Automated testing of application programs from an application program ecosystem

Abstract

Automated testing of application programs from an application program ecosystem is performed. As one example, a server system is disclosed that includes an application program management service residing at and executable by the server system. The application program management service may be configured to identify one or more networked components of a target application program of a plurality of application programs accessible by clients at an application program data store via a communication network. The application program management service may be configured to test the one or more networked components of the target application program, and output an indication of a result of the test of the target application program.

1 . A method for a server system, comprising:
 executing an instance of a target application program to identify one or more networked components of the target application program, the target application program being one of a plurality of application programs accessible at an online storefront of an application program data store from which consumers download application programs to client devices via a communication network;   testing the one or more networked components of the target application program for success responses or error responses;   filtering the plurality of application programs based, at least in part, on a result of the test to obtain a subset of acceptable application programs from the plurality of application programs, each of the acceptable application programs having at least a threshold ratio of success responses relative to error responses;   providing information to client devices via the communication network to cause the client devices to display the online storefront via a graphical user interface that includes a plurality of selectors to download purchase the subset of acceptable application programs to the client devices; and   excluding application programs that were filtered out and not included in the subset of acceptable application programs from being available for download to the client devices from the online storefront.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 adjusting the threshold ratio of success responses relative to error responses for a subject client device based on a user input directed at one or more control elements of the graphical user interface presented at the subject client device.   
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 2 , further comprising:
 responsive to adjusting the threshold ratio of success responses relative to error responses, varying a quantity of the subset of acceptable application programs for download to the subject client device.   
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 3 , wherein varying the quantity of the subset of acceptable application programs includes increasing the quantity of the subset of acceptable application programs toward the plurality of application programs accessible at the online storefront responsive to adjusting the threshold ratio of success responses relative to error responses that decreases the ratio based on the user input. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein providing information to client devices via the communication network to cause the client devices to display the online storefront via the graphical user interface includes providing a health value associated with each application program of the subset of acceptable application programs, the health value based on a threshold ratio of success responses relative to error responses for that application program. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein providing information to client devices via the communication network to cause the client devices to display the online storefront via the graphical user interface includes providing a health value associated with each application program of the plurality of application programs, the health value based on a threshold ratio of success responses relative to error responses for that application program. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein excluding application programs from being available for download to the client devices from the online storefront includes omitting the excluded application programs from the graphical user interface. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein excluding application programs from being available for download to the client devices from the online storefront includes omitting selectors to download the excluded application programs to the client devices from the graphical user interface. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein testing the one or more networked components of the target application program for success responses or error responses includes, for each networked component, traversing or attempting to traverse a hyperlink or application programming interface of the target application program in an attempt to access that networked component of the target application program. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 executing an instance of each application program of the plurality of application programs accessible at the online storefront to identify and test one or more networked components of each application program.   
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 10 , further comprising:
 periodically executing an instance of each application program of the plurality of application programs accessible at the online storefront to identify and test one or more networked components of each application program according to a testing schedule.   
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 periodically executing an instance of the target application program to identify and periodically test one or more networked components of each application program according to a testing schedule; and   updating a health value associated with the target application program based on a result of each periodic test, the health value based on a threshold ratio of success responses relative to error responses for that application program for that periodic test.   
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the graphical user interface includes one or more control elements to provide an ordered list of the plurality of application programs according to an ascending or descending health value in which each application program of the plurality of application programs is associated with a health value that is based on a ratio of success responses relative to error responses for that application program. 
     
     
         14 . A method for a server system, comprising:
 executing an instance of each application program of a plurality of application programs accessible at an online storefront of an application program data store to identify one or more networked components of that application program, the online storefront enabling client devices to download selected application programs of the plurality of application programs over a communication network;   testing the one or more networked components of each application program for success responses or error responses;   assigning a health value to each application programs based, at least in part, on a result of the test of the one or more networked components of that application program;   providing information to client devices via the communication network to cause the client devices to display the online storefront via a graphical user interface that includes the plurality of application programs and the health value associated with each application program of the plurality of application programs;   receiving a user input directed at a control element of the graphical user interface to filter the plurality of application programs based on the health value associated with each application program of the plurality of application programs; and   filtering the plurality of application programs based on the health value associated with each application program at the graphical user interface responsive to the user input.   
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein the graphical user interface further includes a selector associated with each application program of the plurality of application programs, each selector selectable by a user to download that application program to a client device over the communications network. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein filtering the plurality of application programs based on the health value associated with each application program further includes excluding application programs below a health value threshold from being available for download to the client devices from the online storefront.