Home
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.
Testing in the Functional Test perspective
When you develop Java, HTML, or Terminal-based applications, you can use HCL OneTest™ UI to create traditional functional tests for these applications. You must first record the tests and then use HCL OneTest UI to run the tests before you can view the test results.
Driving functional tests with external data
This section describes techniques you can use to data-drive functional tests with external data.
Replacing literals with dataset references
If you have an existing test script, you can replace literal values in the script with dataset references to add realistic data to the script. You can find and replace all literals, or just the number, string, or boolean literals with a dataset reference.

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.
- Testing in the UI Test perspective
  When you develop web applications, Windows-based applications, or mobile applications, you can use HCL OneTest™ UI to create functional tests for these applications. You must first record the tests and then use HCL OneTest UI to run the tests before you can view the test results.
- Testing in the Functional Test perspective
  When you develop Java, HTML, or Terminal-based applications, you can use HCL OneTest™ UI to create traditional functional tests for these applications. You must first record the tests and then use HCL OneTest 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.
  - Managing 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.
  - Working with verification points
    Verification points verify that a certain action has taken place, or verify the state of a control or an object. When you create a verification point, you are capturing information about a control or an object in the application to establish this as baseline information for comparison during playback.
  - Driving functional tests with external data
    This section describes techniques you can use to data-drive functional tests with external data.
    - Data-driving tests overview
      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.
    - Data-driven functional tests
      To data-drive a test script, you need to select the controls or objects in the application-under-test using either the Object Finder Tool method or the Test Object Browser method.
    - Working with datasets
      A dataset is a collection of related data records which supplies data values to the variables in a test script during test script playback.
    - Creating a dataset
      A dataset is a collection of related data records which supplies realistic data values to the variables in a test script during test script playback. You can create data from scratch or import existing data into a new dataset from another dataset or a .csv file.
    - Importing to datasets
      You can import test data into a dataset using a comma-separated value (CSV) file that enables you to import large volumes of test data to a dataset rather than manually entering them.
    - Inserting data-driven commands into a script by using an application visual
      You can add data-driven commands to the script by using an application visual.
    - Associating a dataset with a group in a simplified script
      You can associate a dataset with a group in a simplified script. With this capability, you can create multiple datasets for a script and associate the datasets with the groups in a script.
    - Encrypting datasets
      To secure test data, you must encrypt datasets. You can encrypt one or more columns of a dataset using a password. You are prompted to enter your password when you run a test that utilizes dataset with encrypted variables.
    - Decrypting Datasets
      You must decrypt the dataset if you want to export a dataset into a .csv file. If you decrypt a dataset, it revokes the protection offered to the test data in it.
    - Editing datasets
      After you data-drive a test to create a dataset or create an empty dataset, you can edit the records and variables in the dataset.
    - Replacing literals with dataset references
      If you have an existing test script, you can replace literal values in the script with dataset references to add realistic data to the script. You can find and replace all literals, or just the number, string, or boolean literals with a dataset reference.
    - Dataset references and verification points
      When you create a verification point with a dataset reference, you can supply variable data to make your tests more realistic.
    - Changing the dataset record selection order
      The test dataset record selection order determines how a test script accesses records in the test script's associated dataset when you play back the test script.
    - Associating a dataset with a test script
      You can associate a test script with a dataset to use external data to drive the application instead of using a literal value.
    - Associating a test script with a dataset
      You can associate a test script with a dataset to use external data to drive the application instead of using a literal value.
    - Removing a dataset association
      You can remove dataset association with a test script.
    - Deleting a dataset
      You can delete a dataset if you no longer require it.
  - Managing functional test assets
    You can integrate HCL OneTest™ UI with Rational® Team Concert™ and manage functional test assets using any of these source control management tools.
  - Testing terminal-based applications
    Use the HCL OneTest™ 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.
  - Troubleshooting issues
    You can find information about the issues or problems that you might encounter while you work in the Functional Test perspective of HCL OneTest™ UI. You can also find the details about the causes and resolutions that you can apply to fix the issues.
- Extending the UI Test perspective with custom 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.
- Experimental Features
  HCL OneTest™ 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.

Replacing literals with dataset references

If you have an existing test script, you can replace literal values in the script with dataset references to add realistic data to the script. You can find and replace all literals, or just the number, string, or boolean literals with a dataset reference.

About this task

You can also add a literal from a script to a dataset. If you do not use an existing dataset variable, the same literal values (the values that were captured when you recorded the test script) are used each time you run the script.

Procedure

Click Script > Find Literals and Replace with Dataset Reference.
Under Direction, click Forward or Backward to set the direction you want to search through a test script.
Under Literal Type, set the type of literal you want to find from the following list:
- All -- Click to find all literals in a script.
- Numbers -- Click to find number literals in a script. A number includes integers (a whole number, not a fractional number, that can be positive, negative, or zero) or floating numbers (positive and negative decimal numbers).
- Strings -- Click to find string literals in a script. A string stores alphanumeric values such as name, city, or state.
- Booleans -- Click to find boolean literals in a script. Any use of the boolean literals true or false are flagged for substitution.
Click Find to start the search.
The name of the literal found in the test script appears under Literal.
Click the Dataset Variable arrow to display the dataset variables and then click the dataset variable that you want the script to reference.
Optionally, type a new variable name for the dataset variable you selected.
Optionally, click the Add Literal to Dataset check box to add the literal value to the dataset.
Click Replace to replace the literal in the script with a dataset variable reference.
The cursor automatically moves to the next literal in the test script.
Note: If you have a literal that is a choice in a combo box in the application-under-test, when you replace the literal with a dataset reference, you get a string data type instead of an a enumerator data type in the dataset.
When you find the next literal in the test script, repeat steps 5 through 7.
When finished, click Close.
HCL OneTest™ UI updates the dataset with any new columns and initial values that you add in this dialog box.