FAQ

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: What is a "visual test suite"?

A: This is a term we use to describe a tool that interacts with its test subject via on-screen visual cues - i.e. bitmap pattern matching. This mechanism drives logic, is used to make decisions, and guides test flow. This contrasts with other test suites which are API-driven and rely on tight synchronization with the software itself, in this case Firefox. Iris knows nothing about Firefox's underlying code and APIs. It only manipulates it in the ways that a typical Firefox user would.

Q: Does Iris have a CI test environment?

A: Currently, no. Because Iris uses a virtual screen and keyboard, this has proven to be a challenge with virtualized environments. We are actively working towards solving this problem, but we do not currently have a solution in place.

Q: Why is Python written in Python 2 and not Python 3?

A: The first iteration of this project was written on top of Sikuli's Jython API library, which only supported Python 2. A future version of Iris will be rewritten in Python 3.

Q: Can I use Iris to test other web browsers? Or other pieces of software?

A: While the underlying logic that drives Iris could be separated and used to build something like this, it was not built with that in mind. It is a Firefox test tool.