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About the Project

The TestScript Engine is an open source, command-line tool for executing tests described by Fast Healthcare Interoperability Resources (FHIR) TestScript instances. The key goals of the project include:

  • Develop tools align with the FHIR standard's approach to testing and open source implementation that can execute tests described by TestScript instances.
  • Generate FHIR formatted results that help testers understand the results of a test run using TestReport instances
  • Support integration with additional FHIR IG authoring, implementation, and testing tools, such as the TestScript Generator and Synthea.

Running the Engine

There are two methods for running the TestScript Engine:

  • WITHIN THIS REPO

Clone this repository and navigate to your local copy. Once there, run: bundle install followed by bundle exec bin/testscript_engine. This will start the engine within the context of your local copy.

This is the recommended method if you don't have TestScripts of your own, as this repository includes sample TestScripts in the ./TestScripts folder for processing and execution.

  • FROM ANYWHERE

First, download the TestScript gem by running: gem install testscript_engine. Then, launch the engine by running: testscript_engine.

This is the recommended method if you already have a collection of your own TestScripts, as it allows you the freedom of running the engine from within your TestScript repository (or anywhere).

Configure the Engine

The engine can be configured through three methods: configuration file, commandline arguments, and interactive mode.

Configuration file

Running the engine on a configuration file provides testing on predefined settings.

bundle exec bin/testscript_engine execute --config [PATH] : Put name and path of a configuration YAML file.

Below are properties in the configuration files.

  • testscript_name : [TESTSCRIPT.NAME] Name of TestScript to be executed. If empty, all files under testscript_path will be executed.
  • testscript_path : [PATH] The relative path to the directory containing the TestScript resources (as JSON or XML) to be executed by the engine.
  • testreport_path : [PATH] The relative to the directory containing the TestReports output following their partner TestScript execution. Files containing TestReport instances will be placed in a subfolder corresponding to the execution completion time.
  • summary_path : [PATH] If specified, a summary report csv file named execution_summary_[UTC timestamp].csv will be created within the specified relative folder. The file will include the id, name, and title of each TestScript executed and the overall pass/fail result. For systems without robust TestReport capabilities, provides an easy way to view the results of a test run across multiple scripts.
  • variable : [- name1=value1 - name2=value2 ..]: Replace defaultValue in variable by user defined value. This will apply to all runnables uniformly as long as names match. No space before and after =. Multiple variables are distinguished by line.
  • profile : [- location1 - location2 ..]: List of locations holding profile StructureDefinitions to be used for profile validation. May be a web url, a relative file, or a relative directory (profiles in sub-directories not included). StructureDefinitions loaded from this configuration setting take precedence over StructureDefinitions accessed from canonical URLs in TestScripts that resolve to StructureDefinitions. This allows for validation against unpublished versions of profiles.
  • server_url : [URL] Endpoint against which TestScripts will be executed.
  • nonfhir_fixture : [TRUE/FALSE] If true, allow to intake non-FHIR fixture (local only).
  • ext_validator : [URL] If specified, use external resource validator instead of internal validator.
  • ext_fhirpath : [URL] If specified, use external FHIR path evaluator instead of internal evaluator.

Commandline Arguments

Command line arguments can be used when you want to run specific files and/or conditions. Run the engine with the following format:

bundle exec bin/testscript_engine execute [OPTIONS]

[OPTIONS]

  • --config [PATH]: Name and path of a configuration file.
  • --testscript_name [TESTSCRIPT.NAME]: Name of TestScript to be execute. If not specified, all files under testscript_path will be executed.
  • --testscript_path [PATH]: Folder location of TestScripts (default: /TestScripts)
  • --testreport_path [PATH]: Folder location of TestReports (default: /TestReports). Files containing TestReport instances will be placed in a subfolder corresponding to the execution completion time.
  • --summary_path [PATH] If specified, a summary report csv file named execution_summary_[UTC timestamp].csv will be created within the specified relative folder. The file will include the id, name, and title of each TestScript executed and the overall pass/fail result. For systems without robust TestReport capabilities, provides an easy way to view the results of a test run across multiple scripts.
  • --server_url [URL]: If specified, it will replace the default FHIR server in the configuration file.
  • --variable [name1=value1 name2=value2 ..]: Replace defaultValue in variable by user defined value. This will apply to all runnables uniformly as long as names match. No space before and after =. Use quotations if value has space.
  • --profile [location1 location2 ..]: List of locations holding profile StructureDefinitions to be used for profile validation. May be a web url, a relative file, or a relative directory (profiles in sub-directories not included). StructureDefinitions loaded from this configuration setting take precedence over StructureDefinitions accessed from canonical URLs in TestScripts that resolve to StructureDefinitions. This allows for validation against unpublished versions of profiles.
  • --nonfhir_fixture [TRUE/FALSE]: If true, allow to intake non-FHIR fixture (local only).
  • --ext_validator [URL]: If specified, use external resource validator.
  • --ext_fhirpath [URL]: If specified, use external FHIR path evaluator.

Interactive mode

Running the engine on interactive mode provides flexibility to change the properties while executing testing. Simply run the command below.

bundle exec bin/testscript_engine interactive

Folders and Files

TestScripts are validated and loaded in by the engine. By default, the engine looks for a ./TestScripts folder in its given context, but will allow the user to specify an alternate path. Once TestScripts are loaded, they are converted into 'runnables'. The engine allows users to specify which runnable to execute, and by default will execute all available runnables. Likewise, the user can specify the endpoint upon which the runnable(s) should be executed. Following execution, the user can either re-execute -- specifying a different runnable or endpoint -- or shut-down the engine. Finally, the results from each runnable's latest execution are written out to a subfolder corresponding to the execution completion time under the ./TestReports folder.

  • testscript_engine.rb
    • Home of the TestScriptEngine class. The engine deals with loading in json TestScript files, managing their transformation into runnables, and ultimately their execution. It is the engine's responsibiliy to direct and leverage a runnable against (an) endpoint(s).

./lib:

  • assertion.rb
    • Contains the asserts used during assertion handling within the TestScriptRunnable class.
  • operation.rb
    • Contains the operation-related methods and logic used during operation execution within the TestScriptRunnable class.
  • testscript_runnable.rb
    • TestScriptRunnable class is an object containing the code necessary to execute a TestScript. The runnable of a TestScript was designed with the idea that, after its initialization, is could be pointed at and run against any number of endpoints without reloading the original TestScript. Setup, Tests, and Teardown actions are executed in that order, with Setup and Teardown actions factored into the overall score given as part of the TestReport output.
  • testreport_handler.rb
    • Class for creating and updating the TestReport resource. The report's skeleton is generated using the corresponding TestScript, though the action results are left blank and populated as directed during TestScript execution. As a result, the report is synchronous with the runnable class and relies on the TestScriptRunnable to communicate the result of an action execution or evaluation.
  • message_handler.rb
    • Module for all command-line logging functionality and adding messages to FHIR resources.

./spec:

  • Folder containing all existing unit tests for both TestScriptEngine and TestScriptRunnable

./TestReports:

  • Folder containing the TestReport(s) created while executing (a) given TestScript(s). Files containing TestReport instances will be placed in a subfolder corresponding to the execution completion time

./TestScripts:

  • Folder that contains the TestScripts to be executed. Any example resources used within those TestScripts (i.e. using a patient resource as a fixture) should be located within the ./fixtures subfolder.

Features

Assertion

The engine uses various algorithms to evaluate the results of previous operations to determine if the server under test behaves appropriately.

  • minimum_id: Per the TestScript specification, an assertion with the minimumId element populated asserts that the target instance (current response or instance pointed to by sourceId) "contains all the element/content" from the minimumId instance (the instance pointed to by the minimumId element). For the implementation within this engine, an assertion with minimumId specified passes if and only if each element and list entry within the minimumId instance can be found within the target instance at the same levels within the heirarchy. With respect to lists, entries are not required to appear at the same index or in the same order. Instead, for each entry within the minimumId instance the engine must find a unique corresponding list entry within the target instance that contains all of the elements and content in the minimumId instance's entry. Note that the engine takes a greedy approach to identifying list entries that match, which means there exist pathological cases for which the implementation fails to find matches when they do in fact exist.
  • validateProfileId: Details rely on the validator used. Currently, the engine uses the FHIR Crucible FHIR validator logic by default. The engine can also be configured to use an external validator based on the Inferno FHIR validator wrapper.
  • expression: Details rely on the FHIRPath evaluator used. Currently, the engine uses the Crucible FHIRPath evaluator logic by default. The engine can also be configured to use an external validator based on the Inferno FHIRPath evaluator.

Extension

The TestScript Engine supports several extensions to both the TestScript and TestReport resources. Details on these extensions are their use can be found in this IG. Feedback on the need for and approach to these extensions welcome.

Feedback and Result Interpretation

The value of tests derives from the feedback they provide. The testscript-engine currently provides three mechanisms for feedback:

  1. Terminal output: when running the engine on the command line, details on the execution steps and the results are provided as execution proceeds. This includes a summary at the end of the tests executed, split into passing and failing lists, along with pointers to the TestReport instances and the summary CSV, if configured.
  2. TestReport instances: an instance is generated for each TestScript instance executed, including subtest executions. The result of each action (operation and assertion) taken by the engine is recorded, including error details for those that failed. This means that these instances serve as a permanent record of the execution and can be used after the fact to investigate failures. However, no tools currently exist to help with the inspection of these instances.
  3. Summary CSV: in order to help users navigate the generated TestReport instances in the absence of direct tools, the engine optionally (see the summary_path configuration option) will generate a summary file that can be opened as a spreadsheet for simple interaction and filtering. While it does not contain all details such as the specific errors that caused failures, it provides a flexible and familiar way to navigate and find the TestReport instances that contain this information. Information in the summary CSV includes:
  • name: name of the TestScript instance executed.
  • title: title of the TestScript instance executed, which generally is easier to interpret than the name.
  • result: pass or fail.
  • inputs: list of dynamic variable bindings for the execution. Each entry is of the form [variable-name]=[value]. Entries are separated by ; .
  • subtest?: true if the TestScript was executed as a subtest.
  • mustPass?: true if the TestScript execution had to pass in order for the invoking assertion to pass. If false, then a failure may not be indicative of an actual problem.
  • testReportFilePath: where detailed results in the form of a TestReport instance can be found.

Interpretation Approach

The current best practice for interacting with results based on current functionality is to:

  1. Open the Summary CSV in a spreadsheet application
  2. Sort based on the result column to separate failing tests
  3. Use the name and title columns to identify the specific tests and functionality failing
  4. Prioritize directly-executed tests (subtest? = false) and subtests that were required to pass (mustPass = true) since those that didn't need to pass may not be indicative of problems
  5. Open TestReport instances and search for the string fail to get details on what failed.

Limitations

The TestScript Engine is still in the infancy of its development; it is neither fully complete nor bug-free and we encourage contributions, feedback, and issue-opening from the community. There are known gaps in the TestScript Engine:

  • Support for multiple origins and/or destinations
  • Challenges in interpreting and using the results, specifically in terms of viewing and manipulating the TestReport instances.

References

License

Copyright 2022 The MITRE Corporation

Licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0 (the "License"); you may not use this file except in compliance with the License. You may obtain a copy of the License at

http://www.apache.org/licenses/LICENSE-2.0

Unless required by applicable law or agreed to in writing, software distributed under the License is distributed on an "AS IS" BASIS, WITHOUT WARRANTIES OR CONDITIONS OF ANY KIND, either express or implied. See the License for the specific language governing permissions and limitations under the License.