QA Wizard Pro FAQs

From Seapine Labs

Q. What applications can I test with QA Wizard Pro?

You can test any Windows or Web application with QA Wizard Pro. QA Wizard Pro can automate the testing of applications implemented using popular languages and technologies like C#, VB.NET, C++, JavaScript, and HTML.

Q. What controls does QA Wizard support?

QA Wizard Pro recognizes all of the basic controls (buttons, edit boxes, check boxes, etc.) typically found in Windows or Web applications that are built on top of the following technologies:

• .NET
• Firefox 2.0/XUL
• Internet Explorer 5.5 and later
• Qt
• Win32

QA Wizard Pro also supports controls derived from base .NET, Qt, and Win32.

Q. What versions of Windows does QA Wizard Pro support?

QA Wizard Pro supports Windows 2000, XP, 2003, and Vista.

Q. Which Web browsers does QA Wizard Pro support?

QA Wizard Pro supports Firefox 2.0 and Internet Explorer 5.5 or later (including 7).

Q. Does QA Wizard Pro support AJAX?

Yes, QA Wizard Pro can usually provide a high level of support for testing AJAX applications because it is tolerant of changes to a Web page’s dynamically updated HTML–regardless of the AJAX framework.

Q. Does QA Wizard Pro support ActiveX?

Yes.

Q. What are the minimum system requirements for QA Wizard Pro?

• 800 MHz Pentium PC (1 GHz or above recommended)
• 100 MB hard disk space
• 512 MB RAM (1 GB recommended)
• Microsoft Windows 2000, XP, 2003, Vista
• Microsoft .NET Framework 2.0 or later

Q. Are there any sample QA Wizard Pro scripts?

A sample workspace that includes both Web and Windows scripts is installed with QA Wizard Pro in the C:\Program Files\Seapine\QA Wizard Pro\Sample Workspace directory. To open it, choose File > Open Workspace. Browse to the directory and open the SampleScripts.qawwspace file.

If you are just getting started with QA Wizard Pro or want to learn more about specific functionality, the sample scripts are a great place to start. All scripts include comments about what the script does and the script components.

Q. What are the differences between Grid View and Text View?

In Grid View, scripts are displayed in a graphical, easy-to-use table format, and each step is displayed in a row. In Text View, scripts are displayed in a text-based editor, and each statement is displayed on a line. Text View provides direct access to the scripting language, which makes it easy to create and edit statements, modify scripts, and add advanced logic to scripts.

You can switch back and forth between views, which is a great way to learn QA Wizard Pro. You can add a statement in Grid View, then switch to Text View to view what is going on behind the scenes.

Following are some of the differences and similarities between the views:

• In Grid View, scripts are displayed in a table and each statement is displayed in a row.
• In Text View, scripts are displayed in a code editor and each statement is displayed on a line.
• Script step numbers are the same in Grid View and Text View.
• You can add and edit statements in Grid View and Text View. You can use the GUI statement editor, which is available from the Script menu, to add and edit statements in both views. You can also manually type statements in Text View.
• Functions, such as Abs or MonthStr, and database commands, such as OpenRecordsetRow, are only available in Text View. You can switch back to Grid View after adding these functions.
• The Preview pane is automatically updated in Grid View only.

Q. What is the application repository?

Tested applications, versions, and windows and controls are stored in the application repository. During recording, QA Wizard Pro captures information about the application’s windows and controls and adds it to the corresponding repository. During script playback, QA Wizard Pro compares the window and control properties in the repository to the tested application to locate objects.

Q. What is the difference between the local application repository and the global application repository?

The local application repository is specific to one computer and is not shared. The local repository is generally used when one tester is recording and running scripts against an application version or when setting up an application before it is promoted to a global repository.

The global application repository is hosted on a server, can be shared among multiple users and computers, and is generally used when multiple testers are running scripts against the same application version. You can promote an application to a global repository from a local repository to share applications with other users. For example, Bill is creating scripts for WysiWrite and Jane is creating scripts for WysiChart. Bill has to create scripts that test the integration between WysiWrite and WysiChart. Since Jane has already created scripts for WysiChart, she can promote the application data to the global repository so Bill can access it.

Q. What is an application version?

Each application in the application repository contains one or more versions. Each version contains information for starting the application and window and control data that is captured during recording. Maintaining versions allows you to continue testing previous versions of an application while creating new scripts to perform tests on new versions.

Q. What happens when a script is recorded?

The first time you record a script against an application, window and control information is captured and saved in the application repository. This information is used during playback to locate windows and controls in the application and perform actions on the objects. If the application changes after scripts are recorded, new windows and controls are added to the repository. You can modify the window and control data in the application repository to:

• Provide more intuitive names for windows and controls that are referenced in scripts.
• Change the properties and values that are used during playback to locate controls.
• Merge duplicate controls that are captured during recording if the application changes.
• Update references to modified window and control names in multiple scripts.

Q. What are window and control properties used for?

Each window and control in the tested application has several properties that are used to uniquely identify the object in QA Wizard Pro. Different properties are captured for different types of windows and controls. Following are examples of properties that may be captured:

• ControlOrder: order of controls in the window
• Focus: indicates if the control is currently selected
• ListItems: values displayed in a combo box or list box
• Number of Items: number of items in a combo box or list box
• SelectedIndexes: position of items in a combo box or list box

Q: Does QA Wizard Pro support data-driven testing?

QA Wizard Pro supports data-driven scripts, which can help you test more of an application by using a different set of data each time a script runs. Data-driven scripts use values from data sources, which QA Wizard Pro retrieves data from and stores in datasheets.

You can create test data directly in QA Wizard Pro using a local datasheet. You can also retrieve external data Microsoft Excel, Microsoft Access, Microsoft SQL Server, Oracle, and text files.

Q. What types of checkpoints does QA Wizard Pro support?

Checkpoints can help you verify both the tested application’s user interface and its internal structure. For example, you can check that a window includes the correct buttons on the title bar or check a text field to make sure that it is in the correct location relative to the parent window. QA Wizard Pro includes the following types of checkpoints:

• Window checkpoints: used to verify the property values of application windows against an expected value. For example, you can verify that a window is maximized, has focus, or contains the correct number of child objects.
• Control checkpoints: used to verify property values of application controls against an expected value. For example, you can verify that a control contains the correct text, has focus, or contains a specific number of items.
• OCR checkpoints: used to Verify graphical text and text in objects that cannot be recognized in window and control checkpoints. Optical character recognition (OCR) checkpoints can be used to verify text in Web pages, images such as chart and graphs, and Flash-based applications. (Licensed separately.)

Q: Is QA Wizard Pro 2007 a new product or is it a QA Wizard 4.0 upgrade?

QA Wizard Pro is a brand new product that automates the functional and regression testing of Windows and Web applications. Built in the spirit of the original QA Wizard, but with far more speed, power, and flexibility, QA Wizard Pro is state of the art in automated testing tools. Here are a few of QA Wizard Pro's capabilities:

• Exceptionally fast playback performance
• Grid- and text-based script editing modes cover the needs of both new and experienced testers
• Broad application support, including Qt (Trolltech) applications
• Windows Vista, Internet Explorer 7, and FireFox 2.0 support
• Global application repository for sharing test assets
• Powerful scripting language

Q. Can QA Wizard Pro be integrated with other Seapine products?

You can integrate QA Wizard Pro with Surround SCM for script storage and version control, with TestTrack TCM for script scheduling, and with TestTrack Pro to automatically push new defects into the defect tracking workflow.

Check out this FAQ if you're transitioning to QA Wizard Pro.

Q. Can I use QA Wizard 4 scripts with QA Wizard Pro?

QA Wizard Pro does not support QA Wizard 4 scripts. However, QA Wizard Pro and QA Wizard 4 can run side-by-side. You can run existing scripts in QA Wizard 4, while creating new scripts in QA Wizard Pro.