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Automated Usability Checks

By Ulrich Kreichgauer, SAP AG, Usability Engineering Center – Last changed on 14.02.2002

This paper is outdated.

Automated testing of usability is also possible. Current testing on compliance with usability standards covers:

• SAP R/3 screens
• SAP R/3 menu bars
• Pull-down menus
• Function keys
• Pushbuttons
• Functions

Any developer can test individual objects in the corresponding development tools (individual check). Global Quality Management also checks all objects regularly as part of the separate global quality assurance (mass test). Developers can access testing results with the CheckMan transaction (TODO transaction in older releases).

 

Individual Testing

Individual usability testing can be accessed as follows:

• SAP R/3 screens
  SAP R/3 screens are tested in the Screen Painter. There is a menu option Screen -> Check -> Layout. The test results are shown in lists. Double-clicking on a message line gives the name of the defective field.
• SAP R/3 menu bars, pull-down menus, function keys, pushbuttons, functions
  These are tested in the Menu Painter. There is a menu option Interface -> Check -> Ergonomics. The test results are shown as a hierarchical tree, arranged according to priority. Expanding the tree and double-clicking on a subobject shows the exact error (for example, the defective menu bar or function key setting). Automatic correction can often be activated using one of the function keys.

Individual object testing and the quality assurance mass testing run in the same way. If individual objects are tested and errors removed prior to the transport of the objects, there should be no problems in the subsequent global quality assurance run.

 

Mass Testing

Mass testing is only SAP internally available. As part of the internal global quality assurance, Global Quality Management ensures all objects in Q systems regularly undergo mass testing. The results are normally transferred back into the development systems. They are then available for developers in both the development and Q systems.

The transaction that reports the results is called CheckMan (TODO in older releases). As well as usability problems, this transaction also reports all other area results (for example, results of authorizations, translatability, and program errors). It is possible to correct the error from the transaction, using a direct link to the corresponding object. Online documentation of each error type is also available.

 

Which Tests Are Carried Out?

Screen Painter

The following usability testing is carried out in the Screen Painter:

• Priority 1
  X field not converted into checkbox or radio button
  Incorrect font for column heading
  Single radio button
  Scrollable field, even if there is enough space to display it all
  Numeric or date fields are rollable
• Priority 2
  The attribute 'bright' is used too often
  Pseudo frame instead of correct frame
• Priority 3
  Screen elements do not begin in column 1
  Label of checkbox/radio button is not to the right of the element
  First info not in line 1 or 3
  Box is empty
  Elements in the frame do not begin at its left edge
  Loop heading does not have the 'bright' attribute
  First information message in a box is too deep
  Field label has a fixed font instead of a proportional font
  Check box or radio button has no label
  Text on a pushbutton was not replaced by an icon
  Distance between boxes is too great
  Whole screen will be displayed in non-proportional font
• Priority 4
  Frames are not aligned
  Frame encloses ALL fields of the template

Menu Painter

The following usability testing is carried out for GUI definitions in the Menu Painter:

• Priority 1
  Standard function not assigned to a function key
  Function text "Cancel" does not exist
• Priority 2
  Edit and/or GoTo menu does not exist or position is incorrect
  Sequence of functions in pull-down menu is wrong
  Last entry in pull-down menu is wrong
  Default text not substituted
  Standard function assigned to the wrong function key
  Function is assigned to a key that is reserved for system functions
  Function is assigned to a key that is not allowed acc. to F key type
  Function text does not conform to standard for standard F key
• Priority 3
  Function or pull-down menu appears more than once in menu bar
  Prohibited function appears in pull-down menu
  "Enter" is not the first pushbutton in dialog box
  Prohibited texts used
  Icon is not permitted or does not exist
  Missing separator in pull-down menu with more than seven entries
• Priority 4
  Pushbutton now displayed in standard toolbar

 

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