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Test Author Guide
This guide describes how to create test scripts and enhances them by applying different test elements such as dataset, variables, and verification points.
Tests in the Functional Test perspective
When you develop Java, HTML, or Terminal-based applications, you can use HCL DevOps Test UI (Test UI) to create traditional functional tests for these applications. You must first record the tests and then use Test UI to run the tests before you can view the test results.
Preparing the functional test environment
This section describes the tasks you must perform to configure the functional test environment.
Before you record
Before you can start recording functional test scripts, perform the following setup and configuration tasks:

Test Author Guide
This guide describes how to create test scripts and enhances them by applying different test elements such as dataset, variables, and verification points.
- Tests in the UI Test perspective
  When you develop web applications, Windows-based applications, or mobile applications, you can use HCL DevOps Test UI (Test UI) to create functional tests for these applications. You must first record the tests and then use Test UI to run the tests before you can view the test results.
- Tests in the Functional Test perspective
  When you develop Java, HTML, or Terminal-based applications, you can use HCL DevOps Test UI (Test UI) to create traditional functional tests for these applications. You must first record the tests and then use Test UI to run the tests before you can view the test results.
  - Preparing the functional test environment
    This section describes the tasks you must perform to configure the functional test environment.
    - Automatically enabled environment for functional testing
      HCL DevOps Test UI (Test UI) automatically enables the environments for functional testing.
    - Before you record
      Before you can start recording functional test scripts, perform the following setup and configuration tasks:
    - Enabling environments for older Java versions
      You need to enable Java™ environments before you can use HCL DevOps Test UI (Test UI) to test Java applications. Test UI is shipped with a JRE that is automatically enabled during your installation. The JRE is called "Default JRE." To enable other JREs, or if you install a new JRE, you must run the enabler again.
    - Enabling web browsers
      To test the HTML applications in HCL DevOps Test UI (Test UI), you must enable web browsers. You can then record and play back tests by using the browsers that you enabled.
    - Multiwindow support for functional HTML tests
      When you record functional test scripts for HTML applications, HCL DevOps Test UI (Test UI) provides multiwindow support to record actions that you perform on multiple windows of the same browser instance.
    - Preparing for functional testing in the Google Chrome browser
      You can use HCL DevOps Test UI (Test UI) to test HTML applications in the Google Chrome browser. To do this, you must enable the Google Chrome browser and add the Test UI extension for Google Chrome™ to the browser.
    - Enabling the Eclipse non-p2 based applications for functional testing
      If the application under test is a non-p2 Eclipse based application, you can enable the Eclipse platform for functional testing using the Eclipse enabler.
    - Enabling the Eclipse p2- based applications for functional testing
      If the application-under-test is based on p2-based Eclipse, you must enable the Eclipse platform for testing using the Eclipse Software Updates feature.
    - Enabling stand-alone Standard Widget Toolkit applications
      You must enable stand-alone Standard Widget Toolkit (SWT) support before using HCL DevOps Test UI (Test UI) to test SWT applications in the application under test.
    - Configuring applications for testing
      You must configure your Java™, HTML, VB.NET, SAP GUI, or Windows® applications for functional testing by providing the name, path, and other information that HCL DevOps Test UI (Test UI) uses to start and run the application. You use the Application Configuration Tool to configure applications.
    - Configuring browsers for testing
      You need to configure your browsers for HTML testing with HCL DevOps Test UI (Test UI). To configue browsers, you must provide name, path, and other information about the browsers.
    - Browser enablement diagnostic tool
      The Browser Enablement Diagnostic Tool is used to diagnose problems you might have with enabling your browser for HTML testing. The tool will diagnose the enablement problem and report how to solve the problem.
    - Adding references to external resources
      Functional test scripts or projects may refer to or use external resources like the DLLs in .Net IDE or JAR files in Eclipse IDE. To enable the scripts or projects to use these files, you must add references to these files in HCL DevOps Test UI (Test UI).
    - Proxy settings for freeform DataWindow PowerBuilder controls
      In HCL DevOps Test UI (Test UI), from version 8.2.1 onwards, new proxies are available for recording and playback on freeform DataWindow PowerBuilder controls in functional test scripts. By default, in a Test UI 8.2.1 installation, scripts that you recorded using the old proxies can be played back normally but any new scripts that you record will use these new proxies.
    - Setting up the environment for testing AJAX-based web applications
      You can test AJAX-based applications in two different ways; by setting the Auto Trace option to true or by setting the Auto Trace option to false. If you set the Auto Trace option to false, you must use the HCL DevOps Test UI (Test UI) APIs for AJAX in the script by manually inserting them.
    - Enabling AJAX support for a pre-existing script
      The HTML Document control is mapped to GuiTestObject in HCL DevOps Test UI (Test UI) versions prior to 7.0.0.2. The GuiTestObject does not contain any AJAX-related APIs. To use the AJAX-related APIs, the HTML Document control must be mapped to DocumentTestObject.
    - Enabling SAP client and server
      To use HCL DevOps Test UI (Test UI) to test SAP applications, you must enable the SAP client and SAP server.
    - Enabling applications with WebDynPro controls for functional testing
      When you playback functional test scripts to test HTML applications with WebDynPro controls, you may get object not found exception or a weak recognition warning even if the control exists.
    - Enabling SAP support for pre-existing DevOps Test UI projects
      To use the SAP support for a project that was created using the releases of HCL DevOps Test UI (Test UI) version 6, you must add two new templates (one for script headers and one for script helper headers) to the project. You will also need to update the build or reference information for the project.
    - Enabling the GEF application
      You must enable the GEF support before using HCL DevOps Test UI (Test UI) to test GEF objects on the application under test.
    - Enabling response time breakdown
      You can enable response time breakdown to see how much time is spent in each part of the application as the test runs. To collect response time breakdown, the data collection infrastructure must be installed and running on all computers that are used in the distributed application under test.
    - Importing and exporting configuration and customization files
      You can import and export the files in the configuration and customization directories.
    - Setting preferences
      You use the Preferences dialog to customize HCL DevOps Test UI (Test UI) in a number of different areas, such as settings for time options; colors for the Verification Point Editor, the Verification Point Comparator, and the Object Map Editor; highlight color for test objects; operating system; playback; delays; log; playback monitor; ScriptAssure(TM); recorder; recording monitor; and the workbench.
  - Functional test assets
    This section describes the different types of functional test assets that are available in HCL DevOps Test UI (Test UI).
  - Functional test projects
    A functional test project stores application test assets such as scripts, object maps, verification point baseline files, and script templates. You must create a functional test project before you can record scripts.
  - Working with functional test scripts (Windows-only)
    This section describes the process of creating functional test scripts to test your applications.
  - Verification points
    Verification points verify whether an expected behavior occurred during a test playback, or they verify whether there is a change in the state of a control or an object. When you create a verification point, you capture information about a control or an object in the application to establish this information as a baseline for comparison during the playback.
  - Functional tests with external data
    You can use external data to data-drive functional tests. When you data-drive a test, the script uses variables for key application input fields and programs instead of literal values so that you can use external data as you data-drive the application you are testing.
  - Testing terminal-based applications
    Use the HCL DevOps Test UI (Test UI) Terminal-based Applications feature to create test scripts and automate your host-application test cases. You can test host attributes, host field attributes, and screen-flow through a host application. It uses terminal verification points and properties, as well as synchronization code to identify the readiness of terminal for user input.
- Extending the UI Test perspective with custom Java™ code
  You can use custom code to extend the default Web UI testing capabilities. You can write custom Java™ code and call the code from the test. You can also specify that results from the tests that are affected by your custom code to be included in reports.
- Extending the Functional Test perspective
  You can use custom code to extend the default functional testing capabilities. You can write custom code and call the code from the test. You can also specify that results from the tests that are affected by your custom code to be included in reports.
- Extending the functionality in the Visual Studio IDE
  These topics describe various ways that you can customize HCL DevOps Test UI (Test UI) or use the application programming interface (API) to extend Test UI functionality.
- Experimental features
  HCL DevOps Test UI (Test UI) contains a set of pre-releases that enable you to test various experimental features. These experimental features, while still in progress, are introduced early in the release to seek your feedback on its overall functionality and performance. You can play around with these capabilities before they are made available and supported as a general feature in an upcoming release.

Before you record

Before you can start recording functional test scripts, perform the following setup and configuration tasks:

Create a functional test project. For an overview, see the related topic on Functional Test projects.
Note: If you are part of a team, and the team already has a project set up, consider connecting to the existing project, instead of creating a new one. For more information, see the related topic on Connecting to a Functional Test project.
Enable your browsers using the enabler.
HCL DevOps Test UI (Test UI) automatically enables the environments for functional testing. As a result, you can directly record functional test scripts without enabling components manually.
If required, you can manually enable or disable a browser, JRE or Eclipse platform, in the Enable Environments dialog (the enabler).
Configure the application for testing. See Configuring Applications for Testing.