AutoTestServiceGroup Blog

How to start learning automation tools

One of the most frequently asked questions about software testing automation is "where should I start learnig an automation tool?". In this blog post we will try to give an answer to this question without using a concrete tool.

TestComplete: improving JScript typeof operator

JScript operator is used for getting type of the variable. There are six possible values that typeof returns: "number," "string," "boolean," "object," "function," and "undefined".

In this post we will improve typeof operator so that it can also return "date" and "array" values for corresponding data types.

SilkTest secrets. Part 1

There are undocumented features in any computer program. Some of them are added specially (e.g. Easter Eggs), other can be programmers' mistakes, and some of them are just unimplemented features.
In this article we will describe one of the SilkTest's undocumented features, the 2nd argument for LogError function.

TestComplete: delaying script execution

In this post you will find an example of the function, which delays script execution and displays the time left for execution in the TestComplete Indicator.

Happy New Year!

Automated Testing Service Group wishes you a Happy New Year!

May all your dreams come true in 2008!

SilkTest: Working with services

There is an excellent blog post about how to work with Windows Services in SilkTest. You can find it here.

However, later author says, that in order to work with services which display names consist of two and more words (e.g. “Windows Time”), you should use their names instead of Display Names.

Fortunately, this is not the only one method. Using Name instead of Display Name isn’t that good, because names are short and sometimes it is hard to understand which service is used.

In order to work with two and more named services, you can put its name in quotes.

LIST OF STRING lsOut

SYS_Execute ("net start ""Windows Time""", lsOut)

ListPrint(lsOut)

TestComplete: Closing Unexpected Windows

TestComplete allows to handle event OnUnexpectedWindow and specify actions you want to perform if this event occurs. For example, when an unhandled exception occurs in the tested application, or database is disconnected, etc.

However, this event will work only if unexpected window prevents TestComplete to work with application. In case of non-modal windows, or if the window doesn’t affect tested application, this event will not occur and TestComplete will continue working.

SilkTest: running programs and opening files

There are several ways of the opening different files in SilkTest. In this blog post we'll describe 3 ways and when it is better to use them.

A strange behavior of the File Download window

A strange behavior of TestComplete was encountered when trying to work with standard IE File Download window. This window appears when user tries to download a file from Internet.

The problem was that TestComplete logged about successful clicking on the Open button, however no expected result happened and window just stayed as though no action was done.

ClickButton() method in TestComplete

When recording actions in TestComplete, it uses ClickButton() method for clicking standard push buttons.

For example,

var w = Sys.Process("WindowsApplication3"). WinFormsObject("Form1");

w.WinFormsObject("button1").ClickButton();

It is recommended to replace it with method Click() because standard button can be replaced with own-drawn one, or with some third-party control with the same name. In this case ClickButton() method won't work properly.