Patent US 8,990,774

Methods and apparatus in a computer for automatically testing computer programs involve opening a predefined graphical user interface (GUI) on a screen of the computer; loading a set of program script instructions from a script database in communication with the computer that is associated with the predefined GUI; reading a loaded set of program script instructions; retrieving, based on the loaded set, data and at least one image object corresponding to the predefined GUI from a data and image object database in communication with the computer; taking a screenshot of the predefined GUI that includes at least one image object of the predefined GUI; determining whether an image object in the screen shot matches an image object retrieved from the data and object image database; and if a target position on the screen of the matching image object based on data retrieved from the data and image object database, and activating a control function adapted to control the predefined GUI based on the loaded set of program script instructions and the target position.