.TEST

.TEST Product Overview

An automated unit testing and coding standard analysis product that tests classes written on the Microsoft® .NET Framework without requiring developers to write a single test case or stub.

Parasoft .TEST is an automated code analysis and unit testing product for .NET development teams. Using .TEST reduces the time and resources required to effectively assess and improve .NET software reliability, security, and performance. .TEST works with programming languages that target the Microsoft .NET Framework, including VB.NET, C#, and Managed C++; it tests files/assemblies that have been built to take advantage of the .NET CLR.

To prevent common .NET errors and security vulnerabilities, .TEST checks compliance with nearly 300 .NET development rules and any number of custom rules. To expose reliability problems, .TEST generates and executes NUnit test cases designed to achieve high coverage and pinpoint code that could cause runtime exceptions. To expose functional errors, .TEST facilitates the addition and execution of user-defined test cases based on the industry-standard NUnit framework. To ensure continued functionality, .TEST's automated regression testing captures the code's baseline behavior and identifies problems introduced by code modifications.

.TEST helps teams improve .NET application quality throughout the software lifecycle and increase productivity across the entire team. Developers can use it to test code as they write it, and QA team members can use it to identify critical problems before an imminent release/deployment deadline. .TEST integrates with complementary Parasoft products to provide automated system-wide testing solutions for SOA implementations, Web application implementations, and other n-tier implementations. Moreover, .TEST works as part of a comprehensive team-wide Automated Error Prevention solution that reduces delivery delays and improves the quality and security of complex, multi-language enterprise applications.

.TEST is packaged and licensed in the following editions designed to separate functionality to specific roles and processes in the typical software development environment:

• .TEST Professional Edition
• .TEST Architect Edition
• .TEST Server Edition

Edition details are described in .TEST Editions and Licenses.

Benefits

• Improve code reliability, security, maintainability, and performance quickly and consistently
• Get a head start on writing functional tests at the unit and module level
• Obtain instant expert feedback on code quality and potential defects
• Deploy new functionality faster, with increased confidence
• Perform extensive testing with minimal user intervention
• Reduce the time needed to test/debug, allowing developers more time on creative tasks
• Diminish the risks that cause late, over-budget, incomplete releases
• Identify errors lurking in existing applications
• Optimize code review time
• Ensure that best practices are applied consistently and uniformly across the team
• Monitor overall project quality, specific project segments, and progress toward quality goals

Features

• Unit-level or application-level testing
• Coding standards analysis using configurable sets of 250+ built-in rules
• Graphical or automated creation of custom rules specific to application, team, or organizational standards
• Advanced set of security rules designed to identify common and critical .NET application security vulnerabilities (Requires optional Security license)
• Context-sensitive rule suppressions
• Automated generation of extensible NUnit test cases
• Support and coverage for NUnit test cases (new and legacy)
• Customizable preconfigured testing modes (test case generation, test case execution, coding standard analysis, combined analysis)
• Detailed code coverage analysis
• Automated generation of regression baseline of unit tests
• Automated generation of customizable stubs
• Configurable developer and manager HTML reports
• Team-wide sharing of test settings and files
• GUI and command-line mode
• Import of command-line results into the IDE
• Seamless integration with Microsoft Visual Studio .NET

System Requirements

• Windows XP or Windows 2003 Server
• 512MB memory minimum, 1G recommended
• 1GHz or faster processor
• Visual Studio 2005 or Visual Studio .NET 2003

.TEST Editions/Licenses

.TEST is available in the following editions:

• Professional Edition: A completely integrated tool suite that enables developers/testers to perform automated code analysis (with built-in coding standards/rules and any custom rules developed in the Architect Edition) and automated unit testing (with automatically-generated and user-defined test cases) from the desktop. Tests that scan multiple classes/files/directories can be performed directly from the development environment, with results immediately reported in the GUI for review/repair. Additionally, problems identified by Server Edition tests can be imported into the GUI for review/repair. The Professional edition is intended to be installed and licensed on every developer and tester desktop.
• Architect Edition: Includes the Professional Edition functionality, and adds the RuleWizard module, which enables the creation of custom coding standards/rules using a graphical interface. The Architect Edition is intended for use by an architect or the individual responsible for establishing coding standards for the organization.
• Server Edition: Includes the Professional Edition functionality, and adds support for performing automated code analysis and unit testing as batch or “server” processes. The provided command-line interface can test the complete project code base and be integrated into the automated build process. Results are written to customizable reports, which can be easily accessed by team members and automatically e-mailed to designated recipients. Additionally, developers and QA can import Server Edition test results into the desktop GUI for review/repair. The Server Edition includes the Team Configuration Manager (TCM) module that enables centralized administration and sharing of coding standards/rule sets, unit testing configurations, and test assets. TCM is designed for development teams that want to ensure consistency in test practices across the team. When TCM is implemented team-wide, the architect/lead developer can configure and upload standard team-wide test settings/configurations/files, then TCM will automatically share them across all team .TEST installations. TCM may be installed and run on any supported computer system (e.g., one of the developers' workstations, the server hosting a Parasoft Server Edition product, or an independent system).

The following optional licenses are available:

• Security: Adds a comprehensive knowledge base of security issues and guidelines that .TEST can apply when scanning and analyzing source code. When applied, this module will search and identify a broad range of security vulnerabilities, including such issues as improper input handing, malicious code, concurrency issues, improper logging, command injections, improper error handling, string formatting issue, denial of service, authentication, and many more. This module provides the ability to define a security policy that will guide, direct, and enforce secure coding practices in application development.

.TEST Reviews

• Automate .NET Assembly Unit Testing, Visual Studio Magazine, September 2003
• Parasoft .TEST, .NET Developer's Journal, August 2003