What is a TestComplete automated testing tool?

The smart bear software has come up with a complete testing solution which aims at providing a platform to the testers on which they can create software tests of high quality. This complete testing solution is popularly known by the name of test complete automated testing tool. This tool allows you to carry out following tasks with the tests:

1. Record the tests
2. Manually script the tests using the keyword operations
3. Automated play back
4. Error logging

Test complete automated testing tool can be used with a number of applications few of which have been mentioned below:

1. Web
2. Windows
3. WPF
4. HTML5
5. Flash
6. Flex
7. Silverlight
8. .NET
9. Java and so on.

- It is used to automate testing such as the functional testing, front-end user interface testing, data base or back end testing and so on. 

- The test complete tool is effectively used for the creation as well as automation of a number of different software test types. 

- The tests can be recorded and playback can be done whenever required. 

- A test being performed manually is recorded and played over and over again in the form of an automated test. 

- The users have the option to modify the recorded tests whenever they want to so as to create new tests and make enhancements to the existing ones by adding use cases to them. 

- The following are the operating systems supported by test complete:

1. Windows 200, XP
2. Server 2003
3. Server 2008
4. Vista
5. Windows 7

- The following are the testing types that can be carried out using the test complete testing tool:

1. GUI or functional testing
2. Regression testing
3. Unit testing
4. Web testing
5. Keyword testing
6. Load testing and functional testing of the web services
7. Distributed testing
8. Manual testing
9. Data driven testing
10. Coverage testing

- It comes with support for the following languages:

1. Jscript
2. VBscript
3. C++ script
4. Delphi script
5. C# script

- The test complete is compatible with both 32 – bit and 64 – bit version of windows applications. 

- The extended support and access is provided for the internal object, their properties and methods for the following applications:

1. .NET: this further includes the following: VB.NET, VCL.NET, Jscript.NET, C#, C# builder, .NET, perl, python etc.
2. Java: this is inclusive of SWT, AWT, WFC and swing etc.
3. WPF
4. Sybase power builder
5. Microsoft fox pro
6. Microsoft access
7. Microsoft InfoPath
8. Web browsers such as Netscape navigator, Mozilla Firefox, internet explorer etc.
9. Visual C++
10. Visual basic
11. C++ builder
12. Delphi
13. Adobe flex
14. Adobe flash
15. Microsoft Silverlight
16. Adobe AIR

- The test complete tool for its uninterrupted efficient performance has received several awards few of which we list below:

1. Software development jolt awards by software development magazine
2. Asp.net pro readers’ choice award
3. Delphi information readers’ choice awards
4. ATI automation honors
5. Windows IT pro editors’ best and community choice award

- The test complete automated software testing tool aims at the identification of all the defects existing in a software system or application. 

- It works on a process that exercises and evaluates a software product’s components through a manual automatic means so that it can be verified whether or not the product satisfies the end users’ requirements. 

- The test complete has been judged based up on factors such as: recording efficiency,

capability of script generation,

data driven testing,

test results reports,

execution speed,

re-usability,

playback of the scripts, 

ease to learn and cost.

How to fix the bitmap that failed to stabilize error?

It may happen that the bitmap might fail to stabilize the error in silk test. It is quite a frequently occurring problem but needs to be addressed seriously. 

Most of the times you might have been asked for or required creating a test case that can be straight-forward put to use in carrying out the bitmap verification. 

You set down to create such a test case and go for the verification of the full window while the recording is in progress. 

During the execution of the test case all of a sudden you get an error as stated below:

“Error: bitmap failed to stabilize”

Finding such an error can even be a nightmare for you and sometimes the whole quality assurance team may fail to think of a solution for this. You won’t even find solution for this in the silk test documentation. 

- There are situations that the bitmap issue might be stated in a described state.

- It is only when there is some instability in the verified windows that is to say that some element of the screen is experiencing frequent changes. 

- In such a situation, the stable copy of the bitmap is captured by the silk test automation tool. 

- If in case it could not get the window tested within a specific time interval, then it generates an exception saying “E _ BITMAP _ NOT _ STABLE”.

- Different approaches to such a situation might be used by the different quality assurance engineers. 

- You need to set the below mentioned options to 0 in the 4test code:

Agent. Set option ( OPT _ BITMAP _ MATCH _ COUNT, 0 )

Agent. Set option ( OPT _ BITMAP _ MATCH _ TIME OUT, 0 )

Agent. Set option ( OPT _ BITMAP _ MATCH _ INTERVAL, 0 )

- Another way of doing this is going to the options menu, then agent, then bitmap and change the required values. 

- Another error occurs while capturing image via the capture bitmap method. 

- In some cases when this method was executed the silk test was observed giving the following error:

“bitmap region size (some coordinate) is not valid”

- In such a case the getrect method can be used for obtaining the coordinates of the bitmap. 

- The getrect method returns the following:

1. X coordinate of the active bitmap
2. Y coordinate of the active bit map
3. Width of the active image
4. Height of the active image

- For capturing an image, one requires two coordinates of the image i.e., (x1, y1) and (x2, y2).

- Here the coordinates correspond as follow:
1. First co-ordinate is for the top left corner of the image whereas

2. The second coordinate points to the right bottom corner of the image. 

- You can even take help of the identify object feature of the silk test workbench for discovering these coordinates. 

- To avoid these errors it is necessary that you fix the screen resolution in the first go itself i.e., using the first script itself using the following function:

Maximize()

- Once this function has been implemented, and then you should go for capturing the screen shot. 

- If this is not done then there are chances that the screen size may keep on changing i.e., it may expand or shrink according to the settings that you made for the previous scripts. 

- This may also cause the coordinates to shift on the screen which may cause the script to capture something else than what was expected. 

- However, the getrect method can return both absolute as well as the relative methods. 

How to run the silk scripts?

Silk test as we know is a test automation tool from the Borland which was launched in the year of 2006. This tool facilitates the automated regression testing and functional testing. However, the credit for the original creation goes to the segue software.

Various clients are offered by the silk test as described below:

1. Silk test classic: This client of the silk test makes use of the domain specific language called “4test” for scripting of the test automation scripts. This language just like the C++ language is an object oriented language. Just like C++ it also makes use of the Object Oriented concepts such as following:

a)   Inheritance

b)   Classes and

c)   objects

2. Silk 4J: This client of the silk test enables one to follow test automation by using java as the scripting language in eclipse.
3. Silk 4 net: This client of the silk test also enables one to follow test automation by using VBScript or sometimes using C# as the scripting language in the visual studio.
4. Silk test work bench: This client of the silk test enables the testers to carry out the automation testing using VB.net as the scripting language as well as on a visual level.

What kind of files a silk script consists?

In this article we are going to see how the execution of the test scripts takes place in silk test.

-  A basic or a typical silk script consists of two files namely:

1. Include file and
2. Script file

- The include file of the silk script is saved with an extension .inc and is particularly for the declaration of the following:

1. Window names
2. Window objects
3. Variables
4. Constants
5. Structures
6. Classes and so on.

- The second file i.e., the script file contributes in writing of the scripts. 

- It is saved by the extension .t and is used for defining of the body of the scripts. 

- Test cases meeting the various test conditions are defined in this script. 

- The two different types of files have been used to maintain the clarity of the code as much as possible. 

- If the include file of the test script does not consists of any of the test cases then the file may be compiled but cannot be executed. 

- If tried for the execution an error will be generated saying that there are no test cases. 

- Only the include file which consists of some test case can be run. 

- Before you run the script always make sure that you make separate declaration for the files:

1. For the declaration of the objects and
2. For creation of the scripts using declaration file.

Steps for running Test Scripts

After the two declarations have been made you should proceed for their compilation. Below we are stating the steps that are to be followed for running the test scripts:

1. Launch the silk test automation tool.
2. Open the script file of the script to be executed.
3. Compile the above script by using the compile option from menu bar.
4. Once the compilation of the file is complete the status of the script can be checked by the progress status.
5. Any errors present in the script will be displayed at the end of the compiling process.
6. Now run the silk scripts by clicking the run option in the menu bar.
7. For running the test scripts you have two options: either you can run all of them at a single stretch or you can run them selectively.
8. If you have opted for the latter option then you need to specify which all tests have to be executed.
9. After selection you can again give the run command. 

Explain advantages of DOM extension over VO extension?

In this article we shall discuss the advantages DOM has over VO. First, we shall discuss about these two silk test browser extensions individually. 

About VO Extension

- VO browser extension is related to the concept of virtual object. 

- An extension is a supplementary add–on component required for carrying out certain tests for web sites and web applications using silk test. 

- This virtual browser extension operates using a technique called the “sophisticated pattern recognition technique”.

- This technique helps in facilitating the object identification process and provides an actual view of the web sites and web applications.

- However, the HTML tags cannot be recognized with the help of this extension. - One thing to be noted is that only the objects present in the web pages can be recognized by the virtual object browser extension. 

- This extension however does not care about the implementation of these objects. 

- Identification of the object is done based up on the following:

1. Control type
2. Caption
3. Associated text
4. Control index
5. Location and
6. Window ID

- This browser extension is one of the methods used by the silk test for object recognition. 

About DOM Extension

- The second method is the Document Object Model and makes use of the DOM browser extension. 

- DOM browser extension is basically used for establishing a direct communication between the web application and web browser.

- The following tasks can be carried out:

1. Recognition of the objects
2. Categorization of the objects and
3. Manipulation of the objects

- The DOM browser extensions works with the HTML code rather than working up on the visual patterns like the virtual browser extension does.

- Firstly, it identifies the browser window of the application which consists of the application that is currently being executed. 

- The object among the other web UI objects is identified based unique HTML elements that represent that particular UI object. 

- This is done by concatenating the following two things:

1. HTML element identification and
2. Browser window identification

- This DOM browser extension is known to operate on the standards laid down by the W3C or world wide web consortium.

- However, till date there are only two browsers which support this extension namely internet explorer 5+ versions and netscape 6. 

- These two web browsers provide the provision to silk test for making direct queries to them.

Advantages of DOM over VO

Now let us see what all advantages DOM has got over the VO browser extension:

1. A rectangle is displayed over the VO or virtual object by the recorder as the recording is carried out by the quality assurance engineer.
2. The text size as well as the actual name of the objects is easily recognized by the DOM extension as compared with the VO browser extension.
3. The DOM extension is not dependent on the text size setting and browser size like the VO browser.
4. DOM extension provides a better support to the border-less tables.
5. More classes and properties are available in DOM extension as compared to the VO browser extension.
6. Using DOM extension, you can maintain a great consistency over the object recognition process.
7. DOM extension is quite fast in working as compared to the slow VO browser extension.
8. One can expect some gain in the playback speed in DOM extension but the same is not possible with the VO browser extension.
9. There is less crashing or freezing events in the recorder with the DOM extension and more in the VO browser extension.
10. In VO browser extension the conversion of scripts is more like a daunting task but this not so with DOM.

What is Segue Testing Methodology?

Segue testing methodology as its name suggests has got its origin with the segue software corporation and this is what that we are going to discuss here. 

This testing methodology is comprised of the 6 major phases that have been discussed in detail below:

1. Planning phase: In this phase, the testing strategy is determined as well as the specific test requirements are defined.
2. Capturing phase: In this phase the GUI objects present in the application under test are classified based on some criteria and also a test frame work is created for the execution of the tests.
3. Creation phase: This phase involves the creation of the automated tests that are reusable as well. Several recording and programming techniques can be used for developing the test scripts using the 4test language of the segue software.
4. Run phase: In this phase certain specific tests are selected by the user and executed on the application under test or AUT.
5. Reporting phase: This phase involves the analyzation of the test results and generation of the defect reports.
6. Tracking phase: This phase involves the tracking of the defects in the application under testing  or AUT and performing the regression testing.

About Segue Testing Methodology

- The quest-con technologies is one of the members of the silk elite partner program of the segue software. 

- This partnership has resulted in the improved integrated automation software of the segue software with the quest assured which is the proprietary methodology of the quest-con  

- This has proved to be an effective one for the mitigation of the risk that is involved in this whole automating manual process. 

- Quest assured provides an environment for flexible development of the software.

- The technologies used by it are all based up on the best practices of the quality assurance.

- These are effectively integrated by the automation testing principles of the quest-con with the automation software solutions of the segue technology. 

- For ensuring that the segue tools and technology are utilized to the full potential, the strong knowledge of the quest-con’s manual testing process as well as its capability of automating the appropriate portions of the concerned process are used. 

- The segue testing actually emphasizes on the idea of the practical quality assurance.

- Thus, the implementation of the automation solutions becomes relatively easy and less messy as when compared with the existing culture of the corporate. 

- It is because of the segue testing technology that the software delivered by the segue software ensure accuracy as well as performance of the enterprise applications. 

- With the segue testing technology, comprehensive performance, scalability, verification solutions and monitoring all is possible. 

- Further, these qualities of the segue testing methodology make it even more reliable to be used in the fundamental business process and also provides the user with the most predictable outcomes.

- Segue testing technology has effectively helped the companies in reducing the risks involved with the software.

- It also helps in increasing the return investment that we find quite associated with the deployment status of the business applications. 

- This all makes the segue software a leading innovator in technology. 

One success example of the segue software is the silk test which is now its trade mark. 

- Since long the segue testing technology has been known to dedicate itself entirely to the quality optimization of the solutions. 

- Thus, the segue software today has overcome the various optimization challenges that are faced by the software testing world. 

- The segue testing technology is based up on a result oriented approach which results in the proper optimization of each and every step of the testing process. 

What is the Document Object Model (DOM) browser extension?

In this article we shall talk about the DOM browser extension of the silk test. But before coming to this topic we shall discuss a little about the DOM or the document object model. 

What is Document Object Model (DOM)?

- There was a need for a language and cross platform independent convention for the representation and interaction with the objects consisted in XHTML, HTML, XML etc documents. 

- Out of this need, only document object model was born. 

- Certain object methods are used for addressing as well as manipulating the objects present in the DOM tree.

- It is in the API or application programming interface where the public interface of the document object model is specified. 

- For rendering any of the documents mentioned above, an internal model quite similar to the document object model is used by most of the web browsers. 

- The nodes of all the documents are organized in a tree like structure which is commonly known as the DOM tree. 

- The top most node of this tree is termed as the document object.

- The HTML is downloaded in to the local memory and is parsed whenever a document is rendered in a browser. 

- Parsing is done using the DOM for the construction of the internal data structures that are employed for displaying the page in the browser window. 

- DOM’s application programming interface is also used by the java script for the inspection and modification of a web page. 

Use of DOM Browser Extension in SilkTest

- It acts as an add – on component that helps a big deal in the testing of the web applications. 

- A direct communication with the web browser is established by the DOM browser extension so that the recognition, categorization and manipulation of the objects on a web page can be made possible. 

- This direct communication with the web browser is established by the DOM browser extension.

- It is done by actually working with the HTML code rather than making use of the visual pattern recognition as relied on by the other such extensions or add ins. 

- The technique of visual pattern recognition is usually used by the virtual object browser extension. 

- The DOM browser extension identifies an object in a web application through the following steps:

1. The web browser window in which the application is current executing is identified.
2. Then the web UI object is identified that is based up on the HTML element representing the UI object.

- The whole identification of a UI web application object is possible only with the concatenation of the HTML element identification and the browser window identification.

- This document object model of the silk test makes use of the DOM standard stated by the W#C or World Wide Web consortium. 

- However, this DOM standard is currently supported by two web browsers namely Netscape 6 and internet explorer 5+ versions. 

- These two web browsers allow the external applications such as the silk test for making direct queries to the browser for obtaining information regarding the web page that is currently being displayed. 

- When the DOM browser extension is enabled on the host machine, an extension file is included so that the extension classes are made available to the user. 

- The silk test always makes sure that the extension classes are always visible in the library browser. 

- This is done so by addition of the of the help file of the extension (browser.ht) to the help files. 

- The properties defined for the DOM browser extension are merged with the default property sets which include the following:

1. Color
2. Font
3. Values and
4. Location

How Silk Test records user actions?

Software systems or applications as we all know are composed of a GUI or graphical user interface objects such as those mentioned below:

1. Windows
2. Menus
3. Buttons and so on.

These GUI objects can be manipulated by the user via a mouse or a key board for initiating the operations on an application.

These GUI objects are interpreted by the silk test and are recognized in to different categories based up on the following aspects that uniquely identify them:

1. Class
2. Properties and
3. Methods

While the testing is in progress, an interaction takes place among the silk test and the GUI objects so that the operations can be submitted to the application under testing or AUT automatically without much efforts and also because the actions of a user can be simulated. 

This is also done to verify the results of each and every operation. The silk test is said to be the simulated user which is then said to drive the application under test or AUT. 

The silk test comes with two distinct components namely:

1. The silk test host software
2. The silk test agent software

- The first component of the silk test i.e., the silk test host software is used for developing, editing, compiling, running and debugging of the test plans as well as the test scripts. 

- The machine on which this component is installed is called the host machine. - The latter component of the silk test i.e., the silk test agent is the one that interacts with the graphical user interface of the application under test. 

- The commands present in the 4test scripts of the application are translated in to GUI specific commands which help in driving and monitoring the application under test.

- It is possible to run the agent locally on the same machine on which the host is already running or else it can be run in a networked environment. 

- But in this case, the machine will be known as the remote machine. 

How the user actions are recorded by the silk test?

 

- A repository is created for storing the information regarding the application under test or AUT before the test scripts are created and executed. 

- This repository consists of the descriptions of the GUI objects that are responsible for compromising with your application under test. 

- The silk test associates with these objects by means of two things namely:

1. Object properties and
2. Object methods

- Using these two aspects the actions performed on the objects can be easily recognized by the silk test and can be intelligently recorded in to the test script using the 4test language. 

Below we are giving some examples of what is recorded by the silk test for some user actions:

-User action	As recorded by the silk test
-Selection of a radio button from a group	select
-Setting the main window as active	Set Active
-Closing a dialog box	close
-Selecting an item from a list box	Select
-Scrolling the scroll bar to the maximum position possible	Scroll to max
-Writing text in a text field	Set text
-Checking a check box	Check
-Picking a menu item	pick
-Unchecking a check box	uncheck

- A property is that characteristic of an object that can be accessed directly and may be common among some classes. 

- On the other hand, the methods constitute of the user actions and are particular to an object. 

- Methods that are particular to an object are inherited from the parent class of the object. 

- Methods are unique to the objects of a class. 

What is VO (Virtual Object) browser extension in Silk Test?

The silk test automation tool comes with several extensions such as the DOM extension, VO browser extension and so on. 

VO here stands for the ‘virtual object’. 

About Virtual Object 'VO' Browser Extension

- This browser extension is an add–on component for the silk test and is employed during the testing of the web sites and web applications. 

- This virtual object browser extension makes use of a special technique known as the sophisticated pattern recognition technique in order to facilitate the identification of the objects rendered by the objects. 

- The web pages are viewed by the virtual object browser extension as they are in actual. 

- The virtual object browser extension does not opt for the recognition of the HTML tags present in the code of the web application.

- The objects present in that web page or web application are viewed by the virtual object browser extension. 

- These objects may include tables, links, images, compound controls and so on. 

- The technology behind these objects is well ignored by the virtual object browser extension just as we the users do.

- Objects are recognized by the silk test based up on the following aspects of an object:

1. Control type
2. Caption
3. Associated text
4. Control index
5. Location and
6. Window ID

Actually silk test has got two methods for the recognition of any object present in the application under test or AUT and they have been stated below:

1. Virtual object recognition
2. Document object model

Both of these methods produce the same result however they cannot be totally inter changed within a test script. 

The objects that are a part of the web applications which run in a browser such as the following need to be dealt with in a special way:

1. Java applications
2. Visual basic applications and
3. Power builder applications

- Technologies behind such applications are not directly supported by the silk test rather these technologies are provided support by the means of some optional extensions.

- These extensions have to be installed separately. 

- The extensions that have been installed are displayed in the option set of the silk test. 

- All you need to do is check the extension that you need to use and un-check the others. 

- There are certain default settings that can be configured manually by the user. 

- In some cases, a combination of the add ins and extensions might be treated mutually exclusive. 

- Another possibility is that some of the add-ins or the extensions might be supported in the new versions of the silk test. 

- A third possibility is that some of those add ins and extensions might be supported by the earlier versions of the silk test. 

- A table mechanism is used by the silk test for the recognition of the objects and as a means to isolate the variable name from the description of the object that is used by the operating system for accessing the objects during the run time. 

- The GUI declarations of an application are placed in a test frame file usually by the silk test. 

- For each and every object in a window there is available, a GUI declaration which  consists of the class of the object as well as its identifier which is nothing but the variable that was used in the test script. 

- It may also consist of an object tag definition. 

- The following are the capabilities that are provided by the silk test for defining an object tag:

1. String
2. Array reference
3. Function
4. Class and index number
5. Multiple tags
6. Browser specifier