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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 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.
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.

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 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.
- Tests 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.
  - Functional test assets
    This section describes the different types of functional test assets that are available in HCL OneTest™ 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.
    - Data-driving 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.
    - Linking datasets to a functional test script
      You can link datasets to a functional test script to override the existing dataset that is associated with the script. To link a dataset, you must include the functional test script in a compound test in the UI Test perspective, and then map the required dataset by using Dataset Mapper.
    - 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.
    - Replacing literals with dataset references in the Visual Studio IDE
      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 selectively replace the number, string, or boolean literals with a dataset reference.
  - 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.
- 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 OneTest™ UI or use the application programming interface (API) to extend HCL OneTest UI functionality.
- 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.

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.

Data-driven testing uses data from an external file, a dataset, as input to a test. A dataset is a collection of related data records. When you data-drive test, datasets supply data values to the variables in a test scripts during test script playback.

Because data is separated from the test script, you can:

Modify test data without affecting the test script
Add new test cases by modifying the data, not the test script
Share the test data with many test scripts

The diagram on the left shows a test script, which uses data with hard-coded, literal references in the test script. The diagram on the right shows a data-driven test script that uses data from an external file, a dataset.

Hard-coded test script Data-driven test script

Hard-coded test script with literal references Data-driven test script with a dataset

Here are some examples of problems that data-driving tests solves:

Problem: During recording, you create a personnel file for a new employee, using the employee's unique identification number. Each time the test is run without data-driving the test, there is an attempt to create the same personnel file and supply the same identification number. The application rejects the duplicate requests.

Solution: You can data-drive the test script to send different employee data, including identification numbers, to the server each time the test is run.

Problem: You delete a record during recording. When you run the test without data-driving the test, HCL OneTest™ UI attempts to delete the same record, and Record Not Found errors result.

Solution: You can data-drive the test script to reference a different record in the deletion request each time the script is played back.

Data-driving tests gives a more accurate picture of the way the application under test works in the real world with real data.