Test conflict guard for parallel software testing

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2025238353-A1
Application number	US-202519175680-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Apr 10, 2025
Priority date	Feb 23, 2021
Publication date	Jul 24, 2025
Grant date	—

Abstract

In association with unit and integration testing of a software application, a test conflict guard can detect whether test cases are independent and use distinct database data, or are related or dependent test cases that use the same database data. The test conflict guard can detect any related or dependent test cases in a group of test cases, which may cause testing errors if executed in different parallel threads. The test conflict guard can accordingly block test execution until the group of test cases are verified as independent test cases.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A computer-implemented method, comprising:
providing, by a computing system comprising a processor, a conflict guard configured to evaluate source code without executing the source code, wherein:
the source code defines a plurality of test cases associated with testing of a software application;
detecting, by the computing system, and via a first analysis of the source code by the conflict guard, a conflict between at least two test cases of the plurality of test cases; blocking, by the computing system, based on detecting the conflict, and via the conflict guard, initiation of parallel testing of the software application, wherein:
the parallel testing comprises execution of at least two test sets in parallel, and
the at least two test sets comprise test cases distributed from among the plurality of test cases;
detecting, by the computing system, based on at least one edit to the source code, and via a second analysis of the source code by the conflict guard, a resolution of the conflict; and unblocking, by the computing system, based on detecting the resolution of the conflict, and via the conflict guard, the initiation of the parallel testing of the software application.

2 . The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein:
blocking the initiation of the parallel testing comprises preventing the source code of a draft test case, of the at least two test cases, from being saved via a programming tool, and unblocking the initiation of the parallel testing comprises enabling saving of the source code of the draft test case via the programming tool.

3 . The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein:
the source code is checked out from a main code branch, blocking the initiation of the parallel testing comprises preventing the source code of a draft test case, of the at least two test cases, from being merged into the main code branch, and unblocking the initiation of the parallel testing comprises allowing the source code of the draft test case to be merged into the main code branch.

4 . The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein blocking the initiation of the parallel testing comprises causing a programming tool to display a warning message identifying the conflict.

5 . The computer-implemented method of claim 4 , wherein the warning message identifies one or more portions of the source code that are associated with the conflict.

6 . The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein:
blocking the initiation of the parallel testing comprises preventing distribution of the test cases, from among the plurality of test cases, to the at least two test sets to be executed in parallel, and unblocking the initiation of the parallel testing comprises enabling the distribution of the test cases to the at least two test sets.

7 . The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein the conflict between the at least two test cases is associated with the source code being configured to cause the at least two test cases to access at least one of:
a same global variable, a same database table, a same database record, or a same attribute of a database record.

8 . The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of test cases was created based on an expectation of individual test cases, of the plurality of test cases, being executed in a sequential execution order rather than being executed in parallel.

9 . The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein the conflict guard is a component of a programming tool in which at least some of the source code is prepared or edited.

10 . The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein the conflict guard manages the testing of the software application using one or more test cases, of the plurality of test cases, that are prepared in a programming tool or are received from the programming tool.

11 . A computing system, comprising:
one or more processors; and memory storing computer-executable instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform operations comprising:
providing a conflict guard configured to evaluate source code, without executing the source code, that defines a plurality of test cases associated with testing of a software application;
detecting, via a first analysis of the source code by the conflict guard, a conflict between at least two test cases of the plurality of test cases;
blocking, via the conflict guard based on detecting the conflict, initiation of parallel testing of the software application, wherein:
the parallel testing comprises execution of at least two test sets in parallel, and
the at least two test sets comprise test cases distributed from among the plurality of test cases;

detecting, based on at least one edit to the source code, and via a second analysis of the source code by the conflict guard, a resolution of the conflict; and
unblocking, via the conflict guard based on detecting the resolution of the conflict, the initiation of the parallel testing of the software application.

12 . The computing system of claim 11 , wherein:
blocking the initiation of the parallel testing comprises preventing the source code of a draft test case, of the at least two test cases, from being saved via a programming tool, and unblocking the initiation of the parallel testing comprises enabling saving of the source code of the draft test case via the programming tool.

13 . The computing system of claim 11 , wherein:
the source code is checked out from a main code branch, blocking the initiation of the parallel testing comprises preventing the source code of a draft test case, of the at least two test cases, from being merged into the main code branch, and unblocking the initiation of the parallel testing comprises allowing the source code of the draft test case to be merged into the main code branch.

14 . The computing system of claim 11 , wherein blocking the initiation of the parallel testing comprises causing a programming tool to display a warning message identifying the conflict.

15 . The computing system of claim 11 , wherein:
blocking the initiation of the parallel testing comprises preventing distribution of the test cases, from among the plurality of test cases, to the at least two test sets to be executed in parallel, and unblocking the initiation of the parallel testing comprises enabling the distribution of the test cases to the at least two test sets.

16 . One or more non-transitory computer-readable media storing computer-executable instructions associated with a conflict guard that, when executed by one or more processors, cause the conflict guard to:
detect, via a first analysis of source code performed without executing the source code, a conflict between at least two test cases of a plurality of test cases, wherein the plurality of test cases is:
defined by the source code, and
associated with testing of a software application;
block, based on detecting the conflict, initiation of parallel testing of the software application, wherein:
the parallel testing comprises execution of at least two test sets in parallel, and
the at least two test sets comprise test cases distributed from among the plurality of test cases;
detect, based on at least one edit to the source code, and via a second analysis of the source code performed without executing the source code, a resolution of the conflict; and unblock, based on detecting the resolution of the conflict, the initiation of the parallel testing of the software applicatio

Assignees

• State Farm Mutual Automobile Insurance Co

Inventors

• Chauhan Shaktiraj
• Shepherd Nate

Classifications

• G06F11/3684 Primary

  for test design, e.g. generating new test cases · CPC title

• G06F8/70

  Software maintenance or management · CPC title

• G06F8/44

  Encoding · CPC title

• G06F11/3688 Primary

  for test execution, e.g. scheduling of test suites · CPC title