The Recording Workflow with Rational Robot

Rational Robot is a complete set of components for automating the testing of Microsoft Windows client/server and Internet applications running under Windows NT 4.0, Windows 2000, Windows 98, and Windows 95.

The main component of Robot lets you start recording tests in as few as two mouse clicks. After recording, Robot plays back the tests in a fraction of the time it would take to repeat the actions manually.

You use the Rational Administrator to create and manage projects.

Rational projects store application testing information, such as scripts, verification points, queries, and defects. Each project consists of a database and several directories of files. All Rational Test components on your computer update and retrieve data from the same active project. Projects help you organize your testing information and resources for easy tracking. Projects are created in the Rational Administrator, usually by someone with administrator privileges.

When you record a GUI script, Robot records:

To log in:

1. Your actions as you use the application-under-test. These user actions include keystrokes and mouse clicks that help you navigate through the application.

2. Verification points that you insert to capture and save information about specific objects. A verification point is a point in a script that you create to confirm the state of an object across builds. During recording, the verification point captures object information and stores it as the baseline. During playback, the verification point recaptures the object information and compares it to the baseline.

You should plan to use Robot at the earliest stages of the application development and testing process.
If any Windows GUI objects such as menus and dialog boxes exist within the initial builds of your application, you can use Robot to record the corresponding verification points. Consider the following guidelines before you begin recording:

Robot provides specialized support for testing the objects in applications that are created in many integrated development environments (IDEs).

To successfully test the objects in Oracle Forms, HTML, Java, C++, Delphi, and Visual Basic 4.0 applications, you need to enable the applications as follows before you start recording your scripts:

Oracle Forms ­ Install the Rational Test Enabler for Oracle Forms. Run the Enabler to have it add the Rational Test Object Testing Library and three triggers to the .fmb files of the application.

GUI recording options provide instructions to Robot about how to record and generate GUI scripts. You can set these options either before you begin recording or early in the recording process.

To set the GUI recording options:

Open the GUI Record Options dialog box by doing one of the following: Before you start recording, click Tools > GUI Record Options.
Start recording by clicking the Record GUI Script button on the toolbar.
In the Record GUI dialog box, click Options.
Set the options on each tab.
Click OK.

In addition to setting the standard GUI recording options, you can take some additional steps to refine your testing. You can:

Customize the order of the object recognition methods to make the script more readable and stable.
Map object types and classes to identify custom objects during record and playback.

To record a GUI script:

1. Prepare to record the script.
2. If necessary, enable your application for testing.

3. Make sure your recording options are set appropriately for the recording session.

4. Click the Record GUI Script button on the toolbar to open the Record GUI dialog box.
5. Type a name (40 characters maximum) or select a script from the list.

While recording or editing a GUI script, you can start applications or other executable programs by using one of the Start buttons on the GUI Insert toolbar, or one of the Start commands on the Insert menu.
Starting Applications The following steps list the basic information you need to know to start an application:
1. Do one of the following:

­

If recording, click the Display GUI Insert Toolbar button on the GUI Record toolbar.

­ If editing, position the pointer in the script and click the Display GUI Insert Toolbar button on the Standard toolbar

A verification point is a point in a script that you create to confirm the state of an object across builds of the application-under-test.

Verification Points and Data Files


During recording, a verification point captures object information (based on the type of verification point) and stores it in a baseline data file. The information in this file becomes the baseline of the expected state of the object during subsequent builds.
When you play back the script against a new build, Rational Robot retrieves the information in the baseline file for each verification point and compares it to the state of the object in the new build.