flash testing tools?

[wangbar]

Hi, I'm designing a GUI for a LAN-based hardware application. One of the absolute requirements of this project is that the GUI needs to be browser-launched.

My client is old-school and doesn't believe that non-MFC/C++ type applications are robust enough to act as interfaces for this type of app. If all else fails I can build this thing with .NET webforms but I'm trying to convince them that Flash is a good option (I've had success with it in the past with a similar project and it's much more flexible). Director is out for reasons that are too complicated to go into :-( . They won't go for Flash unless I can provide them with something which can comprehensively (and automatically) test this GUI. Somebody doing it manually will not convince them(!).

Has anyone out there used a tool which can do this (it will need to be something which can automate mouse moves etc.) with Flash? I don't want to have to write this thing myself!

 

[blended]

A little more info, please. How do you plan to control hardware through a browser page, anyhow? I could use a little more layman speak. You've already lost me on this one.

Blended

 

[wangbar]

The hardware is configured by sliders, buttons etc on the interface. This information is passed via a combination of XML socket connections and ASP scripts to the hardware interfaces. There's also some embedded ActiveX within the HTML page which is hosting the Flash.

Standard windows applications are built using languages such as C++. The build process for these applications is well documented and can be automated. Large software projects can have their build and test procedures fully automated, these automated procedures can output logs of build successes and failures and therefore the people actually paying for the product can be reassured that everything will work when the thing ships (yeah, right ;-)). This is established practice and programs such as Rational Robot are available for sale which can test the functionality of these programs and aid in the debugging process.

Flash, however, is not an established programming language, also it's not currently recognised as a tool for doing anything much other than building websites or creating animations. My problem is that I've designed a working interface, it's stable, reliable and the client thinks it looks great and is easy to use. But, and it's a big but, it's not code. They loved it right up until the point that they found out that they couldn't break the whole thing apart into discreet chunks and test the components. Now I've got to convince them that it won't fall over if used heavily and the only way to do this is to test the c**p out of it night and day - this has to be an automated process to satisfy them (thousands of repetitions of assigned tasks).

Anyone done this before?

 

[blended]

Oh, now I see. Basically, you want to try to break it. I'm sorry, but I have no idea of anywhere to do this because of the limitations Flash has of not being a "programming" language (as you said). Of course I'd want to say just use Director and publish to Java, but I understand why that's impossible, too. I'll look around and see what I can do, though.

Blended

 

[wangbar]

Cheers mate, much appreciated...