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Browser-Based, Client-Side, Functional Testing & Validation,
Load & Performance Tuning, Page Timing, Website Analysis,
and Rich Internet Application Monitoring.

eValid -- Collecting Performance Data Via Null Playback
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Introduction
This page describes how to use eValid in a non-standard way to collect detailed user performance statistics.

Background
In normal operation eValid records state changes in a way that permits those script entries to drive eValid to replicate the state changes. At playback time, eValid collects statistics in the Event Log about how that playback behaved.

In some situations the requirement is the opposite: to collect statistics about the playback activity without having a recording. This note describes how to do this outside the normal eValid operating modes.

Solution Outline
The solution is to use the eValid playback engine with a playback script that does nothing. If you are an experienced eValid user you'll recognize the message eValid gives you in the message bar at the bottom of the browser: "Playback in Progress; do not interact with the browser." This message is there because the eValid browser is "live" during playback, and extra inputs from the user would interfere with the normal browser behavior.

Here is the playback script that is used to allow eValid to collect playback time statistics on what the user does by disregarding the above message.

# Recording by eValid(TM)
# Copyright © 2010 by Software Research, Inc. 
# Recording made on: Microsoft Windows XP Service Pack 2 (IE 6.0.2900.2180), HostName "sudan"
# 
ProjectID "Project"
GroupID "Group"
TestID "test"
LogID "AUTO"

ScreenSize 1280 1024
FontSize 0
DeleteCache
DeleteCookies

# This command was edited into the script, to cause a delay 
# so activity could be recorded...
Delay 30000000

# Another way to do this might be to wait until 23:00 hours...
WaitHH 23

In playback this script will set the screen size and font size parameters, delete everything in the cache and delete all of the cookies and then process a Delay command. The Delay 30000000 (30,000 seconds) command will cause the eValid playback engine to start ticking off 30,000 seconds.

While it is doing this the eValid browser remains fully active, and any events you feed into it cause updates to the current eValid EventLog. If you have the eValid Detailed Timings option turned on, then detailed timing values will also be revealed in the EventLog.

Additional Notes