What is the difference between winrunner and test director?

The winrunner is often confused with the test director. But both of them have considerable differences between them. In this article we shall explore the differences between the winrunner and the test director. We shall list all the differences below:

Difference #1:

The winrunner is an automated testing tool that was developed as a functional testing tool by the HP (hewett Packard) whereas the test director is a test management tool. The former tool tests the software system or application while the latter one manages all those tests that are to be performed.

Difference #2:

The winrunner tool only helps in carrying out the tests on the software systems and applications whereas the test director organizes the whole test process as it name says the “test director” much in the way that a film director directs the shoot of the movie. In some cases the test director has also helped in the creation of the test cases.

Difference #3:

Winrunner is a tool that serves the purpose of the automated testing and is mostly used whenever the testers have to carry out any one of them:

a)   Regression testing or

b)   GUI testing

One plus point of the winrunner is that the testing carried out with its aid is quite efficient, fast and reliable. On the other hand the test director is a web based tool for the purpose of management of the tests. In test director, the management of the following takes place with the use of a centralized data base:

    a)   Requirements documentation

    b)   Specification documentation

    c)   Test plans

    d)   Test cases

    e)   Defect managing and

    f)    Defect tracking etc.

Both are completely different tools that have been developed by the same pioneer mercury interactive.

Difference #4:

One of the fact about winrunner is that it can only create automated test scripts and does not has the ability to handle the already automated test scripts. On the contrary, the test director or TD (as you say) forms a kind of central repository for storing the information related to bugs and their management.

Difference #5:

It won’t be wrong to call the winrunner a regression testing tool or a record and play back tool whereas the test director being a test management tool can even help you in the execution of the pre- automated test scripts through a special environment called test director environment.

Difference #6:

The speciality of the winrunner lies in automation of the scripts whereas the test director excels in the field of defect tracking and management.

Difference #7:

Winrunner is used for the following:

a)   Complex Functional testing

b)   Complex Regression testing and

c)   Automating the test scripts

The test director is used for the following purposes:

         a)   Creating the test plans

         b)   Preparing the test cases

         c)   Executing the test cases

         d)   Generating the bug reports

         e)   Maintaining the test scripts and so on. 

Difference #8:

The winrunner is a testing tool that has eased the complexity which is faced by many of the testers during regression testing. On the other hand the test director is a management tool holds the responsibility for keeping a perfect and clean record of the software testing process right from the requirements phase to the end of the testing phase.

Difference #9:

With the help of winrunner the TSL scripts can be recorded and updated and replayed a number of times as and when required whereas with the aid of the test director one can even run the winrunner as well as loadrunner scripts on a remote computer system.