Automated Testing for General-Purpose Engineering Simulation CAE Software

[lcheng9]

The automated testing system is an essential facility for modern large-scale software. Given that the computational results of general-purpose CAE simulation software have complex functionality, long term maintenance, and high requirements, it's necessary to have an automated testing system to maintain the robustness and accuracy of the product. In addition to the testing system, a vast amount of test cases is another crucial intelligent asset, which require a significant investment of development resources. The author has previously detailed information on the automated testing of CAE software, as seen in the articles "Automated Regression Testing for General-Purpose Engineering Simulation CAE Software" and "Quickly Create Regression Test Cases for WELSIM". This article focuses on the running tests for engineering simulation CAE software.

Currently, major CAE software on the market do not publicly disclose their automated testing systems; they are only provided for internal development use. End-users do not have access the testing systems. In this day and age, WELSIM is the only general-purpose CAE software that opens up its automated testing system and discloses open-source test cases worldwide. Therefore, the only software this article can use for demonstration is WELSIM.

After WELSIM, locate the command for automated testing in the GUI's menu bar or toolbar.

Click the "Play Test" button and select the tests from the dialog.

Currently, the reading of the test files supports two formats: xml and wstb. Xml represents specific individual tests, while wstb can contain multiple files for testing. As shown in the following picture, wstb is essentially a collection of xml test files.

After reading the test file, the main testing user interface will be displayed. If a valid test file was selected in the previous step, then the main window will list it. The testing main interface has numerous functions that will be explained in four separate areas.

Area 1 occupies the majority of the interface, facilitating the display of a large number of test cases. Users can toggle cases on or off, depending on what they want to run. Each case has a progress bar to display the current testing progress. Additionally, each case has a test result, with a green background indicating "Success" for passing tests, and a red background indicating "Failed" for failed tests.

Area 2 features the right-click context menu, offering common functions such as select all, deselect all, remove all, save test files, and more. The position of the context menu is flexible and depends on the location of the mouse-click, typically in a blank area.

Area 3 displays essential buttons, like the buttons to add cases, remove cases, and save test files. The button selected in the picture above is the trashcan button. When selected, the system will automatically clean up and delete the project after the test is finished. When the project is not closed after a test, users can manually save the project as a wsdb file. This feature is useful for users to investigate the cause of a failed cause. The "Save Test" button can save the currently failed cases, allowing users to rerun them after fixing the issues.

Area 4, at the bottom of the main interface, provides vital functions for running, pausing, and stopping tests. The default time for each step of the test is 100 milliseconds, but users can modify it. WELISM also supports displaying logs.

The testing time depends on the number and size of cases. A quick test set usually completes within 10 minutes, while long-term tests typically finish within 15 hours. When all tests pass, the product's current state is considered relatively stable. If failed cases are identified, they can be run individually to investigate the causes. Then, appropriate updates to the software or test scripts can be made.

Test File Format

XML files are simple, intuitive, and have great machine readability and writing performance, making them suitable as an automated test file format. The image below provides an example of a simple structural analysis test file.

In respect with the numbering, the file is divided into 7 sections:

1. Selecting the unit system.
2. Creating a new project; adding a cube and meshing.
3. Adding a fixed boundary condition, selecting a face.
4. Adding a pressure boundary condition, selecting a face, and setting the pressure value.
5. Solving.
6. Adding a displacement result, evaluating and validating the results.
7. Adding a stress result, evaluating and validating the results.

Each element in the test script has three attributes: object, command, and arguments. Object is used to locate the QT widget related to the GUI, corresponding one-to-one with the object names in the software product. Command has options like activate and setCurrent. Arguments define additional parameters, such as table index, boundary selection, numerical values, key values, etc.

There are two types of elements: wsevent for event-driven actions, executing each step operation, and wscheck for validating a specific value. Engineering simulation software need to ensure the accuracy of calculation results, so wscheck units are used for this task. During the execution of wsevent operations, extensive checks on software controls are performed to detect software defects like crashes, memory leaks, etc.

Behavior

Running the WelSim automated test requires adding the environment variable WELSIM_DATA_ROOT to the test case folder. Instructions are provided in the test case package.

Automated testing can only detect the functions covered by the test cases, so it will need continuous maintenance and an addition of test cases, as the CAE software evolves. WelSim has opened its testing system and released open-source test cases, allowing developers of solvers and backend applications to ensure accuracy and stability, without the burden of creating their own automation systems.

The WelSim automated testing system is based on the software itself and can only be conducted after the software is launched. Some large software testing frameworks are independent processes that test the target software through inter-process communication. Both testing frameworks are effective, and developers can choose based on the software's characteristics and their technical stack.

Automated testing files are not limited to XML format. Depending on the software architecture and testing requirements, they can be in formats like Python or JavaScript, each with its advantages.

The current WELSIM testing framework does not save test results, but future versions may support result storage. However, results can be displayed through a webpage, and historical test data retrieval is supported, facilitating long-term product maintenance.

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WELSIM is the #1 engineering simulation software for the open-source community.

[Jason1roy]

This article on the automated testing system within WELSIM is truly enlightening! As someone deeply involved in the field of engineering simulation, I find the detailed breakdown of the testing process and the explanation of various components within the test files to be incredibly valuable.

The fact that WELSIM is leading the way by openly disclosing its testing system and releasing open-source test cases worldwide is commendable. This level of transparency not only fosters collaboration but also ensures the reliability and accuracy of the software, which is crucial for complex CAE applications.

Moreover, the article's insights into running tests, analyzing results, and considering future improvements provide practical guidance for anyone involved in software testing and development. WELSIM is not only dedicated to providing top-notch engineering simulation software but also committed to empowering its users and contributing to the advancement of the field.

Overall, this article is a must-read for anyone interested in understanding the importance of automated testing in the realm of CAE software and appreciating WELSIM's efforts to drive innovation and excellence in the industry.