# Scripting Web Tests

with Watir and Ruby

Workbook / Welcome

## Welcome to Our Tutorial

Learn how to write browser-based automated functional tests in this hands-on tutorial. We’ll show you how to use the Watir testing tool and the Ruby language to create tests that drive a web application. By the end of the tutorial, you’ll have created a test suite using an open-source tool popular with agile teams.

Bring a Windows laptop with W2K, XP, Vista (shudder) or even a Mac with Parallels. We’ll provide the software. You will be pairing, so even if you don’t have a suitable laptop, come anyway and pair with someone who does. The hands-on exercises use Internet Explorer. We will also demonstrate how to use FireWatir, a version of Watir for Firefox. Participants should already know how to program in a computer language, although no prior knowledge of Watir or Ruby is assumed.

- Write automated accepance tests for web applications written in any language
- Compare Watir to other acceptance testing tools
- Make web interfaces more testable
- Learn Ruby

Install the Tutorial Software

## Your Instructors

Bret Pettichord is the lead developer of Watir and a test architect at Dovetail Software. He is the founder of the Austin Workshops on Test Automation and a co-author of Lessons Learned in Software Testing (a Jolt-award finalist). Previously, he was Test Architect and QA Manager at DataCert, Director of Testing Practice at ThoughtWorks and worked as an independent testing consultant to companies throughout the United States for several years. He has specialized in automated testing for over a decade and has been developing practices for testing on agile projects since 2002. Visit his blog and website.

Charley Baker is the project manager and developer on the current version of Watir. He has been working in the software and IT industry for over 15 years as a developer, QA Engineer and system administrator, currently working at Gap Inc as QA Architect.

Steven List is the Vice President of Development of Dovetail Software. As VP of Development, he is responsible for translating the strategic vision of the company into functioning products that meet the needs of Dovetail’s customers. Steven’s experience includes entrepreneurial ventures, professional speaking, and a successful career in software and Internet technology. Before Dovetail, Steven worked at a number of startup ventures, including his own Silicon Valley consulting company. In each of these roles, Steven was responsible for technical architecture and infrastructure, staffing, technical direction, and team-building, leading his organizations to repeated success. Before the term “open source” was coined, Steven was contributing to community developed software, being an active participant in the Unix community from the mid-80s through early 90s.