[imps] [whatwg] Cross browser automated tests

[Ian Hickson]

On Wed, 21 May 2008, Sylvain Pasche wrote:
> 
> I'm working on an experimental project to build a set of cross browser 
> automated tests. The idea would be to have a repository of browser 
> independent automated tests. Existing test suites could be imported into 
> it.
> 
> Would WHATWG be interested in such a project?

I think that would be great; if you do go ahead with this, you are welcome 
to use the WHATWG wiki and other resources. I encourage you to use the 
implementors mailing list for this:

   http://www.whatwg.org/mailing-list#imps


> To meet these goals, such an API should be as unobtrusive as possible:
> * One .js file to include

I recommend not embedding any JS, but instead requiring that the following 
two lines be used to report results (or something like them):

   if (parent.reportResults)
     parent.reportResults(...);

...and using <iframe>s to embed the tests one after another. I use 
something similar for my performance tests:

   http://www.hixie.ch/tests/adhoc/perf/

This makes the test even easier to maintain, and also makes it a lot 
easier to reimplement the harness or to share tests between hardnesses.

HTH,
-- 
Ian Hickson               U+1047E                )\._.,--....,'``.    fL
http://ln.hixie.ch/       U+263A                /,   _.. \   _\  ;`._ ,.
Things that are impossible just take longer.   `._.-(,_..'--(,_..'`-.;.'