HTTP::WebTest - Testing static and dynamic web content
use HTTP::WebTest; my $webtest = new HTTP::WebTest; # run test from file $webtest->run_wtscript('script.wt'); # or (to pass test parameters as method arguments) $webtest->run_tests($tests);
This module runs tests on remote URLs containing Perl/JSP/HTML/JavaScript/etc. and generates a detailed test report. This module can be used "as-is" or its functionality can be extended using plugins. Plugins can define test types and provide additional report capabilities. This module comes with a set of default plugins but can be easily extended with third party plugins.
The wt script is provided for running HTTP::WebTest from the command line.
HTTP::WebTest
The test specifications can be read from a parameter file in wtscript format or input as method arguments. The test results can be displayed on the terminal, directed to a file, stored in a scalar variable. The test results can also be emailed. The report can be modified and extended using report plugins.
Each URL/web file is tested by fetching it from the web server using a local instance of an HTTP user agent. The basic test is simply whether or not the fetch was successful. You may also test using literal strings or regular expressions that are either required to exist or forbidden to exist in the fetched page. You may also specify tests for the minimum and maximum number of bytes in the returned page. You may also specify tests for the minimum and maximum web server response time.
Data flow for HTTP::WebTest:
-------------- ------------- | | | | | Input |------------->| WebTest | | parameters | | | | | ------------- -------------- | ^ | | V | ------------- ------------ | | request | | | Remote |<--------------| HTTP | | webserver |-------------->| user | | | response | agent | ------------- | | ------------
This module has complex functionality, but using it to run simple tests is simple. Create a file of test parameters in the wtscript format and use the wt program to process the file using the command wt filename. The only required parameters are test_name and url.
wt filename
test_name
url
This document describes:
How tests can be specified. See section TEST SPECIFICATION.
All test parameters supported by core HTTP::WebTest plugins. See section TEST PARAMETERS.
See "perldoc wt" for documentation on the wt program.
Other useful documentation is:
perldoc HTTP::WebTest::Cookbook - examples of wtscript files and examples of HTTP::WebTest API usage.
perldoc HTTP::WebTest::API - full documentaion on API of HTTP::WebTest.
perldoc HTTP::WebTest::Plugins - for developers of HTTP::WebTest plugins.
The test specifications can be read from a parameter file (in the wtscript format described below) or passed as method arguments as an array of hashes.
HTTP::WebTest can read test specification from file in format called as wtscript.
wtscript
Tests defined by wtscript file can be run either using Perl API of HTTP::WebTest
use HTTP::WebTest; my $webtest = new HTTP::WebTest; $webtest->run_wtscript('script.wt');
or by using program wt supplied with this module.
If you are running dozens of tests, you may want to divide them into several parameter files. This will organize the tests and reduce the size of the output and e-mail messages. However, cookies passed to or received from the web server(s) are not shared between tests in different parameter files.
The wtscript file is a text file containing global parameters and test blocks containing test block parameters. A test block begins with a test_name parameter and ends with an end_test directive. The order of the parameters and test blocks is arbitrary.
Test block parameters MUST occur between a test_name parameter and an end_test directive. (Test block parameters affect only an individual test.) Global parameters must NOT occur between a test_name parameter and an end_test directive. (This requirement does not apply to certain parameters that are both global and test block parameters.)
The following lines are ignored:
lines consisting of nothing but white space (blanks or tabs)
lines beginning with a number sign (#)
#
lines beginning with white space (blanks or tabs) followed by a number sign
Parameters are either scalar (single-valued) or lists (single-valued, multi-valued or nested).
You can specify scalar parameters using forms such as:
name=value name = value name = 'value'
You can specify list parameters using forms such as:
name = ( first value second value ) name=( first value => second value third value => fourth value ) name = ( first value => second value ) name = ( 'first value' 'second value' ) name= ( first value second value third value => 'fourth value' ) name = ( first value 'second value' ) name = ( 'first value' 'second value' )
Lists can be nested. For example:
name = ( ( first value second value ) ) name = ( 'third value' ( fourth value => fifth value ) ) name = ( ( first value second value ) third value ( fourth value => fifth value ) )
You can specify a null (placeholder) value using '' or "". Within single or double quotes, the usual Perl string quoting rules apply. Thus, single quotes mean that all enclosed characters are interpreted literally: '\n' is backslash-n rather than a newline character. Double quotes mean that Perl metasymbols are interpreted: "\n\t" is a newline and a tab. Double quoted strings can also contain Perl variables that will be evaluated by Perl. For example, if the variable $myvar contains the string 'foobar', "$myvar" will be replaced by foobar at runtime. Perl variables can be defined by plugin modules or in code sections in the parameter file as described below.
It is also possible to specify a Perl expression in place of a scalar value, one of a list parameter's values or an entire list. Curly brackets are used to denote Perl code inside wtscript files. HTTP::WebTest compiles this Perl code as anonymous subroutines which are called when values of corresponding test parameters are required. When these subroutines are called HTTP::WebTest object is passed to them as the first argument.
Some examples of syntax:
# scalar value name = { 1 + 1 } # element of a list name = ( 'first value' { "second " . "value" } ) # entire list (must be a reference to an array) name = { [ a => 'b', c => 'd' ] } # accessing HTTP::WebTest object name = { my $webtest = shift; ..... }
The parameters below specify tests. The tests specified by the text_forbid parameter apply to both the "MyCompany home page" and the "Yahoo home page" tests. Hence, if either returned page contains one of the case-insensitive strings in text_forbid, the test fails. If any test fails or the fetch of the URL fails, an e-mail will be sent to tester@mycompany.com.
text_forbid
apache_exec = /usr/sbin/apache ignore_case = yes mail = errors mail_addresses = ( tester@mycompany.com ) mail_server = mailhost.mycompany.com text_forbid = ( Premature end of script headers an error occurred while processing this directive ) test_name = 'MyCompany home page (static)' file_path = ( raycosoft_home.html => . ) text_require = ( <a href="/dept/peopledev/new_employee/"><font color="#0033cc"> <a href="https://www.raycosoft.com/"><font color= ) end_test test_name = Yahoo home page url = www.yahoo.com text_require = ( <a href=r/qt>Quotations</a>...<br> ) min_bytes = 13000 max_bytes = 99000 min_rtime = 0.010 max_rtime = 30.0 end_test
If you are using the Perl API of HTTP::WebTest, the test parameters can be defined as an array of hashes.
Each hash in the array defines tests for one URL. Keys in the hashes are test parameter names and values in hashes are values of test parameters. Optional global test parameters can be passed in a hash passed as the second argument.
Subroutine references can be specified instead of test parameter values. Referenced subroutines are called during test run when values of corresponding test parameters are required. These subroutines are called in an object-oriented fashion, so the HTTP::WebTest object is passed as the first argument.
Tests can be run as
use HTTP::WebTest; my $webtest = new HTTP::WebTest; $webtest->run_tests( [ # test 1 { param1 => value1, param2 => value2 }, # test 2 { param1 => value1, param2 => value2 }, ], { global_param1 => value1, global_param2 => value2 } );
This Perl script tests Yahoo home page and sends full test report to tester@mycompany.com.
tester@mycompany.com
use HTTP::WebTest; my $tests = [ { test_name => 'Yahoo home page', url => 'http://www.yahoo.com', text_require => [ '<a href=r/qt>Quotations</a>...<br>' ], min_bytes => 13000, max_bytes => 99000, } ]; my $params = { mail_server => 'mailhost.mycompany.com', mail_addresses => [ 'tester@mycompany.com' ], mail => 'all', ignore_case => 'yes', }; my $webtest = new HTTP::WebTest; $webtest->run_tests($tests, $params);
HTTP::WebTest is implemented in a modular structure that allows programmers to easily add modules to run additional tests or define additional simple tests without writing a module. HTTP::WebTest provides a number of core plugin modules which are loaded by default:
This plugin checks the size of the fetched web page.
This plugin controls sending and receiving cookies.
This plugin manages the test report.
This plugin supports adding external plugin modules.
This plugin tests the response times of the web server.
This plugin initializes the HTTP requests.
This plugin checks the status of the HTTP responses.
This plugin tests whether the content of the HTTP response matches or doesn't match selected text or regular expressions.
Information about test parameters supported by core plugins is summarized below in the section TEST PARAMETERS.
Following plugin modules come with HTTP::WebTest but they are not loaded by default. To use such plugin module load it using global test parameter plugins.
plugins
This plugin supports using names of links and buttons on HTML pages to build additional tests.
This plugin module allows the user to specify pauses in the test sequence.
This report plugin can generate test reports that are compatible with Test::Harness.
This plugin allows the user to define callback parameters that are evaluated at runtime. This allows the user to define additional tests without writing a plugin module.
Information about test parameters supported by add-on plugin modules is summarized below in section TEST PARAMETERS.
Following additional HTTP::WebTest plugins are avialable separately from CPAN.
This plugin supports testing web files using a local instance of Apache.
This plugin allows to forbid or require tags and/or attributes in a web page.
Evaluate the "age" of embedded date strings in response body.
Report plugin for HTTP::WebTest, generates output in XML format.
See perldoc HTTP::WebTest::Plugins for information about writing HTTP::WebTest plugin modules.
Besides additional plugins other HTTP::WebTest add-ons are available from CPAN:
Parser of XML representation of wtscript.
Most parameters can be used as both global and test block parameters. If you specify such parameter outside a test block, that value is the default value for all test blocks. The global value can be overriden in each test block by specifying the parameter within the test block.
Parameters marked as GLOBAL PARAMETER can be used only as global and cannot be overriden in test blocks.
Parameters marked as NON-CORE PARAMETER are defined in add-on plugin modules which must be loaded explicitly using the parameter plugins.
Option to accept cookies from the web server.
These cookies exist only while the program is executing and do not affect subsequent runs. These cookies do not affect your browser or any software other than the test program. These cookies are only accessible to other tests executed during test sequence execution.
See also the <send_cookies> parameter.
yes, no
yes
no
A list which contains two elements: userid/password pair to be used for web page access authorization.
NON-CORE PARAMETER from HTTP::WebTest::Plugin::Click
Given name of submit button (i.e. <input type="submit"> tag or <input type="image"> inside of <form> tag) on previously requested HTML page, builds test request to the submitted page.
<input type="submit">
<input type="image">
<form>
Note that you still need to pass all form parameters yourself using params test parameter.
params
See example in HTTP::WebTest::Cookbook.
Given name of link (i.e. <a> tag) on previosly requested HTML page, builds test request to the linked page.
<a>
Synonym to cookies.
cookies
It is deprecated parameter and may be removed in future versions of HTTP::WebTest.
This is a list parameter that specifies cookies to send to the web server:
cookies = ( cookie1_spec cookie2_spec ... cookieN_spec )
Currently there are two ways to specify a cookie.
Named style
A cookie is specified by a set of param => value pairs:
param => value
( param => value ... )
List of all supported param => value pairs:
Version number of cookie spec to use, usually 0.
Name of cookie. Cannot begin with a $ character.
Value of cookie.
URL path name for which this cookie applies. Must begin with a / character. See also path_spec.
Domain for which cookie is valid. Must either contain two periods or be equal to .local.
.local
List of allowed port numbers that the cookie may be returned to. If not specified, cookie can be returned to any port. Must be specified using the format N or N, N, ..., N where N is one or more digits.
N
N, N, ..., N
Ignored if version is less than 1. Option to ignore the value of path. Default value is 0.
1
Use the value of path.
Ignore the specified value of path.
Option to require secure protocols for cookie transmission. Default value is 0.
Use only secure protocols to transmit this cookie.
Secure protocols are not required for transmission.
Number of seconds until cookie expires.
Option to discard cookie when the program finishes. Default is 0. (The cookie will be discarded regardless of the value of this element.)
Discard cookie when the program finishes.
Don't discard cookie.
Defines additional cookie attributes.
Zero, one or several name/value pairs may be specified. The name parameters are words such as Comment or CommentURL and the value parameters are strings that may contain embedded blanks.
Example (wtscript file):
cookies = ( ( name => Cookie1 value => cookie value ) ( name => Cookie2 value => cookie value path => / domain => .company.com ) ) ( name => Cookie2 value => cookie value rest => ( Comment => this is a comment ) )
Example (Perl script):
my $tests = [ ... { test_name => 'cookie', cookies => [ [ name => 'Cookie1', value => 'Value', ], [ name => 'Cookie2', value => 'Value', path => '/', ] ], ... } ... ]
Row list style
This style of cookie specification is deprecated and may be removed in future versions of HTTP::WebTest.
Each cookie is specified by following list:
( VERSION NAME VALUE PATH DOMAIN PORT PATH_SPEC SECURE MAXAGE DISCARD NAME1 VALUE1 NAME2 VALUE2 ... )
Any element not marked below as REQUIRED may be defaulted by specifying a null value or ''.
VERSION (REQUIRED)
NAME (REQUIRED)
VALUE (REQUIRED)
PATH (REQUIRED)
DOMAIN (REQUIRED)
PORT
PATH_SPEC
SECURE
MAXAGE
DISCARD
name/value
An example cookie would look like:
cookies = ( ( 0 WebTest cookie #1 cookie value / .mycompany.com '' 0 0 200 1 ) )
See RFC 2965 for details (ftp://ftp.isi.edu/in-notes/rfc2965.txt).
GLOBAL PARAMETER
This parameter controls whether the default report plugin is used for test report creation. Value yes means that default report plugin will be used, value no means that it will not. It can also be used to disable all output (i.e. if this parameter has value no and no other report plugins are loaded).
NON-CORE PARAMETER from HTTP::WebTest::Plugin::Delay
Duration of pause (in seconds) before running test.
Any number greater that zero.
This is not really a parameter, it is part of wtscript format. It marks the end of test block.
A filehandle (or anything else that supports print) to use for test report output. This parameter is ignored if test parameter output_ref is specified also.
print
output_ref
This parameter can be used only when passing the test parameters as arguments from a calling Perl script.
Give form name attribute (i.e. <form name="foo">) on previously requested HTML page, builds test request to the submitted page.
<form name="foo">
If set to yes then HTTP-WebTest automatically follows redirects. It means that you never see HTTP responses with status codes 301 and 302. This feature is disabled if this test parameter is set to no.
A list of HTTP header/value pairs. Can be used to override default HTTP headers or to add additional HTTP headers.
http_headers = ( Accept => text/plain, text/html )
Option to do case-insensitive string matching for text_forbid, text_require, regex_forbid and regex_require test parameters.
text_require
regex_forbid
regex_require
Option to e-mail output to one or more addresses specified by mail_addresses test parameter.
mail_addresses
A list of e-mail addresses where report will be send (if sending report is enabled with mail test parameter).
mail
all
Send e-mail containing test results.
errors
Send e-mail only if one or more tests fails.
Do not send e-mail.
Sets Subject header for test report e-mails when some tests fail. In this string some character sequences have special meaning:
Subject
the number of failed tests
the number of successful tests
the total number of tests
replaced with single %
%
WEB TESTS FAILED! FOUND %f ERROR(S)
Sets From: header for test report e-mails.
Name of user under which test script runs.
Fully-qualified name of of the mail server (e.g., mailhost.mycompany.com).
localhost
Sets Subject header for test report e-mails when all tests are passed successfully. In this string some character sequences have special meaning (see mail_failure_subject parameter for their description).
mail_failure_subject
Web tests succeeded
Maximum number of bytes expected in returned page.
Any integer greater that zero and greater than min_bytes (if min_bytes is specified).
min_bytes
Maximum web server response time (seconds) expected.
Any number greater that zero and greater than min_rtime (if min_rtime is specified).
min_rtime
HTTP request method.
See RFC 2616 (HTTP/1.1 protocol).
GET, POST
GET
POST
Minimum number of bytes expected in returned page.
Any integer less than max_bytes (if max_bytes is specified).
max_bytes
Minimum web server response time (seconds) expected.
Any number less than max_rtime (if max_rtime is specified).
max_rtime
NON-CORE PARAMETER from HTTP::WebTest::Plugin::Hooks
The value of this test parameter is ignored. However, it is evaluted before the test sequence is run, so it can be used to run finalization code when the test sequence is finished.
The value of this test parameter is ignored. However, it is evaluted before the HTTP request is done, so it can be used to do initalization before the request.
This is a list parameter which is treated as test result. It is evaluted when the HTTP response for the test request is received.
It can be used to define custom tests without writing new plugins. It can also be used to run some code when the HTTP response for the test request is received.
( YESNO1, COMMENT1 YESNO2, COMMENT2 .... YESNON, COMMENTN )
Here YESNO, COMMENT is a test result. YESNO is either yes if test is successful or no if it is not. COMMENT is a comment associated with this test.
YESNO
COMMENT
The value of this test parameter is ignored. However, it is evaluted before the test sequence is run, so it can be used to do initalization before the test sequence run.
A reference to a scalar that accumulates text of test report. If this test parameter is specified then value of test parameter fh_out is ignore.
fh_out
A list of name/value pairs to be passed as parameters to the URL. (This element is used to test pages that process input from forms.)
If the method key is set to GET, these pairs are URI-escaped and appended to the requested URL.
url = http://www.hotmail.com/cgi-bin/hmhome params = ( curmbox F001 A005 from HotMail )
generates the HTTP request with URI:
http://www.hotmail.com/cgi-bin/hmhome?curmbox=F001%20A005&from=HotMail
If the method key is set to POST, as long as all values are scalars they are URI-escaped and put into content of the HTTP request. application/x-www-form-urlencoded content type is set for such HTTP request.
application/x-www-form-urlencoded
If the method key is set to POST, some values may be defined as lists. In this case HTTP::WebTest uses multipart/form-data content type used for Form-based File Upload as specified in RFC 1867. Each parameter with list value is treated as file part specification with the following interpretation:
multipart/form-data
Form-based File Upload
( FILE, FILENAME, HEADER => VALUE... )
where
FILE
The name of a file to open. This file will be read and its content placed in the request.
FILENAME
The optional filename to be reported in the request. If it is not specified than basename of FILE is used.
HEADER => VALUE
Additional optional headers for file part.
url = http://www.server.com/upload.pl method = post params = ( submit => ok file => ( '/home/ilya/file.txt', 'myfile.txt' ) )
It generates HTTP request with /home/ilya/file.txt file included and reported under name myfile.txt.
/home/ilya/file.txt
myfile.txt
A list which contains two elements: userid/password pair to be used for proxy server access authorization.
A list of module names. Loads these modules and registers them as HTTP::WebTest plugins. If the name of the plugin starts with ::, it is prepended with HTTP::WebTest::Plugin. So
::
HTTP::WebTest::Plugin
plugins = ( ::Click )
is equal to
plugins = ( HTTP::WebTest::Plugin::Click )
A list of service name/proxy URL pairs that specify proxy servers to use for requests.
proxies = ( http => http://http_proxy.mycompany.com ftp => http://ftp_proxy.mycompany.com )
List of regular expressions that are forbidden to exist in the returned page.
For more information, see perldoc perlre or see Programming Perl, 3rd edition, Chapter 5.
See also the text_forbid and ignore_case parameters.
ignore_case
List of regular expressions that are required to exist in the returned page.
See also the text_require and ignore_case parameters.
If set to yes than HTTP-WebTest supports relative URLs. See test parameter url for more information.
HTTP-WebTest
Option to send cookies to web server. This applies to cookies received from the web server or cookies specified using the cookies test parameter.
This does NOT give the web server(s) access to cookies created with a browser or any user agent software other than this program. The cookies created while this program is running are only accessible to other tests in the same test sequence.
See also the <accept_cookies> parameter.
Option to display any cookies sent or received.
Include request and response headers in the test report.
Include content of HTTP response in the test report.
Given numeric HTTP Status Code, tests response returned that value.
200 (OK).
200
Option to display shorter test report.
summary
Only a one-line summary for each URL
failed_only
Only tests that failed and the summary
Show all tests and the summary
Name associated with this URL in the test report and error messages.
List of text strings that are forbidden to exist in the returned page.
See also the regex_forbid and ignore_case parameters.
List of text strings that are required to exist in the returned page.
See also the regex_require and ignore_case parameters.
Set the timeout value in seconds.
180
URL to test.
If test parameter relative_urls is set to yes than URL for each test is treated as relative to the URL in the previous test. URL in the first test is treated as relative to http://localhost.
relative_urls
http://localhost
If test parameter relative_urls is set to no than each URL is treated as absolute. In this case if schema part of URL is omitted (i.e. URL doesn't start with http://, ftp://, etc) then http:// is implied.
http://
ftp://
Set the product token that is used to identify the user agent on the network.
HTTP-WebTest/NN
where NN is version number of HTTP-WebTest.
NN
This module have been tested only on Unix (e.g., Solaris, Linux, AIX, etc.) but it should work on Win32 systems.
If you want to test https:// web sites you may have to install additional modules to enable SSL support in LWP. In short you may have to install Crypt::SSLeay module. For details see README.SSL file in LWP distro.
Richard Anderson <richard@richard-anderson.org> wrote HTTP::WebTest 1.xx, using some ideas from the CPAN Monkeywrench module.
HTTP::WebTest 1.xx
Ilya Martynov <ilya@martynov.org> implemented the plug-in concept, the extended API and completely rewrote HTTP::WebTest.
Please don't email authors directly. Use the SourceForge HTTP::WebTest mail list (see SUPPORT, next section).
Please email bug reports, suggestions, questions, etc. to the SourceForge HTTP::WebTest maillist. You can sign up at http://lists.sourceforge.net/lists/listinfo/http-webtest-general . The email address is http-webtest-general@lists.sourceforge.net.
http-webtest-general@lists.sourceforge.net
Copyright (c) 2000-2001 Richard Anderson. All rights reserved.
Copyright (c) 2001-2003 Ilya Martynov. All rights reserved.
This program is free software; you can redistribute it and/or modify it under the same terms as Perl itself.
HTTP::WebTest::Cookbook
HTTP::WebTest::API
HTTP::WebTest::Plugins
wt
4 POD Errors
The following errors were encountered while parsing the POD:
You forgot a '=back' before '=head3'
=back without =over
To install HTTP::WebTest, copy and paste the appropriate command in to your terminal.
cpanm
cpanm HTTP::WebTest
CPAN shell
perl -MCPAN -e shell install HTTP::WebTest
For more information on module installation, please visit the detailed CPAN module installation guide.