Testing and Validation

Purpose and Scope

This document describes the manual testing and validation approach used in the jsjiit library. The primary testing mechanism is test.html1-92 which provides an interactive HTML interface for validating library functionality against the live JIIT Web Portal API.

This page covers the structure and usage of the testing infrastructure, manual testing workflows, and validation patterns. For information about setting up the local development environment and running the test server, see Local Development Setup. For information about the build verification process before releases, see Build and Release Process.

Sources: test.html1-92 README.md19-96

Testing Infrastructure Overview

The jsjiit library uses a manual testing approach centered around a single HTML file that serves as an interactive test harness. This approach is suitable for the library's nature as a browser-based API wrapper that requires live credentials and interaction with external systems.

Test Harness Architecture

Diagram: Testing infrastructure showing the relationship between test.html, the library source, and the JIIT portal

The test harness imports the library directly from source rather than from the built distribution bundle, enabling rapid iteration during development without requiring a rebuild step after each change.

Sources: test.html17-20 test.html21-89

Test HTML Structure

The test interface consists of three main components:

The module script at test.html17-89 contains:

• ES module import statement for WebPortal and LoginError
• Global main() function attached to window object
• Test code for various API methods (mostly commented out)

Sources: test.html1-92

Manual Testing Workflow

Test Execution Process

Diagram: Sequence of interactions during a typical test session

Sources: test.html21-89 src/wrapper.js168-186

Step-by-Step Testing Process

1. Start Local Server

   ./run_server

   This serves the repository at https://localhost:8000 using HTTPS (required for module imports and CORS).

2. Open Test Page Navigate to https://localhost:8000/test.html in a browser.

3. Enter Credentials Input valid JIIT portal credentials in the form fields at test.html11-14

4. Modify Test Code Edit the main() function at test.html21-89 to uncomment the API methods you want to test.

5. Execute Tests Click the Submit button to run the test code.

6. Inspect Results Open the browser's Developer Console to view:

   • Logged responses from console.log() statements
   • Error messages and stack traces
   • Network requests in the Network tab

Sources: test.html1-92 README.md19-96

Testing API Methods

Authentication Testing

The authentication flow is the foundation for all other tests. The test harness demonstrates proper error handling for login failures:

// From test.html:25-34
try {
  await w.student_login(user.value, pass.value);
} catch (e) {
  if (e instanceof LoginError) {
    console.log("handling login error");
    console.log(e);
    return;
  }
}

Key validation points:

• Login succeeds with valid credentials
• LoginError is thrown for invalid credentials
• Session token is properly stored in w.session
• Session expiry time is correctly calculated

Sources: test.html25-34 src/wrapper.js168-186

Attendance Methods Testing

The test file demonstrates the complete workflow for testing attendance-related methods:

// From test.html:36-42 (commented examples)
const meta = await w.get_attendance_meta()
let sem = meta.semesters[1];
let header = meta.latest_header();
let attendance = await w.get_attendance(header, sem);

Validation checklist:

• AttendanceMeta object contains valid semesters and headers
• latest_semester() and latest_header() methods return appropriate objects
• Attendance response contains studentattendancelist array
• Individual subject attendance data is complete

For detailed daily attendance testing:

// From test.html:44-55
let subjectIndex = 1;
let subjectid = attendance["studentattendancelist"][subjectIndex]["subjectid"];
let subjectcomponentids = [];
// Extract component IDs for L/P/T components
let subjectAttendance = await w.get_subject_daily_attendance(...);

Sources: test.html36-55 src/wrapper.js243-300

Registration and Subject Testing

// From test.html:57-60
let registerdSems = await w.get_registered_semesters();
let latestSem = registerdSems[0];
let registeredSubjects = await w.get_registered_subjects_and_faculties(latestSem);

Validation points:

• get_registered_semesters() returns array of Semester objects
• Each semester has valid registration_id and registration_code
• Registrations object contains valid faculty and subject data

Sources: test.html57-60 src/wrapper.js306-331

Exam Schedule Testing

// From test.html:62-69
let examSems = await w.get_semesters_for_exam_events();
let examEvents = await w.get_exam_events(examSems[0]);
let examSchedule = await w.get_exam_schedule(examEvents[0]);

Validation points:

• Exam events are returned as ExamEvent objects
• Schedule data includes venue and timing information

Sources: test.html62-69 src/wrapper.js337-379

Academic Records Testing

// From test.html:72-78
let gradeCardSems = await w.get_semesters_for_grade_card();
let gradeCard = await w.get_grade_card(gradeCardSems[0]);
let sgpaCgpa = await w.get_sgpa_cgpa();

Validation points:

• Grade card contains complete subject-wise grades
• SGPA/CGPA values are properly formatted numbers
• Historical semester data is accessible

Sources: test.html72-78 src/wrapper.js437-509

Method Testing Coverage Matrix

The following table maps test scenarios to the WebPortal methods being validated:

Sources: test.html21-89 src/wrapper.js1-720

Validation Patterns

Error Handling Validation

The test harness demonstrates proper exception handling patterns:

Diagram: Exception handling flow in test scenarios

Exception types to validate:

Sources: test.html25-34 src/wrapper.js98-157 src/exceptions.js1-60

Response Structure Validation

Each API method returns specific data structures that should be validated:

Attendance Meta Validation:

const meta = await w.get_attendance_meta();
// Validate: meta.semesters is array
// Validate: meta.headers is array
// Validate: meta.latest_semester() returns Semester
// Validate: meta.latest_header() returns AttendanceHeader

Semester Object Validation:

let sem = meta.latest_semester();
// Validate: sem.registration_id exists
// Validate: sem.registration_code exists
// Validate: sem.stynumber exists

Sources: test.html36-42 src/attendance.js1-100

Encryption Payload Validation

Several methods use encrypted payloads via serialize_payload(). To validate encryption is working:

1. Check browser Network tab for POST requests
2. Verify request body is not plain JSON but encrypted string
3. Confirm responses are properly decrypted
4. Validate LocalName header is present in all requests

Methods using encryption:

• student_login() - src/wrapper.js173-181
• get_attendance() - src/wrapper.js265-271
• get_subject_daily_attendance() - src/wrapper.js289-297
• All methods returning domain models

Sources: src/wrapper.js168-186 src/encryption.js1-80

Testing Best Practices

Iterative Testing Approach

1. Test Authentication First: Always verify login works before testing other methods.

2. Comment/Uncomment Test Blocks: The test file uses commented sections to organize different test scenarios. Uncomment only the methods you want to test to reduce console noise.

3. Inspect Network Traffic: Use browser DevTools Network tab to verify:

   • Correct endpoints are being called
   • Request headers include Authorization and LocalName
   • Response status codes are 200
   • No CORS errors occur

4. Verify Console Output: All test code uses console.log() to output results. Check for:

   • Expected data structures
   • Complete response objects
   • No undefined or null values where data is expected

Sources: test.html21-89 src/wrapper.js104-157

Common Validation Scenarios

Testing Feedback Form Submission:

// From test.html:35
await w.fill_feedback_form("EXCELLENT");

This tests the complete feedback workflow:

1. Fetches current semester feedback events
2. Retrieves grid data for subjects
3. Gets questions for each subject
4. Submits ratings for all questions

Valid feedback options are defined in src/feedback.js1-11:

• "UNSATISFIED"
• "SATISFIED"
• "GOOD"
• "VERY_GOOD"
• "EXCELLENT"

Testing File Downloads:

await w.download_marks(semester);

Validates that:

• PDF blob is received
• File download is triggered automatically
• Filename follows pattern marks_{registration_code}.pdf

Sources: test.html35 src/feedback.js1-11 src/wrapper.js400-431 src/wrapper.js577-670

Test Data Considerations

Live API Testing Limitations

The jsjiit library tests against the live JIIT Web Portal API, which has several implications:

Data Availability:

• Semester data varies by academic calendar
• Some endpoints may return empty results outside specific time periods
• Exam schedules are only available before exam events
• Feedback forms have limited availability windows

Authentication Requirements:

• Valid student credentials required for all authenticated methods
• Session tokens expire (typically after 1 hour)
• Re-login required after session expiry

Rate Limiting:

• No explicit rate limits documented, but excessive testing may trigger blocks
• Test responsibly to avoid impacting live portal performance

Sources: src/wrapper.js14-20 src/wrapper.js39-57

Extending Test Coverage

Adding New Test Scenarios

To test a new API method or scenario:

1. Locate the method in wrapper.js: Find the method implementation in src/wrapper.js75-720

2. Add test code to test.html: Insert a new test block in the main() function at test.html21-89

3. Follow existing patterns:

   // Uncomment to test // const result = await w.new_method(); // console.log(result);

4. Document validation criteria: Add console logs to verify expected data structure

5. Test error scenarios: Try invalid inputs to ensure proper exception handling

Sources: test.html21-89 src/wrapper.js75-720

Testing Authenticated Method Decorator

All methods requiring authentication are wrapped with the authenticated() decorator at src/wrapper.js679-686 To validate this:

1. Call an authenticated method without logging in
2. Verify NotLoggedIn exception is thrown
3. Check that the method list at src/wrapper.js692-715 includes the method

Sources: src/wrapper.js679-719

Summary

The jsjiit library uses a manual testing approach centered around test.html1-92 which serves as an interactive test harness for validating API functionality against the live JIIT portal. This approach is appropriate given the library's nature as a browser-based API wrapper requiring real credentials and external system interaction.

Key testing capabilities:

• Direct source import for rapid iteration
• Comprehensive error handling validation
• Manual verification of all API methods
• Real-time inspection via browser DevTools
• Flexible test scenario composition through commented code blocks

For automated build verification and release testing, see Build and Release Process.

Sources: test.html1-92 src/wrapper.js1-720 README.md19-96