LiFT: Driving Development Using a Business-Readable DSL for Web Testing

Abstract

This paper describes the development and evolution of LiFT, a framework for writing automated tests in a style that makes them very readable, even for non-programmers. We call this style 'literate testing'. By creating a domain-specific language embedded within Java, we were able to write automated tests that read almost like natural language, allowing business requirements to be expressed very clearly. This allows development to be driven from tests that are created by developers and customers together, helping give all stakeholders confidence that the right things are being tested and hence a correct system being built. We discuss the experiences of a team using these tools and techniques in a large commercial project, and the lessons learned from the experience.