Welcome
Test Author Guide
This guide describes how to create test scripts and enhances them by applying different test elements such as dataset, variables, and verification points.
Tests in the Functional Test perspective
When you develop Java, HTML, or Terminal-based applications, you can use HCL DevOps Test UI (Test UI) to create traditional functional tests for these applications. You must first record the tests and then use Test UI to run the tests before you can view the test results.
Testing terminal-based applications
Use the HCL DevOps Test UI (Test UI) Terminal-based Applications feature to create test scripts and automate your host-application test cases. You can test host attributes, host field attributes, and screen-flow through a host application. It uses terminal verification points and properties, as well as synchronization code to identify the readiness of terminal for user input.
Recording a host connection script
You can automate the testing of a host application by recording a script that connects to, and interacts with a host system. The session is recorded as a set of commands and can be played back at a later time. This allows you to automate the navigation to specific screens.
Playing back host connection script
You can play back all your recorded actions, such as starting an application, the actions you perform, and stopping the application. There are several prerequisites to meet before you can reliably play back a script
Using host aid keys
The most common host aid keys are Enter, and all the function keys. If the key is captured within curly braces {} in a script, the key acts as a host aid key.

Release Notes
This document includes information about the new features introduced, features deprecated or removed, defects fixed, and known issues identified in this version of HCL DevOps Test UI (Test UI). You can also find the installation and upgrade instructions along with the contact information of HCL Customer Support.
System Requirements
This document includes information about hardware and software requirements for HCL DevOps Test UI (Test UI) 2024.03 (11.0.1).
Getting Started Guide
This guide provides an overview of HCL DevOps Test UI (Test UI). You can find the task flows to get you started with Test UI. This guide is intended for new users.
Tutorials
You can learn to start using Test UI by reviewing the information in the Tutorials for the UI Test perspective and Functional Test perspective.
Samples
You can find the sample project that you can use with HCL DevOps Test UI (Test UI) to test the functionality of an application.
Administrator Guide
This guide describes how to install HCL DevOps Test UI (Test UI) software. After you install the software, you can perform administration tasks such as license configuration and integration with other products. This guide is intended for administrators.
Test Author Guide
This guide describes how to create test scripts and enhances them by applying different test elements such as dataset, variables, and verification points.
- Tests in the UI Test perspective
  When you develop web applications, Windows-based applications, or mobile applications, you can use HCL DevOps Test UI (Test UI) to create functional tests for these applications. You must first record the tests and then use Test UI to run the tests before you can view the test results.
- Tests in the Functional Test perspective
  When you develop Java, HTML, or Terminal-based applications, you can use HCL DevOps Test UI (Test UI) to create traditional functional tests for these applications. You must first record the tests and then use Test UI to run the tests before you can view the test results.
  - Preparing the functional test environment
    This section describes the tasks you must perform to configure the functional test environment.
  - Functional test assets
    This section describes the different types of functional test assets that are available in HCL DevOps Test UI (Test UI).
  - Functional test projects
    A functional test project stores application test assets such as scripts, object maps, verification point baseline files, and script templates. You must create a functional test project before you can record scripts.
  - Working with functional test scripts (Windows-only)
    This section describes the process of creating functional test scripts to test your applications.
  - Verification points
    Verification points verify whether an expected behavior occurred during a test playback, or they verify whether there is a change in the state of a control or an object. When you create a verification point, you capture information about a control or an object in the application to establish this information as a baseline for comparison during the playback.
  - Functional tests with external data
    You can use external data to data-drive functional tests. When you data-drive a test, the script uses variables for key application input fields and programs instead of literal values so that you can use external data as you data-drive the application you are testing.
  - Testing terminal-based applications
    Use the HCL DevOps Test UI (Test UI) Terminal-based Applications feature to create test scripts and automate your host-application test cases. You can test host attributes, host field attributes, and screen-flow through a host application. It uses terminal verification points and properties, as well as synchronization code to identify the readiness of terminal for user input.
    - Importing certificates from the server for secured connections
      Starting from HCL DevOps Test UI (Test UI) 9.1.1, you can import certificates from the server to connect to the host machines securely. You can create a CustomizedCAs.p12 / CustomizedCAs.jks keystore through the Extension for Terminal-based Applications that produces the *.p12/JKS file. This file passes the host server's self-signed certificate credentials to the terminal to allow a secure connection.
    - Creating a host connection script
      You can create a host connection script so that you can interact with the host session, navigate to other screens, and create data verification points.
    - Recording a host connection script
      You can automate the testing of a host application by recording a script that connects to, and interacts with a host system. The session is recorded as a set of commands and can be played back at a later time. This allows you to automate the navigation to specific screens.
      - Verification points
        Verification points are used to test properties of application windows or fields.
      - Creating verification points
        You can create verification points to test application objects. Verification points are used to verify that the property values is as expected. When you create a verification point, you are capturing information about an object in the application to establish this as baseline information for comparison during playback.
      - Logging window content
        You can log the contents of a window in a correctly formatted log file. The log contains the record of events that occur when recording the script.
      - Extension for Terminal-based Applications states
        HCL DevOps Test UI (Test UI) tracks the state of Extension for Terminal-based Applications sessions as you record a script and interact with the host session. To determine the state of the session, Test UI checks whether the host session has focus. If the host session does not have focus, it waits for 0.5 second to see whether it gains focus. If the host session does not gain focus during that time, it returns the focus state to the frame. If the host session does have focus after the wait, Test UI queries the synchronization code for the state of the terminal.
      - Synchronization algorithms
        Extension for Terminal-based Applications has three synchronization algorithms to determine the state of the terminal. The state of the terminal depends on the loading of presentation space.
      - Playing back host connection script
        You can play back all your recorded actions, such as starting an application, the actions you perform, and stopping the application. There are several prerequisites to meet before you can reliably play back a script
        Adding manual sleep timers
        When the host application moves from window to window, the transition is not instantaneous. Therefore, any input that needs to be sent to the host, such as typing text, pressing host aid keys, or testing verification points, needs to wait for the host window to become ready to receive input. Extension for Terminal-based Applications can be used to figure out the readiness of host screen for input.
        Correcting object states
        It is not always required to use the object state information that is captured when an object is manipulated in a script. If the state of the object does not match the state information in the script, the code might not work properly. If the exact state of the object is not necessary for the test that is performed, it might be beneficial to remove this state information.
        Using host aid keys
        The most common host aid keys are Enter, and all the function keys. If the key is captured within curly braces {} in a script, the key acts as a host aid key.
        Using manual synchronization
        Use manual synchronization when performance is considered as higher priority than running the script automatically. The synchronization algorithms are reliable, but take more time to run than is necessary.
        LOADED, not READY
        There are special cases during application testing when the window has finished loading, but the application inhibits keyboard input. For example, sometimes when you type invalid input, the host application locks the keyboard. You cannot continue until you reset the window.
        Printing a host session window
        You can print your host session window.
      - Programmatic screen scraping for Terminal-based applications
        With programmatic screen scraping, data verification is performed on arbitrary locations. Programmatic screen scraping is used to scrape a portion of the terminal screen to determine whether the text is displayed at the specified position of the screen. Also, programmatic scraping makes the playback process wait to allow the text to appear on the screen. APIs are developed to support this feature.
    - Extension for Terminal-based Applications window
      Use the Extension for Terminal-based Applications window to connect to the host and record or play back host interactions in the scripts.
- Extending the UI Test perspective with custom Java™ code
  You can use custom code to extend the default Web UI testing capabilities. You can write custom Java™ code and call the code from the test. You can also specify that results from the tests that are affected by your custom code to be included in reports.
- Extending the Functional Test perspective
  You can use custom code to extend the default functional testing capabilities. You can write custom code and call the code from the test. You can also specify that results from the tests that are affected by your custom code to be included in reports.
- Extending the functionality in the Visual Studio IDE
  These topics describe various ways that you can customize HCL DevOps Test UI (Test UI) or use the application programming interface (API) to extend Test UI functionality.
- Experimental features
  HCL DevOps Test UI (Test UI) contains a set of pre-releases that enable you to test various experimental features. These experimental features, while still in progress, are introduced early in the release to seek your feedback on its overall functionality and performance. You can play around with these capabilities before they are made available and supported as a general feature in an upcoming release.
Test Execution Specialist Guide
This guide describes how to automate the playback of the tests by using different methods such as Docker, IBM Cloud Private, Jenkins and so on. The test results can be pushed to HCL DevOps Test Virtualization Control Panel (Test Virtualization Control Panel).
Test Manager Guide
This guide describes how to keep track of the performance of the application by evaluating the test results. Following topics cover how you can work with the test results.
Troubleshooting
This guide describes how to analyze and resolve some of the common problems that you might encounter while you work with HCL DevOps Test UI (Test UI).
Reference Guide
This guide describes the additional topics to gain more knowledge about HCL DevOps Test UI (Test UI).
All Guides (PDF)
You can find the link to view or download the content of the release notes, system requirements, and persona guides of HCL DevOps Test UI (Test UI) as a PDF file.
Security Considerations
You can take certain actions to ensure that your installation is secure, customize your security settings, and set up user access controls.
Notices
This document provides information about copyright, trademarks, terms and conditions for the product documentation.

Using host aid keys

The most common host aid keys are Enter, and all the function keys. If the key is captured within curly braces {} in a script, the key acts as a host aid key.

About this task

Procedure

Ensure that HCL DevOps Test UI (Test UI) pauses after sending the keystrokes whenever you press keys that cause the host window to change. Most function keys cause the host window to change. Test UI records these keystrokes as separate commands to ensure that it pauses after sending a function key to the host.

TFrame().inputKeys("{F12}");
        TFrame().inputKeys("{F3}");
        TFrame().inputKeys("logoff{ENTER}");

If your host application uses other keys to cause the host window to change, manually separate pressing those keys into separate commands before playing back your scripts. Test UI does not recognize these keys as host aid keys.

Example

For example, If Tab causes the host window to change, the following command will cause problems when the script is played back:

TFrame().inputKeys("{TAB}SomeHostCommand{ENTER}");

Separate the command after the first host aid key:

TFrame().inputKeys("{TAB}");
TFrame().inputKeys("SomeHostCommand{ENTER}");