Overview - Total Test - COBOL Batch Programs

The Virtualized Test (Unit Test) feature of Total Test is a Unit Testing product for COBOL batch programs. It utilizes Code Debug to collect unit test data and select the location in a COBOL program to create a unit test.

Total Test is flexible with these features:

  • Collection of unit test data for selected unit test cases by using the new "Record Test Case" feature in Code Debug.
  • Easy identification and setting of where in a COBOL program a unit test case should be created.
  • Collected Code Debug information is used to generate the unit test case and format the data collected so it can be used by the test cases.
  • A method to stub out parts of the program, by using the new "Record-Program-Stub" feature in Code Debug, allowing test runs to be almost independent of the original program and realizing less system resource usage during testing.

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Introducing I/O Call Stubbing

Another important feature of Total Test is that it can use data collected during a Code Debug session to create an I/O call data stub. Currently, Total Test supports

  • QSAM, VSAM (KSDS, ESDS, and RRDS) Read and Write stubs
  • Db2 SQL statement stubs
  • IMS DL/I statement stubs
  • EXEC CICS statement stubs

Stubbing out calls to I/O calls in your program makes it easier to run your unit test in isolation. This capability makes it easier to run your test case on more systems since it reduces your dependencies on data files

  • In the case of a Read I/O call stub you no longer require the input file. Instead of the input file a record is read from the Read I/O Stub.
  • In the case of a Write I/O call stub you no longer have to worry about changing the output file. You can run the program tests over and over again without affecting the file.

Benefits

The test case execution can be automated so the unit test cases can be run as a regression test suite to verify that previously resolved issues stay fixed.

Changes to the typical development process to automatically run the unit tests as the last phase of the build process (SCM such as ISPW doing a build (generate), deploying the software to a test system) provide much faster feedback to any problems introduced into the software.

 

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