Development of integrated tools for the gamification of scripted GUI testing practices

Software testing is a crucial and indispensable phase of the software development cycle because it allows the detection of problems and issues that may arise during development time. These occurrences could threaten the quality, performance, and reliability of software applications. In particular, the GUI (Graphical User Interface) testing of mobile and web applications is a widespread technique to assess the functionality and usability of user interfaces. However, this technique is often neglected because it is perceived as an expensive activity, both in terms of money and time. Additionally, it is seen as repetitive, often subject to errors, and the absence of immediate feedback on the quality of tests produced further alienates developers from the execution of this type of testing. Gamification is a methodology whose goal is to increase the performance and the involvement of the users by exploiting dynamics and mechanics that usually are associated with game playing. In this context, the introduction of gamification elements would motivate testers to perform and improve the quality of the GUI testing with more in-depth testing sessions. The goal of this thesis is the analysis of IDEs (Integrated Development Environments) that support scripted GUI testing and the implementation of gamification plugins or widgets tailored for these IDEs. The aim is to increase the testers' interest in these activities and make them perceived as less monotonous and tedious. A prototype of a gamification plugin for IntelliJ IDEA for web application testing has been developed that introduces achievements, rewards, and profile personalization as gamification elements. The scripted GUI testing taken into consideration is conducted using Selenium, an open-source suite of tools and libraries used for browser automation. In this context, a specialized gamification library that communicates with the plugin was also developed, to supply valuable data that allows the plugin to correctly implement the gamification features. The final prototype of the gamification plugin and the gamification library were subjected to a small group of users to gather feedback regarding its usability and the effects of the gamification elements introduced in the GUI scripted testing.