Identification of embedded browsers in application for automated software testing

Abstract

Software applications often incorporate an embedded browser to perform web-based operations. Not all browsers operate the same way, for example, elements within tabs in Microsoft Edge browsers use messages to communicate through web extensions, while Microsoft Internet Explorer (IE) browsers use the original browsers helper object (BHO). A consequence of the different paradigms is that certain graphical elements may be duplicated in a resource table. A test development may fail to identify the duplication and may produce extraneous or erroneous tests. By launching on a system and monitoring the system's executing processes, a browser application may be determined to be running and, if so, a refresh operation is performed on an application under test (AUT). If the AUT refresh operation results in a browser also performing a refresh, the type of embedded browser may be identified and any duplicates of the same graphical elements identified and merged for subsequent testing.