After two months of public beta, v2.8 with 50+ new features went live today. Our thanks to all beta users for your feedback that helped make StresStimulus better!  v2.8 is available here.

What's new in StresStimulus 2.8. The highlights of 2.8 are more versatile testing options with Data Generators and Functions, full control over test configuration with XML-based scripting, and saving test configuration time with Parameter Finder and Auto-Configurator. A full list of all features and enhancements is listed in multipart release notes that start here.  

Backward, no forward compatibility. V2.8 is backward…

This update is expected to be the last one before the final release scheduled for this month.  The following new features and updates were added:

1. Host Auto-Filter deletes unnecessary requests and helps with future recordings.  The Video-tip below shows how to use it.

Hold the Ctrl key and highlight all hosts that are relevant to this test, and then click the Host Auto-Filter button. StresStimulus will:

• Delete requests to the non-selected hosts from the Test Case.
• Add non-selected hosts to the Ignored Hosts list. Requests to these hosts will be ignored in future recordings.
• Add the selected hosts to the Cleared Cache Hosts list. Responses from these hosts will be cleared from the browser cache before recording test cases (for more accurate testing).

 …

 1. 3-Step Auto-Configuration of a Test Case. Test case can be now configured much faster and more accurately using a 3-step process: Verify-> Find Parameters-> Auto-Configure as shown in the video below.

• The first step runs test auto-verification to generate a list of errors and warnings displayed in the Session Verification Tree. This step is invoked from the Verify & Auto-Config section a by clicking Verify button  b on the toolbar. The list of errors and warning is displayed in Session Verification tab  c .

• The second step finds requests that likely need to be…

Scripting Enhancements



1.Embedded Script schema document. An XSD document that lays out constraints on the structure and content of StresStimulus script (SSScript) is embedded into the tool. To browse SSScript XML schema, select the Script Editor Section a and on the toolbar of the editor, click “Show XSD” button b . The XSD viewer window c will display SSScript XSD. The viewer supports basic text editing functions such as search, bookmark and copy. Use SSScript XSD as a reference for SSScript. It contains all objects and attributes that you need to know to make changes in the SSScript. In the future updates,…

A list of XML collections, elements, attributes and corresponding UI properties is provided below.

Collection <TestCases>

Element TestCase

This Quick Reference to format string in StresStimulus is composed using Richard Carr's blog posts published here: http://www.blackwasp.co.uk/DotNetFormatting.aspx

Numeric Format Specifiers…

Multiple enhancements were added in the following areas:

Reporting, diagnostic

1. Extended diagnostic in session validation tree is now displayed for certain errors and warnings. Right-click on the error or warning, and select Show Details in the context menu. A warning explanation with recommended remedies will be displayed.

2. Average transaction response time is added to the Summary report and the Test Comparison report.

3. Support for performance counters from a remote server on a different domain. Previously, if the test machine was not part of the remote server Windows domain, server performance counters could not be added because of authentication failure. Now,…

1. Scripting concept. Starting from version 2.5, StresStimulus UI is designed to closely reflect the internal Test Object Model (TOM). Nodes on the Navigation Tree and their properties correspond to the TOM’s objects and their respective properties. For example, the Extractor node and its Text Before property on the property grid correspond to the Extractor object and Extractor.TextBefore property respectively.

v2.8 introduced scripting by exposing TOM as an XML script representation. The TOM’s objects and their properties are mapped to the corresponding XML element and their respective attributes. The benefit of such design, besides consistency, is that test configuration settings in the UI closely reflect the test script. It makes it easier to learn StresStimulus scripting, because the UI actually becomes a “tutorial” to the “scripting language”. For example, the screenshots below shows how extractor properties in the UI are closely reflected in the script…

1. Parameter Finder is an advisory tool that helps to parameterize test quicker and more accurately. It inspects the recorded test and its script to find requests that likely need to be parameterized and gives recommendations about missing extractors and parameters. Furthermore, it allows to quickly create such extractors with a few mouse clicks.

To use Parameter Finder (see screenshot below)

a) Click Verify to run test auto-verification, and wait until Session Verification Tree appears

b) Click the Parameter Finder tab

c) Click Run Parameter Finder

d) After inspecting the test, the Parameter Finder tree will appear, wherein:

• Each parent node represents a request that likely requires parameterization.
• Each child node represents a pair of:
  
  

  i. The missing parameter's name along with the recorded value that should be parameterized.

  ii. The recommended extractor with indication to which prior request…

Previous versions supported two types of sources variables used for parameterization: Extractors and Datasets. v2.8 added 2 more sources variables types: Data Generators and Functions:

1. Data Generators (DG). A Data Generator returns a random value that can be used to parameterize requests. DG can be used for creating streams of emulated business data which can be included into the HTTP load stream. It allows to more realistically mimic physical users interacting with web application by entering real-world business data.

DG appear on the navigation menu under the Test Case -> Source Variable node as another type of variables. The following data types are supported: Integer, Double, Date/Time, GUID and Text.

To create a Data Generator (see screenshot below),

(a) Click New

(b) Select DG type

(c) Configure its properties

(d) Click the Verify button to test the return value

(e) Click…