBGT is a new model based testing approach that aims to increase systematization, reusability and diminish the effort in modelling and testing. It is based on the concept of User Interface Test Patterns (UITP) that contain generic test strategies for testing common recurrent behaviour, the so-called UI Patterns, on GUIs through its possible different implementations after a configuration step. Although PBGT was developed having web applications in mind, it is possible to develop drivers for other platforms in order to test a wide set of applications. However, web and mobile applications are different and only the development of a new driver to execute test cases over mobile applications may not be enough. This paper describes a study aiming to identify the adaptations and updates the PBGT should undergo in order to test mobile applications.