Challenges and opportunities for improving code-based testing of graphical user interfaces

The research presented in this paper introduces an execution model for graphical user interfaces (GUIs) that we have developed and formalized as a sequence of actions and finite output states. This model has allowed us to investigate the possibility of applying code-based testing methodologies to testing graphical user interfaces. Our findings highlighted challenges and revealed opportunities to adapt code-based testing methodology to verify the correctness of such interfaces. In particular, the “All-OP-DUs” technique provides important error detection capability and can be applied effectively to test GUIs. This paper also introduces Xtester, the GUI testing tool we are currently building to empirically evaluate our proposed testing criteria.