Feb 24

The new version of Mind2Tests is made available today. I am very proud of the result even if some further work has to be done (the help page for instance). My main goal is completed as the aplication is now modularized and as Mind2Tests is compliant with 2 versions of Testlink, including the last one.

This version brings the following features:

  • Nested specifications and test suites can be managed, so multiple levels of requirement specifications and test suites can be defined in your mind maps.
    • Nested items must be manually identified in the map by a cloud / boundary (feature depending on your preferred tool).
  • A plug-in system has been implemented. The application is now able to use external tool-specific libraries for mind-mapping or test management tools.
    • The libraries are installed by a simple drag and drop onto the application area.
    • You will have also to configure your converters in order to set some values that are specific to your tools.
      • For instance, you can use icons for priorities or requirement types in your mind-map and configure the corresponding values to return by the conversion process.
  • The steps and the associated expected results are now presented in a Datagrid. They can be edited by a double click.
  • You can set notes (feature in your preferred mind-mapping tool) on some nodes of your mind-map to describe them. Their content will be converted. This is mainly used to shortly describe:
    • Specifications
    • Tests Suites
  • Define the way you work: you can define the structure of your test cases (node order / test properties).

If you already use Mind2Tests v0.3, you need to uninstall it and install the new version. This version is not signed so don’t be afraid by the ugly security warnings during the installation. The auto update is activated so you will get automatically the future versions…

I release this version as a beta version, in the hope that some users will send me some feedbacks on the current features, usability and add value of Mind2Tests. During this beta phase, I should change the distribution of the core application and its plug-ins: a new dedicated site should be open, giving access to the source code and a business model will be defined (the main principle being that the use of Mind2Tests will remain free if you work with free and open sourced tools and a small fee will be requested if you work with closed / commercial products). I have no idea how much time this will take…

Please let me or send me your email address, if you accept that I send you directly some more information, updates or questions on the app and its plug-ins during this phase. This is optional, the main exchange media must be the comments on this post or on the application page.

About the future, some enhancements are already identified:

  • localization
  • management of requirement dependencies,
    • this will not be exploited by the majority of test management tools, including the native current Testlink version but maybe on some customized installation.
  • more flexibility in the test case structure to allow the import of custom fields,
  • direct import to database.

Feel free to send me more ideas, knowing that when the code is open, you will be free to implement your own great features… On my side, these enhancements should start after the beta phase.

I really hope that this app will make the life of software testers and some business analysts easier ! I’m looking forward to hear from you…

But it’s now time for you to play with it !

Arnaud

Flattr this

not goodquite goodgoodvery goodexcellent (No Ratings Yet)
Loading ... Loading ...

Written by Arnaud
Tags: , ,

Share/Save/Bookmark


Jan 06

I have reopened the Mind2Tests project. I wanted to work on it earlier but I focused on the SQLite Sorcerer and other stuffs. Just to remind you, this little AIR application helps software testers in their test design activities: it converts mind-map files (from FreeMind and XMind) into XML files that can then be imported into TestLink (v1.8x). By this way, the mind-mapping becomes another powerful test design technique.

The next version will provide the following changes:

  • Should be open sourced (source code being published on bitbucket.org)
  • Implementation of a plug-in system: external libraries will be downloaded to allow Mind2Tests to work with a specific tool (mind-mapping or test management tool). And as a starter, 3 or 4 libraries will be provided to work with FreeMind, XMind and TestLink (v1.8x and probably v1.9).
  • The way the mind maps can be designed is improved in order to accept nested requirement specifications or nested test suite. So the user will have more freedom to organise the mind-map before the conversion.

The 2 first points will allow testers to extend Mind2Tests with new capabilities for other tools or their own home-grown tool. Nevertheless, I still don’t know if I will charge (very low charge) for libraries for non-open-source tools (as Mind Manager, Quality Center for instance).

I can’t commit a date but the release should come in late February 2011.

Cheers and Happy New Year ! (as this is my first post for 2011)

 

not goodquite goodgoodvery goodexcellent (No Ratings Yet)
Loading ... Loading ...

Written by Arnaud
Tags: , , , , ,

Share/Save/Bookmark


Mar 05

Since the 2 - 3 last update, SQLite Sorcerer users probably have noticed some regressions. The last one actually is absolutely awful as you couldn’t create tables… shame on me.

I am actually in the process of moving the code to a framework. I have tried MATE as I really appreciated it during the development of Mind2Tests. But the event dispatched by the create table view was not implemented in the LocalEventMap. Big mistake. And not enough tests…

So to avoid future problems, I decided:

  • to use the very new version of FlexMonkey to automate functional testing. Everything can’t be automated with FlexMonkey but of course, this will be much better than manual and incomplete testing. This is absolutely necessary as the whole application is going to be impacted by the new framework ;
  • stop using MATE and try SWIZ instead as I think that MATE is not the easiest solution to migrate existing code because of the Local/EventMaps to implement/maintain. The Mediate metatag seems easier to use in my case.

not goodquite goodgoodvery goodexcellent (No Ratings Yet)
Loading ... Loading ...

Written by Arnaud
Tags: ,

Share/Save/Bookmark


Jan 28

Mind2Tests is an application developped for AIR. Its goal is to accelerate the generation of tests by creating a bridge between mind mapping tools and test management tools.

The very early versions were developped on Flex SDK 3 but I changed my mind and finally used this projet as an introduction to Flex 4. As I love challenges, I also used for the first time the now famous MATE framework.

Here are the main screenshots:

 

At the moment, the application can convert FreeMind and XMind files to TestLink xml files by a simple drag and drop.

I still have to finish the custom updater and fix a bug that is probably due to the SDK 4 on beta. The sources should be open and an online help will be available with mind map samples.

Comments are welcome.

 

Arnaud

 

 

 

not goodquite goodgoodvery goodexcellent (No Ratings Yet)
Loading ... Loading ...

Written by Arnaud
Tags: , , , , , ,

Share/Save/Bookmark


Nov 22
  1. Main Worflow
  2. User Interface
  3. Settings
  4. Defining your mind map
  5. Using icons
  6. Editing the conversion results
  7. Saving to files
  8. How is generated the id of an item ?

 

Video tutorials

  1. Configuring the plugins
  2. Defining a map of requirements
  3. Defining the structure of tests
  4. Defining a test suite in a mind map
  5. Converting tests

 

 Flattr this

 

 

not goodquite goodgoodvery goodexcellent (No Ratings Yet)
Loading ... Loading ...

Written by Arnaud
Tags: , , , ,

Share/Save/Bookmark