Review By: Ross A. Fraser
07/08/2010The basic premises of this book are that 1) it is possible to get started on automating your testing tasks even if you don't have access to a specialized test automation tool; and 2) Visual Basic 6 can be used (even by nonprogrammers) to do so. The author succeeds in making a strong case for both contentions. The book comprises four sections.

The first brief section lays the groundwork by discussing automated testing in general--the nature of automated test scripts, the goals of automated testing, and the keys to successful automation. Part 1 then gets the reader started toward a familiarity with Visual Basic (VB) by walking through the installation and some of the simpler functions.

Part 2 gives the reader a better understanding of Visual Basic by introducing the VB Integrated Development Environment in chapter 3, and by discussing in chapter 4 essential concepts of object orientation and programming. The information in this section will not turn you into a VB programmer, but it does give the nonprogrammer enough information to be able to use VB for the specific purpose of test automation.

Part 3 gives us what we came for. Chapter 5, "Creating Test Utilities," gives examples of how VB can be used to automate such testing tasks as timing transactions and logging test results. Chapter 6 shows how VB can be used to examine and modify (with extreme caution) the Windows Registry. Chapter 7 gets into the neat things that can be done by using VB to invoke the Windows Application Programmer's Interface.

Part 4 presents "Advanced Topics": database testing, testing COM components, testing the Web, and VB.NET.

In the Jan/Feb 2002 issue of STQE magazine, Bret Pettichord included this book in his list of the best sources for test automation. ("Bret Pettichord on Test Automation," pp. 10-12.) I was pleased to see that Ms. Sweeney returned the favor (in the Resources and References appendix) by not only recommending STQE magazine, but also by recommending StickyMinds.com ("Don't let the odd name fool you. This is quickly becoming the premiere Web site for software testing resources and information." p. 468). Let me join in the mutual admiration society by saying that I was very impressed with this book. In particular,

-- This book offers a lot of information--about testing, about VB, about every topic it touches on. And it directs the reader to sources for more information, not only in the appendix, but also throughout the text.

-- The author takes nothing for granted on the part of the reader. Terms such as ODBC, SQL, and COM are defined and explained as they are encountered in the text. Moreover, they are explained well.

-- At the same time, the book is organized and laid out in a way that allows the more-informed reader to skip the basic stuff.

-- Every step is accompanied by simple exercises that give the reader the same kind of hands-on experience that one would get in a classroom situation (assuming that the reader has access to a copy of VB 6).

The only reason this book is not "Highly Recommended" is that it was published in 2001, and in the VB world, the past year has seen significant changes. VB.Net has replaced VB 6 in MicroSoft's sales catalog. The author has tried to anticipate this change by including a chapter by guest authors Gary Cornell and Jonathan Morrison on VB.Net, but now that VB.Net is actually available I would like to see a new edition of the book.