SilkTest

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SilkTest Introduction to Automation
DS Hendler, Anna Medeiros , December 2000
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What is SilkTest ?

• SilkTest is
• A powerful tool for running automated test cases
  on the front end
• A tool for testing Web based applications across
  different browsers
• Very very stupid you have to tell it everything
  in its own language (4test)
• Inflexible when it comes to interpreting your
  commands
• It cannot guess at what you mean
• It requires a certain syntax with certain words
• This can be quite maddening

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What can you do with it ?

• Mostly anything you can do in a Web browser, you
  can do with SilkTest.
• Enter text in text fields
• Click buttons
• Check boxes
• Get files
• Clear your cache
• etc.

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Using a browser

• Though SilkTest is its own product, you still
  have to use a browser to access your application
• You have to tell SilkTest what kind of browser
  you are going to use for your testing so that it
  knows what it is looking at.
• Our version of SilkTest supports Netscape 4, IE 4
  and IE 5.
• Silk already knows what these browsers can do
  from a set of browser extensions, so you can run
  your automated cases in Netscape or IE
• However, you can only run SilkTest on one
  instance of a browser at a time
• -- One IE browser going at a time

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Browser extensions

• You choose your browser extensions in 2 places
  once on the computers where you are going to run
  SilkTest, and then in the program itself.
• On the computer side, the extension chooser is
  called the Extension Enabler.
• On the program side, the chooser is called the
  Extensions Manager

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Extension Enabler

• The Extension Enabler tells SilkTest what
  browsers you are going to use on your computer.
• It is found under Start Menu / Programs/ SilkTest

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Extensions Manager

• The Extensions Manager is part of SilkTest.
• Through it, you tell SilkTest what browser you
  are using.
• The Extensions Manager is located in the menu
  under Options / Extensions

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Extensions Manager
You should only choose one browser at a time
IE 5 is chosen here
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Extensions Manager

• When you choose a browser in the Manager,
  SilkTest tells itself what that browser can do.
• It has the browsers abilities pre-programmed in.

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Runtime Options

• Runtime Options tell SilkTest where your files
  are and what browser you are using
• This window is located under the menu Options /
  Runtime

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Runtime Options
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Types of files Include files

• SilkTest uses 3 kinds of files
• Include files (.inc)
• Test files (.t)
• Plan files (.pln)
• (SilkTest creates a 4th type, the results file
  (.res), to display the outcome of a test case,
  but you do not create this file directly)
• The include extension (.inc) means that the file
  is included in running a SilkTest process, but is
  not involved directly in running the process.
• There are 3 types of include files
• Frames
• Functions
• Tags
• (Tags will be covered in a later class)

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File Types Frame files

• The frame file tells SilkTest what the Web
  application looks like
• You will use the frame file already made for our
  application.
• You point to a frame file through Runtime Options
  / Use Files

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File Types Test Case files

• Test case files (.t), or script files, tell
  SilkTest what you want it to do
• All your test case files should be in the same
  file folder
• You pointed to this folder through your Runtime
  Options / Use Path

Test case files
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File Types Function files

• Functions are a special kind of include file
  (.inc)
• Functions act like a frame file, but look like a
  test case
• They are single-purpose, often-used test case
  procedures that you store as an include file
• They must exist in the same folder as your cases

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File Types Coming Together

• Frame, function and test cases come together in
  the test case file
• You call functions in the test case by
  referencing them by their name

Test case file
Function file
More than one function can be called by a test
case
Frame file
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File Types Plan files

• Can can combine multiple test case files in a
  plan file (.pln)
• A plan file is a collection of test cases
• You can choose to run one, a few, or all of the
  cases in your plan

Lists script(s) to be used
Echoes Runtime Options information
Lists the cases and what they do in plain language
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File Types Recap

• SilkTest uses 3 types of files include, test
  case and plan files
• The frame file tells SilkTest what the
  application looks like
• The test case file refers to the frame file and
  tells the browser what to do
• A function is a procedure that is used in many
  different cases
• It is written like a test case, but saved like a
  frame file
• A plan will help you organize many cases

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Window Identifiers

• Now that we have an idea what SilkTest needs to
  run a script, lets get a view into how SilkTest
  views the application.
• In order to see how Silk views the application,
  we use the Window Identifiers tool
• It is found in the tool bar under the Record /
  Windows Identifiers

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Window Identifiers

• Choosing the Window Identifiers launches the
  Record Window Identifiers tool

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Window Identifiers -- Use

• How to use the Window Identifiers tool
• Hover your pointer over the object you want to
  view

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Window Identifiers -- Use

• With the information the Window Identifiers gives
  us, we know how the program views our application.

• An HtmlPushButton, like all Html objects, has
  certain properties and functions you can perform
  on it
• To find out what SilkTest will allow you do with
  this object, we use the Library Browser

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Library Browser

• The Library Browser gives you a list of all the
  object classes SilkTest recognizes as well as all
  the actions (called Methods) you can perform on
  those objects
• It is found in the menu under Help / Library
  Browser

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Library Browser / Help Topics

• While the Library Browser gives you the proper
  Syntax for a given Method, it is very abstract.
• An example, as well as a more detailed
  explanation, of the Method is given under the
  Help topics
• Although you often have to do some digging to
  find the proper help topic.
• It usually contains the word Method in the
  Help topic

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Help Topics

• The Help Topics give a more extensive explanation
  of the syntax of a Method, what it does, and
  important usage notes.
• One of the more useful aspects of the Help Topics
  is the Example, which shows how you can use the
  Method in a script
• (This example clicks an item labeled 3 in a
  list)

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SilkTest Tools -- Recap

• Use the Window Identifiers to see how SilkTest
  views a given object
• Use the Library Browser to see what Methods you
  can perform on an object
• Use the Help Topics to find Real Life examples,
  important notes on Methods, and detailed
  explanations of Syntax

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Writing a Test Case

• Remember that Test case files (.t), or script
  files, tell SilkTest what you want it to do
• SilkTest requires the syntax you find in the
  Library Browser and Help Topic files in order to
  perform the tasks you want it to do.

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Creating a Test Case

• Choose File/ New to create a new test case
• This window will open

• Choose 4Test Script as the File Type and click
  the OK button

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Writing the Test Case

• Test cases are referenced by name
• To create a test case called Search, type
  testcase Search () on the first line.

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Fonts and Colors

• As you type, you will notice that the color of
  your text changes, according to its function in
  the 4test language
• The default colors for the 4test language are
• Black code
• Purple numbers (i 5)
• Brown strings (This is a string)
• Blue keywords (testcase Login)
• Green Comments ( // this is a comment )

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Viewing the Frame

• Remember
• The frame file tells SilkTest what the Web
  application looks like
• You will use the frame file already made for our
  application.
• You point to your frame file through Options
  /Runtime/ Use Files selection from the menu

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Using the Frame

• The frame tells you what items you have to work
  with in our application
• You will be using a frame that has already been
  defined
• It is broken up into styles of pages such as
  Home, Expert and Admin

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Using the frame

• When you write your test cases, refer to the
  frame file to determine what window identifiers
  to use.
• Remember Methods such as Click and SetText
  can be found through the Library Browser.

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Running the Test Case

• To run the Test Case, click on the Green arrow or
  select Run/Testcase from the menu. A results
  file will appear once the test is complete.

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Creating a Test Plan

• Choose File/New to create a test plan.

• Choose Testplan as the File Type and click the
  OK button

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Adding a Test Case to a Test Plan

• Right click on the plan and choose Test
  Detail from the menu.

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Adding to a Plan (cont)

• You may choose a script to add to the testplan.
  In this case Ive added the script created
  earlier.
• To add a test case, click on the Testcases button
  and a list of test cases available in that script
  displays.

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Adding to a Plan (cont)

• Once you have your test cases set in the plan,
  you will need to separate them
• Doing this process allows you to call only
  certain test cases you wish to run, as well as
  allowing yourself a more human description of
  your case

• To do this, type your descriptive name
• above your case name press the Enter key
• Put your cursor on your test case line
• Click the Right Arrow button in the toolbar to
• indent your case

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Adding to a Plan (cont)

• Now that you have the Script and case information
  in your plan, you will have to add Header
  information.
• This is the text that echoes what is written in
  the Runtime Options window.

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Running Test Cases from the Test Plans

• You can select certain cases to run by Marking
  them in the yellow bar in the Plan
• To Mark the entire test plan, go to Testplan/Mark
  All from the menu
• To Mark an individual test case, put your cursor
  by the test case you want to mark and go to
  Testplan/Mark from the menu. Or click on the
  Mark icon (the yellow square with the beside
  it)
• The yellow box icons shown below (circled in red)
  allow you to mark and unmark test cases as well
  as find marked sections in your plan.
• The green arrow icons shown below (circled in
  blue) allow you to run the entire test plan, test
  script or just a test case.

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Verification

• There are a variety of methods that can be used
  to get information on objects you are trying to
  verify.
• To determine what these methods are, go to the
  Library Browser and choose the objects class you
  are trying to verify.

In this example I chose to find the methods
available for an HtmlLink
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The Verify Function

• The Verify Function is a simple way to check the
  information returned by a method.
• Syntax
• Verify (Actual Value, Expected Value, Error
  Message optional)
• Example
• Verify (Home.Browse.GetText (), Browse,
  Incorrect Text)
• (Browse is an HtmlLink in our application.
  GetText () is one method available for HtmlLinks,
  as shown on the previous slide.)
• The text returned by the GetText method is our
  actual value. Im expecting the word Browse to
  be returned. If it is not returned, the error
  Incorrect Text will be displayed in my results
  file.

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The Verify Function

• This is the Help Topics entry for the Verify
  function

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Walkthrough Add a new user

1. Create a new test script.
2. Name the test case Type testcase AddUser ()
   on first line.

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Walkthrough Add a new user (cont)

• Using the frame in your handout we will write a
  test case to signup a new user. For example
• // Test case to Add a new user
• - testcase AddUser ()
• Home.Login.Click ()
• Home.SignUp.Click ()
• Home.YourName.SetText ("Bob10")
• (To write comments, use the // to comment your
  code. You can also go to Outline/(Un)comment
  Block from the menu to comment or uncomment
  sections of code.)
• Add a verify function to confirm the user is
  logged in once it is created. (Ive also
  included the example Browse Verify function from
  our previous slide)

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Completed Test Case
Complete sample test case.
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Walkthrough Add test case to a plan

1. Create a new test plan.
2. Add the test script and test case using the Test
   Detail option.

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Walkthrough Add test case a plan (cont)

• Edit the test plan.
• Add the heading information.
• Separate the testcases so they can be marked
  separately.
• Mark your test case and run it.

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Completed Test Plan with results file
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Exercise

• Write a test case to login a user using this
  frame verify that the user is logged in.
• You will find a more complete frame in your
  handout

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Exercise

• Write a test case to login a user using the
  previously given frame verify that the user is
  logged in
• Results

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SilkTest Automation Recap

• We have learned
• What SilkTest is and what its basic component
  parts are
• How to get SilkTest to view a Web application
• How to use a Frame
• How to write a Test Case