Mp3 Tag Tools Crashes if the User Performs Actions while the Application is Refreshing

 

Summary

We are going to test Mp3 Tag Tools by selecting a resource intensive process like refreshing and interfering with it. Mp3 Tag Tools v1.2 is GNU GPL free software that can be used for editing ID3 tags. If the user performs an action that writes information (e.g. Write Tags) or opens another directory, while the application is refreshing, it crashes.

Application Description

Mp3 Tag Tools is a GNU GPL free software, a tag editing utility, with several features such as Mass ID3 tagging, Write ID3 tags from Filenames and Rename Files from ID3 tags, and others. (Source: massid3lib.sourceforge.net)

For our test we will focus on the Refresh function. It is used to update the displayed information after the user has made changes inside or outside the application.

Test Design

This example demonstrates the use of Interference Testing. We will start a process and then interrupt it while it is in progress.

First we will need a large number of mp3s, so if you don't have any on your computer, you can use demo.mp3 that comes with Winamp3 and copy it many times. The Refresh function seems to refresh every item in the directory, even if no changes have been made to it. This takes a long time to complete (15 seconds on my system for 640 mp3s). We can use this time to interfere with the refreshing process, by performing actions that require writing to the files (pressing the "Write Tags" button).

The expected result would be that the application will either disable writing to the files or will start refreshing from the beginning if the user writes new information, while it is still refreshing.

Performing the Test

  1. First, we need to open a directory with mp3s. Select File -> Open Directory...

    2.  

  2. Select a directory that has mp3s and click "Open".

    3.  

  3. When all the files are loaded, select View -> Refresh.


  4. Now is the time to interfere with the refreshing process. Press the "Write Tags" button at the bottom of the screen.

Results/Relevance

The application crashes.

Since it takes so long to refresh for large number of mp3s, the users might try to do something with the application while they are waiting.

Unfortunately, most of the available functions cause the application to crash, if they are performed while refreshing (See Similar Tests). This can be very inconvenient for the users.

Similar Tests/Additional Notes

We can try performing actions other than Write Tags. It turns out that the application crashes, if the user changes the directory, or uses some of the functions in the Tools menu, while the application is refreshing.

We can also try repeated refreshing. Press F5 for refresh and hold it. The application crashes again.

Configuration Notes

Testing Mp3 Tag Tools v1.2 on:

Created 09 June 2004 for the CSTER

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