Is load testing possible using WinRunner? Does WinRunner help you in web testing?

Winrunner, apart from just serving as a test automation tool has also proved itself to be quite an effective tool for load testing. However, the winrunner can function as a load testing tool only at the level of the graphical user interface layer.  

Why it is so?

- This is so because at this level only the record and play back options are possible as if they are being carried out by a real world human user. 

How is load testing possible using WinRunner?

- The loadrunner counterpart of the winrunner is the proper load testing tool but sometimes winrunner is also used as one in addition to it. 

- Firstly, a user session such as a web browsing session is simulated. 

- The user actions taking place are recorded by the winrunner and are used for load testing. 

- No action is taken at the protocol layer by the wirnunner except recording and playing back of the events and all this seems as if some invisible real world human user is performing all these actions. 

- For the winrunner to perform load testing, it is required to give the control of the pc to it so that it can execute the previously recorded test scripts. 

- But at the same time a load test cannot be run in winrunner as a means of load generation. 

- The number of PCs required is directly proportional to the load that has to be given to the software system or application. 

- In spite of this disadvantage the winrunner will always be valued as a good load testing technology which provides the only means for the determination of the actual user response time. 

- The actual user response it calculates is inclusive of the processing that takes place on the side of the client hardware.

How WinRunner helps you in web testing?

- The context sensitive operations on the web (HTML) objects present in the web site can be recorded and run by the winrunner when it is loaded among with the web test add- in support. 

- This works if the web site in the browsers such as the internet explorer and Netscape. 

- With the help of the web test add- in, the properties of the web objects can be viewed and the information regarding the web objects present in the web site can be retrieved. 

- The check points can be created on the web objects present in the web site for the testing of the functionality of the web site. 

- Apart from internet explorer and netscape, the web browser AOL can be used for running tests and recording the objects in the web site but cannot be run or recorded on the following web browser elements:

1. Back button
2. Forward buttons
3. Navigate buttons and so on.

- When the tests are created using the web test add- in the below mentioned objects are recognized by the winrunner:

1. Text links
2. Frames
3. Images
4. Web form objects
5. Tables and so on.

- Different properties are possessed by every object. 

- These properties form a key aspect in the following tasks:

1. identification of the objects
2. Retrieval and checking of the property values.
3. Performing web functions.

- All the above three tasks ensure that your web site is working perfectly or not. 

- You should take care that you start the winrunner with the web test add- in loaded in before you open your web browser to start the web testing. 

- The recorded tab of the GUI spy can be used for viewing the properties and values of the properties that were recorded by the winrunner for the selected GUI objects.

- This is how the winrunner makes it possible to do the web testing.