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On this blog you hear a lot of SWEA this, SWEA that... SWEA solves all my web page automation tasks, SWEA saves my ass, SWEA is cheap, without SWEA I couldn't test 90% of a new build of our UI in 10 minutes, SWEA takes 4 letters out of SWEAt, no SWEAt with SWEA, I get left with T, Time. Time to focus on complex functional tests, installers, performance, (insert more buzz-word test types here).
So about now you're thinking, SWEA Sure Would Enhance the Automation in my workplace. Yeah! YEAH! Now you're catching on...
So, not long ago AdventNet posted a nice little automation tool comparison chart, but they forgot to add SWEA. Wonder why? Probably because SWEA is $59.00 which blows all other tools out of the water in the price department. Not only that, SWEA holds its own in features too. That's pretty freakin' sweet since SWEA was create by one man, a Mr. Alex Furman man. One might think, "Hmm, I'm not sure if I should bank my automation investment on a tool created and supported by one dude". Let me tell you, and you must listen my automation tool shopping friend: Alex Furman is the man! I work with quite a few tools, I've worked with some of the tools that you'll see in the comparison chart (the one I'm leading up to) plus some others, and I have never received the support I've received from Alex. Alex gets shat done, he works hard, he is proud of, and smart about his product. For example, one day I'm like all IMing Alex: "Hey, it'd be nice if I could attach the SWEA designer to any already open Internet Explorer window", Alex is all "Sweet idea, my heroic QA engineer Brent Strange, I'll put that feature in tonight, it'll be a lot more fun than that near-impossible AJAX support I've been working on". Heh. Seriously the guy responds and makes it happen for me (thanks Alex). The tool has made my QA life easier.
Oh yeah, the purpose of this post...If you put it in the comparison list provided by AdventNet it really hangs with the big dogs (view a larger comparison of tools here):
|
Features |
Comparisons |
| |
SWEA |
QEngine WebTest |
WinRunner |
SilkTest |
Rational |
|
Cost / License |
$59
|
$799+ |
$8000 |
$6,495 plus $1,170 for Maintenance |
$2,900 - $5000 |
|
Platform & Browser Support |
|
Platform Support |
Windows |
Windows & Linux |
Windows |
Windows & UNIX |
Windows |
|
Browser Support |
IE |
IE,
Mozilla & FireFox |
IE &
Netscape |
IE &
Netscape |
IE &
Netscape |
|
Recording |
|
Floating menu's |
Yes |
Yes |
No |
? |
? |
|
Object Name Map |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
|
Object Mode Recording in Windows Application |
No (only browser based UI) |
No (only browser based UI) |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
|
MouseDown Events |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
|
Modal / Modaless Dialog |
Yes (Modal) |
Yes |
? |
? |
? |
|
Script Language |
.Net languages |
Jython |
TSL |
4Test |
SQABasic |
|
Extensible |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
|
Checkpoint Libraries |
? |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
|
PlayBack |
|
Play control
(Fast/Normal Mode) |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
? |
? |
|
Interoperability |
Partial
(Browser) |
Full Support
(OS & Browser) |
Partial
(Browser) |
Partial
(Browser) |
Partial
(Browser) |
|
Multi-Window Handling |
Yes |
Yes |
Limited |
Yes |
Yes |
|
Automated Regression |
Yes (NUnit) |
Yes |
Partial |
Yes |
Yes |
|
Play against different host without re-recording |
Yes |
Yes |
? |
? |
? |
|
Error Handling |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
|
Validation |
|
Multiple Validation with expression support |
Requires NUnit |
Yes |
No |
No |
No |
|
Validation - Window |
Requires NUnit |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
|
Validation - Text |
Requires NUnit |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
|
Validation - Image |
Requires NUnit |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
|
Validation - Table |
Requires NUnit |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
|
Validation - Document |
Requires NUnit |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
|
Validation - Page Response Time & Status |
No |
Yes |
No |
No |
? |
|
Validate & Save Window |
Yes |
No |
Yes |
Yes |
? |
|
Validate Clipboard Text |
No |
No |
No |
No |
? |
|
Validate & Synchronize Screen Rectangle |
No |
No |
Yes |
Yes |
? |
|
Validate - DB Data |
Requires NUnit |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
|
Validate & Synchronize Text |
? |
No |
Yes |
No |
No |
| |
|
Data Driven Testing |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
|
Portability |
Yes |
Yes |
? |
? |
? |
|
In Built support for Script Maintenance |
No |
CVS |
No* |
No* |
No* |
|
Parameterization |
? |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
|
* - at extra cost |
|
Others |
|
Customizable |
Yes |
Yes |
No(separate tool reqd) |
Yes |
Yes |
|
Internationalization |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
|
Detailed Reports |
No |
Yes |
Limited |
Yes |
Yes |
| |
| |
|
Application Support |
Web, HTML, DHTML, ASP, , JavaScript |
Web, HTML, DHTML, ASP, Java, JavaScript |
HTML, XML, JavaScript, Java, ActiveX |
HTML, XML, JavaScript, Java, ActiveX |
HTML, DHTML, Java,
Visual Basic, Visual C++, Oracle Developer
/2000, Delphi, SAP, PeopleSoft and Sybase Powerbuilder. |
|
Applet Testing |
No |
No |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
| |
|
? - Unknown |
How do I use SWEA? Check out the tutorial of my test framework with SWEA, NUnit and C#. |
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