What's New in Functional Tester Release 6.1

Functional Tester offers the following new features in release 6.1:

New Platform

This release of Functional Tester includes many new features. The biggest change is the addition of the VB.NET Scripting version. Functional Tester gives you a choice of scripting languages. Functional Tester, Java Scripting uses the Java language and the IBM Rational Software Development Platform integrated development environment. Functional Tester, VB.NET Scripting uses the VB.NET language and the Microsoft Visual Studio .NET integrated development environment.

WSW/Eclipse 3.0 Updated to Latest Version

Functional Tester has been updated to use Eclipse 3.0. One of the most visible changes is that Help is now displayed in a separate window. Also, many new Java and Workbench commands have been added to the Functional Test menus and shortcut options. For information, see About the Functional Tester Perspective.

New Test Domain Support

Aside from testing Java and HTML applications, Functional Tester now tests VB.NET applications and some Windows objects, and has improved support for ActiveX controls. It can also test an object of one domain within an object of another domain, in some cases. For example, you may have an ActiveX object nested within HTML, or you may have a hybrid application that has an ActiveX or VB 6 control within a VB.NET application. Functional Test also has improved support for Windows dialog boxes within HTML, such as a download dialog box popping up on a Web page. In the Java area, Functional Test has improved support for SWT applications. For information about supported domains and nesting objects of one domain inside another domain, see Test Application Domain Support.

Rational Manual Test

The Functional Tester package includes Functional Tester, Java Scripting, Functional Tester, VB.NET Scripting, and IBM Rational Manual Test. Manual Test makes it easy to write scripts for manually testing software applications. Using the Manual Test Text Editor, you type testing instructions, called statements, into a script. The Text Editor and an Outline view of the script help you to organize statements effectively. You can group statements and arrange those groups within a hierarchy.

Rational Product Updater

You can use the Rational Product Updater to update your Functional Tester software or documentation. Updates can includes things like additional software features, defect fixes, new documentation, translated documentation files, etc. For information on using the Updater, see Updating Functional Tester Software and Documentation.

Data-Driven Tests

When you data-drive tests, the script uses variables for key application input fields and program selections. By using variables, the script can use external data to drive the application instead of using a literal value. Data-driven testing uses data from an external file, a datapool, as input to a test. A datapool is a collection of related data records that supplies data values to the variables in a test script during test script playback.

Data-driven testing puts a layer of abstraction between the data and the test script, eliminating literal values in the test script. Because data is separated from the test script, you can:

Datapool References and Verification Points

When you create a verification point with a datapool reference, you can supply variable data to make your tests more realistic.

Each time that you play back a script with an associated datapool, the script accesses one record in the datapool. The verification point uses the datapool reference to access a variable in that record. At playback, Functional Tester substitutes the variable in the datapool for the datapool reference and compares it to the actual results.

The log contains the record of events that occur while playing back a script. It contains the results of all verification points executed. Actual test results (with the datapool reference resolved) that vary from the baseline results are defects or intentional changes in the application.

ClearCase

You can now use ClearCase with the Functional Tester, VB.NET Scripting product.

You can also now:

508 Accessibility

Functional Tester now supports 508 accessibility for using keyboard shortcuts, mapping shortcut keys, and changing the color and font of various elements of the user interface. See the Customizing Functional Tester for Accessibility section in the Help table of contents for information on these features.

Color Preference

You can customize the colors for various elements in the Verification Point Editor, Verification Point Comparator, and Object Map to suit your comfort level.

HTML Log Enhancement

You can easily navigate to a specific location in an HTML log. Select an item in the Failures, Warnings, or Verifications Points list in the log to quickly find important errors, warnings, and verification point results in the log. Functional Tester scrolls to and displays the item you want to view in the log.

Find and Modify Test Objects in the Object Map

You can search for test objects in a test object map based on a property, value, or either. There are two search methods: Quick Find and Find by Filters. Quick Find lets you search for a test object based on a property or value. Find by Filters lets you create and save find criteria to search for a test object. You can also modify the property or value you find.

Test Object Map

The new features in Test Object Map include:

Browser Enablement Diagnostic Tool

The Browser Enablement Diagnostic tool lets you diagnose problems you might have with enabling your browser for HTML testing. The diagnostic tool diagnoses the enablement problem and reports how to solve the problem. The tool provides quick and simple directions to solve any problem it finds.

Browser Support

Functional Tester now supports Netscape 4.x, Netscape 7.1, Netscape 7.2, and Mozilla 1.4. See HTML Support for a full list of browser support.

Test Object Inspector

You can now dynamically interrogate test objects in Java, HTML, .Net, and Windows applications with the new Test Object Inspector tool. Hover the mouse pointer over an object in an application and Test Object Inspector captures the object automatically and displays it in the Test Object Inspector window.

Run Arguments

Now you can specify run arguments at playback time instead of during recording a script. This feature lets you pass runtime arguments directly to the testMain method in your script.

Script Creation Wizard

Now you can select an object map, a datapool, and a super script while recording a new script.

Searching for TestObjects

Functional Tester now supports a means for locating one or more TestObjects matching specified search criteria. The search is based on name/value pairs representing properties of the TestObject or TestObjects you are looking for. The search can either be global, or limited to children of a parent TestObject.

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