Using GUI Change Detection for Delta Testing

Current software development processes in the industry are designed to respond to rapid modification or changes in software features. Delta testing is a technique used to check that the identified changes are deliberate and neither compromise existing functionality nor result in introducing new defects. This paper proposes a technique for delta testing at the Graphical User Interface (GUI) level. We employ scriptless testing and state-model inference to automatically detect and visualize GUI changes between different versions of the same application. Our proposed offline change detection algorithm compares two existing GUI state models to detect changes. We present a proof of concept experiment with the open-source application Notepad++, which allows automatic inference and highlights GUI changes. The results show that our technique is a valuable amplification of scriptless testing tools for delta testing.