Test Implementation Tools
Tools Listed Elsewhere
These tools are listed in a different category, but also offer features that are relevant for this page.
Rational Purify
- Kind of Tool
- Run-time Error Detection Tool
- Organization
-
IBM Rational Software
http://www.ibm.com/software/awdtools/purify/
- Software Description
- Rational Purify is a powerful run-time error checking and memory leak detection tool. It combines comprehensive run-time error checking with an easy-to-use graphical interface. Purify helps users identify execution errors and memory leaks everywhere they occur within an application including source code, system or third party DLL's, COM components and Active X controls. Developers can eliminate run-time problems in all parts of their applications and deliver more reliable applications faster.
- Platforms
- UNIX, Windows
Listing Updated June 7, 1999
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dmalloc
- Kind of Tool
- Debugging malloc (freeware)
- Organization
- Gray Watson
http://dmalloc.com/
- Software Description
- The debug memory allocation or dmalloc library has been designed as a drop in replacement for the system's malloc, realloc, calloc, free and other memory management routines while providing powerful debugging facilities configurable at runtime. These facilities include such things as memory-leak tracking, fence-post write detection, file/line number reporting, and general logging of statistics.
- Platforms
- AIX, BSD/OS, DG/UX, Free/Net/ OpenBSD, GNU/Hurd, HPUX, Irix, Linux, MS-DOS, NeXT, OSF, SCO, Solaris, SunOS, Ultrix, Unixware, Windows, Unicos
Entry updated March 15, 2002.
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BoundsChecker
- Kind of Tool
- Bounds and memory leak detector
- Organization
-
Compuware Corporation
http://www.compuware.com/products/devpartner/bounds.htm
- Software Description
- BoundsChecker detects invalid Windows API parameters, invalid Windows API return codes, invalid ANSI C parameters, invalid ANSI C return codes, memory leaks, resource leaks, dynamic memory overruns, stack memory overruns, data and heap corruptions, memory locking problems, null pointer manipulation, and processor faults.
- Platforms:
- Windows
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ZeroFault
- Kind of Tool
- ZeroFault is the next generation in active memory analysis tools.
- Organization
-
The ZeroFault Group, LLC.
http://www.zerofault.com/
- Software Description
- ZeroFault is the next generation in active memory analysis tools. Using patent pending technology, ZeroFault detects and reports run-time memory problems before they become expensive. ZeroFault works on any AIX executable without recompilation, or relinking. Download a free evaluation copy today and try it on /bin/vi or any other program.
- Platforms
- RISC/6000 AIX versions 3.2.x,4.1.x,4.2
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HeapAgent
- Kind of Tool
- Memory error detection, including leaks, overwrites, invalid references
- Organization
-
MicroQuill Software Publishing
http://www.microquill.com/
- Software Description
- HeapAgent is an interactive memory error debugging tool. Detects a broad range of heap and stack errors and reports more error information than any other tool. Includes tools for browsing live heap information to diagnose the cause of errors. No relinking/recompiling, works with debuggers, and causes minimal runtime slowdowns.
- Platforms
- Windows 2003 Server, Windows XP, Win 2000, NT 3.x and NT 4.0/Windows 95 and Windows 98
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EXDIFF
- Kind of Tool
- Extended Differencing Tool
- Organization
-
Software Research, Inc.
http://www.soft.com/TestWorks/
- Software Description
- EXDIFF is the extended file differencing system which operates as a stand-alone product or as part of the fully integrated TestWorks/Regression multi-platform suite of testing tools. EXDIFF extends commonly available file-comparison utilities by comparing files of various logical structures. This includes not only ASCII and binary files, but also bitmap image files saved either with TestWorks/Regression's capture/playback system, CAPBAK, or the standard X Window Dump utility (xwd). Used in conjunction with its TestWorks/Regression companion tools CAPBAK and SMARTS, the testing process is completely automated.
- Platforms
- SPARC SunOS 4.1.3; SPARC Solaris 2.3, 2.4, 2.5, 2.5.1, 2.6; x86 Solaris 2.4, 2.5; RS-6000/AIX 3.2.5, 4.1.2, 4.2; HP-9000/7xx HP-UX 9.05, 10.10; HP-9000/8xx HP-UX 9.04, 10.01, 10.10; x86 SCO/ODT 2.0, 5.0(3.0); SGI Irix 5.3, 6.2; DEC-Alpha OSF1 3.2, 4.0; NCR 3000; SCO/UnixWare 2.1.1; DOS; MS-Windows 3.x/95/98/NT/2000
Entry updated October 23, 2003.
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Aprobe
- Kind of Tool
- Dynamic Debugger
- Organization
-
OC Systems
http://www.ocsystems.com/
- Software Description
- Aprobe is a testing/debugging tool that collects and analyzes data by instrumenting the executable - no waiting for special builds. Its probes, written in C, are non-intrusive and work on third party code. Uses of Aprobe include testing and integration, debugging, fault injection, performance tuning, requirements verification, and software maintenance.
- Platforms
- AIX, NT, and SUN Solaris
Entry added August 25, 1999.
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FREstimate
- Kind of Tool
- Software reliability prediction tool
- Organization
-
SoftRel
http://www.softrel.com/
Entry added March 21, 2001.
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WhenToStop
- Kind of Tool
- Software reliability measurement tool, a component of Frestimate
- Organization
-
SoftRel
http://www.softrel.com/prod02.htm
Entry added March 21, 2001.
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Inuse
- Kind of Tool
- A graphical tool that helps prevent several common memory problems by displaying and animating in real time the memory allocations performed by an application. An Insure++ add-on.
- Organization
-
ParaSoft Corporation
http://www.parasoft.com/jsp/products/home.jsp?product=Inuse
Entry added April 4, 2001.
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mpatrol
- Kind of Tool
- malloc debugging library (freeware)
- Organization
- Graeme Roy
E-mail:
http://mpatrol.sourceforge.net/
- Software Description
- The mpatrol library can be used to diagnose heap errors and locate memory leaks. It is freely distributable under the GNU General Public License and comes with full source code and comprehensive documentation.
- Platforms
- Various UNIX, Windows, AmigaOS
Entry added April 27, 2001.
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MDBDiff
- Kind of Tool
- Access database structural comparison tool (freeware)
- Organization
- Pierce Business Systems
http://web.archive.org/web/20020804041013/jupiter.drw.net/matpie/PBSystems/products/retired/MDBDiff.html
- Software Description
-
MDBDiff is a tool designed to quickly locate structural differences between two Microsoft Access databases (*.mdb files). The comparison is made on the following objects: tables, fields, indexes, relations, and queries. The structural differences analyzed include: changes, additions, and deletions of objects and properties of those objects. The user follows the intuitive wizard-like interface to select two Access databases to compare, enters any necessary security logon information, select the objects to compare, then selects an output type and location for the report that is built. Users can save settings to a text file for auto execution via command line.
Note: Pierce Business Systems is no longer in business, but the two versions of the tool are still available from the archive.org URL above.
- Platforms
- Windows (running Microsoft Access 97 or Access 2000)
Entry updated August 27, 2007.
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- Kind of Tool
- Automated token-by-token text and binary file comparison utility
- Organization
-
DateWise, Ltd.
http://www.datewise.com/mt/
- Software Description
-
Patented file comparison utility designed for both binary and text files with expected differences without requiring detailed file specification. Current versions support combinations of ASCII, EBCDIC, big endian, and little endian files. Automatically compares report files with varied dates/formats in the header (ignoring expected differences in the dates, while flagging unexpected differences, even in the heading dates), compares executables ignoring timestamps embedded by the compiling/linking process (telling the user what values were found for the timestamps within the files), etc.
DateWise's unique technique calculates the difference between two files, telling the user if the files matched and what the difference was between the files or where any unresolvable differences are located, just by providing the names of the two files. Furthermore, this tool does not require explicit delimiters (such as spaces or punctuation) to appear around the words or tokens contained in the text or binary files (unlike competitive word-by-word comparison utilities). The powerful technique is not a "silver bullet" because it uses a publicly known technology for producing its results (Patent No. 6,236,993 covers the technology the tool is based on. Other patents are pending.).
- Platforms
- Currently: MS-DOS, Windows, HP-UX, Solaris, and OS/390, but the tool was written in ANSI-C for portability to other platforms and we are willing to port it elsewhere.
Entry added June 18, 2001.
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- Kind of Tool
- Monitor changes made by install programs
- Organization
-
PC Magazine
http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,4149,25126,00.asp
- Software Description
- InCtrl5 is the fifth incarnation of one of PC Magazine's most popular utilities. By monitoring the changes made to your system when you install new software, it enables you to troubleshoot any unexpected problems that come up. Virtually every modern program uses an install utility that installs or updates files, and also may record data in the Registry, and update .ini files or other essential text files. A companion uninstall utility should precisely reverse the effects of the install utility. When a newly installed program causes existing applications to fail, or when the supplied uninstall utility can't complete its task, to restore your system you need a record of exactly what the original install utility did. InCtrl5 can provide this record.
- Platforms
- Windows 9x, NT, 2000, or Me
Entry update May 16, 2003.
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fakesmtpd
- Kind of Tool
- A Fake SMTP Daemon Written in Perl (freeware)
- Organization
- Jera Design
E-mail:
http://www.jera.com/
- Software Description
-
Ever written an application that has to send mail? Ever try to debug it? Either you stub out the actual mail code, and risk not testing your system end-to-end, or you end up sending lots of email.
I wrote fakesmtpd to provide another alternative. Simply have your application use 'localhost' (127.0.0.1) as its SMTP server, and run fakesmtpd from a command line in another window on your system. When you send a message, fakesmtpd will receive it, just like a real SMTP server, but instead of sending the message, will just echo it to standard out. It also echoes all the steps in the SMTP protocol, so you can use it to debug your mail-sending code.
Distrubuted under the Perl Artistic License. See http://www.jera.com/tools/fakesmtpd/.
- Platforms
- Perl 5 required
Entry updated February 24, 2002.
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SSW Data Renovator 2000
- Kind of Tool
- Database Tool
- Organization
-
Superior Software for Windows Pty Ltd
http://www.ssw.com.au/
- Software Description
-
Compare and update Access database backends with SSW Data Renovator
If you've got client backend mdb files that are out of sync with the master version, let SSW Data Renovator generate difference reports for you to make the changes manually. Or step through the wizard and the data will be automatically moved into the new structure. Once in sync, use SSW Data PRO! to keep them that way.
- Platforms
- Windows 98, ME, NT 4.0, 2000 or XP
Entry updated June 4, 2002.
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SSW Data Renovator 97
- Kind of Tool
- Database Tool
- Organization
-
Superior Software for Windows Pty Ltd
http://www.ssw.com.au/
- Software Description
-
Compare and update Access database backends with SSW Data Renovator
If youve got client backend mdb files that are out of sync with the master version, let SSW Data Renovator generate difference reports for you to make the changes manually. Or step through the wizard and the data will be automatically moved into the new structure. Once in sync, use SSW Data PRO! to keep them that way.
- Platforms
- Windows 98, ME, NT 4.0, 2000 or XP
Entry updated June 4, 2002.
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Memory Validator
- Kind of Tool
- Automatic Memory Leak and Resource Leak Detector
- Organization
-
Software Verification Limited
http://softwareverify.com/
- Software Description
-
Memory Validator allows the detection of memory leaks in any C/C++ application running on Windows NT 4.0 or better. Memory Validator detects memory leaks, memory corruptions, uninitialised memory and memory buffer overflow errors. Memory Validator detects handle leaks. Memory Validator allows you to track COM object AddRef/Release and custom memory allocators. Memory Validator allows you to detect allocation and deallocation hotspots, perform complicated queries on the allocation history of the application, detect memory 'sandbars', view virtual memory graphically, view current object list. Support for performing regression tests with the output as HTML or XML is also present. Memory Validator can be extended via extension DLLs.
Most options in Memory Validator can be enabled/disabled, giving the user more control over how the tool works.
30 day trial evaluation is available from the website. Memory Validator is not freeware or shareware.
- Platforms
- Windows NT 4.0, Windows 2000, Windows XP
Entry updated June 19, 2002.
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Expect
- Kind of Tool
- scripting language, based on tcl (freeware)
- Organization
- http://expect.nist.gov/
- Software Description
- Expect is a tool for automating interactive applications such as telnet, ftp, passwd, fsck, rlogin, tip, etc. Expect is also useful for testing these same applications. And by adding Tk, you can also wrap interactive applications in X11 GUIs.
- Platforms
- Unix, Windows NT.
Entry added June 17, 1998.
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MITS.Comm
- Kind of Tool
- MITS.Comm is a simulation tool which replaces third-party interfaces for development and regression testing.
- Organization
-
Omsphere
http://www.omsphere.com/
- Software Description
- MITS.Comm is another unique test tool (that can be used in development and production), which simulates third party systems over any type of interface. It can simulate the context-sensitive responses that come back from Equifax, for example, when testing an application that does a credit check. Or it can simulate the connections to the telemetry and cryptologic systems on a communications satellite, so that the software can be tested while the interface hardware is waiting to be built to spec.
- Platforms
- PC/Win95/98/NT
Entry updated December 4, 2002.
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transistor radio
- Kind of Tool
- CPU monitor
- Organization
- available from many different vendors
- Software Description
-
You can use a cheap transistor radio to monitor the activity of your CPU. Put the radio's antenna near your CPU and try various unused AM frequencies until you hear a steady pattern of clicks that change in correlation to your CPU's activity. This will serve as a rudimentary CPU monitor that will give you clues about what the computer is doing while you're running tests. FM frequencies may also work.
This technique is documented in "The Audio Monitor" chapter of the out-of-print book The Frozen Keyboard by Boris Beizer, and also mentioned briefly in the article "Boost Your Testing Super Powers" by James Bach.
- Platforms
- Works on many different platforms.
Entry updated May 13, 2003.
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Valgrind
- Kind of Tool
- Memory debugger for x86-GNU/Linux (freeware)
- Organization
- http://valgrind.org/
- Software Description
- Valgrind is a GPL'd system for debugging and profiling x86-Linux programs. With the tools that come with Valgrind, you can automatically detect many memory management and threading bugs, avoiding hours of frustrating bug-hunting, making your programs more stable. You can also perform detailed profiling to help speed up your programs.
- Platforms
- Linux/Intel
Entry updated October 28, 2004.
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MessageMagic
- Kind of Tool
- MessageMagic is a solution for testing embedded software components (processes, subsystems, etc)
- Organization
-
Elvior Ltd
http://messagemagic.elvior.ee/
- Software Description
- MessageMagic is a high-end testing system for embedded applications that use communications. Containing a set of powerful tools for simulation, stimulation and visualization, MessageMagic can be used in all phases, from the earliest, when target hardware doesn't exist, all the way through to integration testing.
- Platforms
- Windows NT 4.0, Windows 2000 Professional, Windows XP Professional
Entry updated August 25, 2003.
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Camtasia
- Kind of Tool
- Video Screen Recorder Software
- Organization
-
TechSmith Corporation
http://www.techsmith.com/
- Software Description
- Easily capture and share anything on your screen. Images, text, objects, and more. Capture anything displayed on your screen as an image, text, or video. Even capture scrolling pages and images from program files, digital cameras, and scanners. SnagIt automatically sends the capture to the printer, saves it as a file, uploads it to a website, and more! Automate all of your repetitive screen capture tasks. Organize and professionally edit your captures with Catalog Browser and SnagIt Studio, included in this suite of imaging tools.
- Platforms
- Win95/98/Me/NT/2000/XP
Entry added January 31, 2002.
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SnagIt
- Kind of Tool
- Screen Capture Software
- Organization
-
TechSmith Corporation
http://www.techsmith.com/
- Software Description
- Easily capture and share anything on your screen. Images, text, objects, and more! Capture anything displayed on your screen as an image, text, or video. Even capture scrolling pages and images from program files, digital cameras, and scanners. SnagIt automatically sends the capture to the printer, saves it as a file, uploads it to a website, and more! Automate all of your repetitive screen capture tasks. Organize and professionally edit your captures with Catalog Browser and SnagIt Studio, included in this suite of imaging tools.
- Platforms
- Win95/98/Me/NT/2000/XP
Entry updated January 31, 2002.
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BB TestAssistant
- Kind of Tool
- Screen recorder for making movie bug reports.
- Organization
-
Blueberry Software
http://bbconsult.co.uk/
- Software Description
- BB TestAssistant is a screen recording program aimed at those who test software, systems or websites. It records video, sound, keystrokes and mouse activity on the target PC, making it into a movie that's easy to view and distribute. Just start recording and carry on testing; when you find a bug just click 'Stop' to create a movie that's ready to send to the development team. BB TestAssistant can also catch severe Windows application errors automatically. Radical new technology means BB TestAssistant makes perfect recordings with minimal impact on PC performance. Custom compression engine means compact movies, perfect for emailing. A movie is a quicker and clearer way to communicate issues to the development team than trying to explain the problem in words or using static screenshots. Improve communications by showing developers exactly what happened and boost tester effectiveness by catching intermittent bugs.
- Platforms
- Windows 98/Me/NT/2000/XP/2003
Entry updated March 31, 2005.
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vSIM
- Kind of Tool
- simulation, behavior modeling of interfaces
- Organization
-
veriSMART Software
http://www.verismartsoftware.com/
- Software Description
- vSIM is a very unique test technology that sits between systems and learns the behavior of the message traffic...(NOT a record/replay, but an intelligent engine). It then uses this knowledge base to discover, configure, simulate, test, and monitor applications and/or devices on a network. The result is a capability to develop, test, and deploy systems without all of the components being available.
- Platforms
- Sits on a Windows platform, but can be used with any protocol, message structure, or any other application in any other system with any other operating system.
Entry updated July 19, 2005.
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LISA Continuous Validation Service
- Kind of Tool
- The "Always On" build time, runtime, and change time quality governance and certification platform for SOA
- Organization
-
iTKO, Inc.
http://www.itko.com/site/products/lisa/continuous_validation.jsp
- Software Description
- LISA Continuous Validation Service (LISA CVS) orchestrates the testing and validation aspects of SOA Governance, to ensure reliability and instill trust throughout the lifecycle of the application. Making a change to one part of an application in a build, or adding a new service consumer, can create a "ripple effect" of unintended consequences throughout the application. Therefore, LISA conducts live regression, functional and performance monitoring of critical business workflows on a continuous basis, providing an actionable way to enforce that expected business Policies are being met.
- Platforms
- Win XP/2000/Me/Vista, Mac OS X, Unix, Linux, Solaris
Entry updated December 11, 2007.
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LISA Virtual Service Environment
- Kind of Tool
- Virtualization for Services and underlying implementations for collaborative testing and development.
- Organization
-
iTKO, Inc.
http://www.itko.com/site/products/lisa/virtual_service.jsp
- Software Description
- The new LISA Virtual Service Environment (LISA VSE) enables both simulation of service assets that are not yet completed, and Emulation of the behaviors of live Services and their underlying implementations, providing a robust solution for increasing collaboration across the entire SOA software delivery lifecycle.
- Platforms
- Win XP/2000/Me/Vista, Mac OSX, Unix, Linux, Solaris
Entry updated December 11, 2007.
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csvdiff
- Kind of Tool
- Compare two csv files with multiple features (freeware)
- Organization
- http://csvdiff.sourceforge.net/
- Software Description
-
csvdiff is a perl script to compare/diff two comma-separated files with each other. The part that is different to standard diff is, that you'll get the number of the record where the difference occours and the field/column which is different. The separator can be set to the value you want it to, not just comma. Also you can to provide a third file which contains the columnnames in one(!) line separated by your separator. If you do so, column names are shown if a difference is found.
csvdiff v1.2 has folowing features: choosable field separator, multiple column key, ignore upper/lower case, trim leading/tailing spaces, fade out selected columns for comparision, sort data before comparing it, ignore empty lines
- Platforms
- Linux, Unix, Windows - everywhere you can run Perl
Entry updated July 5, 2006.
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SQL DB Validator
- Kind of Tool
- Database and cube testing tool.
- Organization
-
C and C Productions
http://www.candcprod.com/
- Software Description
-
Performs database and data cube verification and validation testing. Tests the content of a database extract against its original data store using the specific SQL syntax for each of the data sources.
Tests can be contained in a single file and each test can be configured to connect to different data sources. This allows the user to: 1. Compare the content of a Excel report populated from a cube, against the original content in the database. 2. Compare the content of a data cube with the original database.
Special features:
- Tests can compare data content, date content, or row counts.
- Concurrent test execution ensures tests will run in the shortest possible time. They may also be run sequentially.
- A command line interface allows for integration with most test automation systems.
- A customizable Syntax Highlighting Editor, which can aid in query design, is integrated into the tool.
- Platforms
- WIN2000, WINXP, WIN2003
Entry updated August 31, 2006.
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ACA Capture Pro
- Kind of Tool
- Screen capture software, take screenshot from Windows screen and recording screen actions
- Organization
-
ACASystems
http://www.acasystems.com/en/screencapturepro/
- Software Description
- ACA Capture Pro is Windows screen capture software, it captures screen images, web pages, Flash, icon, menu from your Windows screen even those hard-to-grab DirectX, Direct3D games or video player, records video from screen actions to movie file. With ACA Capture Pro's many features, you can supercharge your Print Screen key and save time and enhance your screen shots.
- Platforms
- WinNT/2000/XP/2003/Vista
Entry updated September 3, 2008.
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TestExplorer
- Kind of Tool
- Software Suite for Manual Testing
- Organization
-
Sirius Software Quality Associates, Inc.
http://testexplorer.com/
- Software Description
- TestExplorer is a suite of software testing tools that brings the power and organization normally found in automated testing tools to the process of manual testing. By using TestExplorer, testers can focus more on testing the application and less on managing the work of manual testing. The process of manual testing becomes more streamlined, more efficient and more accountable, with integrated charter management, defect tracking, analysis and reports.
- Platforms
- Windows NT and higher.
Entry updated February 26, 2007.
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fakemail
- Kind of Tool
- Fake mail server that captures emails as files for acceptance testing.
- Organization
-
Last Craft
http://www.lastcraft.com/fakemail.php
Entry updated March 17, 2009.
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USBTester
- Kind of Tool
- A Software-Only USB Testing Application Tool
- Organization
-
Jungo Ltd
http://www.jungo.com/st/usb_testing.html
- Software Description
-
As USB connectivity became a key feature in all embedded devices, the ability to test and verify USB compliancy during development and integration becomes a major and complex effort, yet a must in order to ensure a successful deployment.
Jungo's USBTester is a software-only USB testing application tool that enables USB developers to quickly validate their USB devices for USB compatibility, Chapter 9 conformance, standard class driver functionality, performance and other relevant parameters.
- Platforms
- USBTester v0.81: Windows XP with Service Pack 2, .NET framework v2.0. NOTE: USBTester may also work with newer versions of Windows but this has not been tested in the current version.
Entry updated December 13, 2006.
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