TkReplay: Record and Replay in Tk
Charles Crowley
Computer Science Department
University of New Mexico
Abstract
Record and replay of user interactions with a GUI are useful for
regression testing and demonstrations. Recording is implemented by
intercepting each user action at some point in its processing and
saving it in a script file. During replay, the script is read and the
user actions (or their effects) are emulated. In X windows, one
program can intercept user input events before they get to another
program by putting a wrapper around the program. This level of
recording is sensitive to changes in window position, fonts, etc.
Recording events at the widget level is more robust and closer to the
semantics of the program than recording at the X event level. The
TkReplay program does this for the Tk toolkit. A number of factors
have to be considered when implementing record and replay and these
are discussed in the paper. Recording is implemented in Tk by
modifying each binding to call a recording program. TkReplay operates
as a separate program and uses send to communicate with the Tk program
being recorded. Hooks have recently been added to the X toolkit to
allow implementation of record and replay at the Xt widget level.
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