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Test Execution Specialist Guide
This guide describes how to automate the playback of the tests by using different methods such as Docker, IBM® Cloud Private, Jenkins and so on. The test results can be pushed to Rational® Test Control Panel.
Running tests from Functional Test perspective
In this section, you will learn how to play back tests from the Functional Test perspective.
Running scripts
When you play back a script, Rational® Functional Tester replays your recorded actions, which automates the software testing cycle.

Test Execution Specialist Guide
This guide describes how to automate the playback of the tests by using different methods such as Docker, IBM® Cloud Private, Jenkins and so on. The test results can be pushed to Rational® Test Control Panel.
- Running tests from UI Test perspective
  In this section, you will learn how to play back the Web UI, mobile and Windows tests from the UI Test perspective.
- Running tests from Functional Test perspective
  In this section, you will learn how to play back tests from the Functional Test perspective.
  - Running scripts
    When you play back a script, Rational® Functional Tester replays your recorded actions, which automates the software testing cycle.
    - Test development phase
      In the Test Development Phase, you play back scripts to verify that they work as intended, using the same version of the application-under-test that you used to record. This phase validates the expected behavior of the application.
    - Regression testing phase
      When you have a baseline of expected behavior for your application-under-test, you can automate regression testing for subsequent builds.
  - Restoring the test environment before playback
    The state of both the environment and the application-under-test can affect script playback. If the recorded environment and the playback environment are different, playback problems can occur.
  - Configuring how to handle unexpected windows during playback
    Problems can occur during script playback if unexpected windows are displayed. Unexpected windows such as security and warning message dialog boxes or custom dialog boxes can cause playback failure with exceptions such as object not found or window not activated. You can configure how unexpected windows can be handled so that scripts can be played back smoothly without interruption.
  - Inserting dynamic test objects
    You can also insert dynamic test objects by using Insert Dynamic Test Object. The hierarchy of a test object in the object map represents the order of search of the particular control during playback. Over a series of application changes, the hierarchy of the objects may change if new objects are introduced in the test application. This results in a playback failure. Using dynamic test objects you can anchor a test object as a descendant to its parent.
  - Enabling the dynamic find feature
    The test object map lists in a hierarchy the test objects in the application under test. Changes to the application-under-test might result in changes in the object hierarchy. During playback, Rational® Functional Tester is then unable to find an object whose hierarchical position has changed, and this causes playback failure. With the dynamic find feature you can prevent playback failure that results from hierarchy changes in the application under test. The dynamic find feature performs searches for objects whose hierarchy has changed, when a search that is based on object recognition scoring (ScriptAssure) fails to find such objects.
  - Using ScriptAssure
    Using ScriptAssure™, you can play back scripts successfully even when the application-under-test has been updated.
  - Ambiguous object recognition in functional testing
    Ambiguous recognition occurs when Rational® Functional Tester can not uniquely identify an object in the system-under-test. This commonly happens when Rational Functional Tester cannot differentiate between an instance of the application-under-test started by a script playback and an instance of the same application inadvertently left open previous to script playback. This also applies to identical windows from one application and identical HTML documents. Ambiguous recognition will cause script playback failure unless the duplicate application is closed.
  - Playback Monitor
    During playback you can view the script name, the number of the line that is executing, status icons, and a description of the action in progress from the Playback Monitor.
  - Pausing or stopping script playback
    Playback of a script can be paused or stopped.
  - Running a script from Rational® Functional Tester
    When you run a script from Rational® Functional Tester, it plays back all of your recorded actions, such as starting an application, the actions you take in the application, verification points, and stopping the application.
  - Running Functional tests for HTML applications by using the Web UI extension
    When you want to run Functional tests for HTML applications in browsers without enabling the browsers and Java environments, you can do so by using the Web UI extension.
  - Running a script from the Microsoft™ Edge browser
    You can use IBM® Rational® Functional Tester to play back test scripts using the Microsoft™ Edge browser.
  - Debugging scripts
    You can use the same process to debug a Functional Test script as you would to debug other Visual Basic or Java™ applications. If you prefer, in Rational® Functional Tester, Eclipse Integration, you can debug your script in the Rational Functional Tester Debug Perspective which makes it easier to start the debugger that comes with the Java Development Toolkit.
  - Screen snapshot on playback failure of functional tests
    If playback of a script causes an exception to be thrown, Rational® Functional Tester takes a screen snapshot at the time of the failure. The screen snapshot is accessible through the log.

Running scripts

When you play back a script, Rational® Functional Tester replays your recorded actions, which automates the software testing cycle.

Such automation allows you to test each new build of your application faster and more thoroughly than by manual testing, reducing testing time and increasing both coverage and overall consistency.

There are two general phases of script playback:

In the Test Development Phase you play back scripts to verify that they work as intended, using the same version of the application-under-test that you used to record. This phase validates the expected behavior for the application.

In the Regression Testing Phase you play back scripts to compare the latest build of the application to the baseline established during the test development phase. Regression testing identifies differences that may have been introduced since the last build. You can evaluate these differences to determine whether they are defects or changes.

Note:

You can run a script for these purposes:

To play back a script locally from Rational® Functional Tester or from Engineering Test Management.
To play back a script remotely on different computers and platforms from Engineering Test Management.
To play back a script to verify that it works on different Java™ environments or browsers.
To debug a script.

You can use Rational® Functional Tester plug-in for UrbanCode™ Deploy to continuously initiate the launch of functional tests.