eValid™ -- The Web Quality Suite Browser-Based Client-Side Functional Testing and Validation Page Timing/Tuning Transaction Monitoring. WebSite Spidering & Analysis and Realistic Server Loading.

Introduction
The page describes an available version of eValid that is implemented with the EPI Interface that can be used in a "service" role. In effect, the eValid scripting language is "exposed" in a way that allows internal detailed operation by the user. In this mode eValid becomes an effective directly-controllable full-featured browser.

Outline of Operation
The goal of this "service" type interface is to make it possible to treat an instance (or instances) of eValid in a highly interactive way, such that the operations by eValid appear to be a "service" function.

Here are the basic architectural features of this special EPI executable:

1. Create a new eValid session, using standard setup as specified by a locally defined eValid Profile.
2. Execute script commands (or script command sequences) when they are copied into a local buffer file.
3. Read the current eValid EventLog from a defined local file.
4. Close the eValid session.

Detailed Description
For each of these basic steps here is a detailed explanation:

• Creating Session
  The input parameter for this special eValid-Service executable include the following information:
  • Name of the profile to be used for the session. These profiles are created with eValid in the normal way. The same starting profile applies for the entire session, except that the PlayValue Command can be used to modify certain playback time values.
  • Name of the local file that is polled (see below) for script (script fragment) contents. The polling rate is a session time parameter, expressed as the number of milliseconds to wait before re-reading the input file area.
  • Name of the local file into which EventLog output is written.

  Provided that non-overlapping names are used, so that each created session is independent of any other sessions extant, the the number of sessions is limited only by hardware limits.

• Executing Scripts
  The working assumption here is that some other actor is in charge of issuing scripts, which can be ≥ 1 command, and can be chained by postpending additional scripts (script fragments) into the input file area..

  Once one script is finished the controlled eValid instance continues to poll the input are until a ExitNow command is encountered.

  Depending on the need, the complete script language or only a subset of commands may be recognized. Non-recognized commands would be ignored.

• Collecting Outputs
  The normal route for EPI EventLog output is the "standard output" of the invoking process, and this stream of data in the case of the EPI-Service executable

• Closing Session
  The session closes when the ExitNow command causes the controlled eValid browser to cease operation. Its complete return code causes eValid to close.

Commands Supported
The actual interface supports essentially all of the available eValid commands that support function and regression testing. but some commands -- e.g. those involved with server loading and with site analysis -- are not available through this interface. Supported Commands shows the complete list of commands supported by the EPI interface.

Delivery & Licensing
This interface is available in two forms:

• Command line invocations: a set of executables that set up the eValid instance and establish all of the files involved.

• A Windows .Net-style API DLL which incorporates the functions described above.

The standard EPI license feature is required.