TestPartner 6.3 Release Notes

September 15, 2009

1. Obtaining the Latest Release Notes

For the most recent updates to the Release Notes, go to SupportLine, the Micro Focus Customer Support Web site, at http://supportline.microfocus.com/. The first time you access SupportLine, you are required to register and obtain a password. After logging in to SupportLine, access the latest Release Notes for your product.

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2. System Requirements

Hardware
  • Pentium 4 processor equivalent or higher (recommended)

  • Minimum of 512 MB of RAM

  • 300 MB of hard disk space on the system disk (the disk on which the operating system is installed), and an additional 220 MB when installing SQL Server 2005 Express as the default TestPartner database

  • Optimized for 1024 x 768 or higher screen resolution

Operating System
  • Microsoft Windows 7 Professional, Enterprise, and Ultimate (32-bit & 64-bit) Editions

  • Microsoft Windows Vista Business, Enterprise, and Ultimate SP1, SP2 (32-bit) Editions

  • Microsoft Windows XP Professional SP3 (32-bit)

  • Microsoft Windows Server 2008 Standard and Enterprise SP1, SP2, and R2 (32-bit & 64-bit) Editions

  • Microsoft Windows Server 2003 Standard and Enterprise SP1, SP2, and R2 (32-bit) Editions

Browser
  • Microsoft Internet Explorer 8.0

  • Microsoft Internet Explorer 7.0

  • Microsoft Internet Explorer 6.0 SP3

  • Mozilla Firefox 3.5

  • Mozilla Firefox 3.0

Database
  • Microsoft SQL Server 2008 SP1; Prerequisites include MDAC 2.8 (2.80.1022.3), .NET Framework 2.0, Windows Installer 3.1

  • Microsoft SQL Server 2008 Express Edition SP1 (for up to 5 users); Prerequisites include MDAC 2.8 (2.80.1022.3), .NET Framework 2.0, Windows Installer 3.1

  • Microsoft SQL Server 2005 SP3; Prerequisites include MDAC 2.8 (2.80.1022.3), .NET Framework 2.0, Windows Installer 3.1

  • Microsoft SQL Server 2005 Express Edition SP3 (for up to 5 users); Prerequisites include MDAC 2.8 (2.80.1022.3), .NET Framework 2.0, Windows Installer 3.1

  • Microsoft Access 2000 (as a single-user database)

  • Oracle 11.1, 10.2, or 10.1 RDBMS database on Microsoft or Unix/Linux platforms

Other Software
  • Microsoft Visual Basic for Applications (6.5.1040, 6.5.1032); TestPartner installs 6.5.1032.

  • Adobe Acrobat or Acrobat Reader to view the documentation provided in PDF format (the Acrobat Reader setup file is available from Adobe's Web site: http://www.adobe.com/)

  • Additional resources may be required for testing tools and the application under test

Integrated Products Requirements
  • QADirector 5.3.1, 6.0, 6.0.1, 6.1

  • QALoad 5.7, 5.8, 5.9

  • QARun 4.9.1 SP2

Input Method Editor (IME) Support

TestPartner supports the following IMEs for the listed input systems.

Table 1. Japanese Input System

Description

File Name

Windows XP

Windows 2003 Server

Windows Vista

MS-IME 2002

imejp81.ime

X

X

MS-IME 2003

imejp9.ime

X

X

MS-IME (10.0.6000.0)

N/A

X

Table 2. Korean Input System

Description

File Name

Windows XP

Windows 2003 Server

Windows Vista

IME 2000

imekr61.ime

X

X

MS-IME 2002

imekr.ime

X

X

MS-IME 2003

imekr70.ime

X

X

MS-IME (8.0.6000.0)

N/A

X

Table 3. Simplified Chinese Input System

Description

File Name

Windows XP

Windows 2003 Server

Windows Vista

MS-PinYin 3.0

pintlgnt.ime

X

X

MS-Pinyin IME (10.0.6000.0)

N/A

X

Table 4. Traditional Chinese Input System

Description

File Name

Windows XP

Windows 2003 Server

Windows Vista

MS-New Phonetic IME

tintlgnt.ime

X

X

MS Big5 Code IME

b5pinyin.ime

X

X

MS-Pinyin IME (10.0.6000.0)

N/A

X

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3. What's New

What's new in TestPartner:

Micro Focus Acquires Compuware Quality Solutions Products

On June 1, 2009, Micro Focus purchased Quality Solutions products from Compuware Corporation. Newbury, England-based Micro Focus provides enterprise application management and modernization solutions. Compuware and Micro Focus will continue to collaborate to ensure that customers receive uninterrupted service and obtain the full value of both companies' product capabilities.

For this release, the default installation path has changed from <INSTALL_DR>:\Program Files\Compuware\TestPartner to <INSTALL_DR>:\Program Files\Micro Focus\TestPartner. Correspondingly, the Start menu paths also have changed to reflect the move from Compuware to Micro Focus. If you have installed with a customized path, you will not experience any changes to the installation directory during an upgrade.

TestPartner will continue to use Compuware's Distributed License Manager utility. For more information, see TestPartner and Compuware's Distributed License Management Utility 4.3.

For the most recent product updates and information, go to SupportLine, the Micro Focus Customer Care Web site. You can find the new contact information posted on SupportLine in an updated Release Notes for each product and in future product release documentation.

Asset Version Purge Feature

To automate the process for deleting unneeded or obsolete versions of an asset, TestPartner provides an asset version purge feature. This feature allows you to selectively delete asset versions by specifying criteria such as the type of asset, the project in which an asset belongs, the number of versions to keep, and the modified date of an asset. For more information, refer to the "About Purging Asset Versions" topic in the TestPartner Help.

Default Save Option

The Global Asset Management option, Default Save Behavior, allows you to configure TestPartner's default behavior for saving the modified state of an asset. This option has the following settings:

Save as New Version

Saves the modified state of an asset as a new version of the asset and assigns an incremental numerical identifier to the version (#2, #3, etc.).

Save as Current Version

Saves the modified state of an asset as the current version of the asset. This option allows you to overwrite the current version.

The Default Save Behavior option is applied each time you save an asset using the Save button on the toolbar or asset dialog box or when using the shortcut key combination (CTRL+S).

Additionally, the File menu contains the following commands: Save as new version and Save as current version. When saving a specific asset, you can use these commands to override the default save option and explicitly choose whether to create a new version or overwrite the current version.

Support for Windows 7 and Windows Server 2008

TestPartner provides full object recognition, recording, and playback support for testing 32-bit applications running on Windows 7 (32-bit and 64-bit editions) and Windows Server 2008. When performing a silent installation of TestPartner on Windows 7, you must be logged in using the built-in Adminstrator Account.

Support for Internet Explorer 8

TestPartner provides object recognition, recording, and playback support for testing HTML-based Web applications running on the Internet Explorer 8.0 Web browser. A new object, TIESuggestionList has been added to TestPartner's Object Scripting Interface (TPOSI) library to support the new IE8 list control that appears in the address bar box and search box. Additionally, a new method, ClickExpander was added to support the recording and playback of mouse clicks made to the expanders (History, Favorites…) in the list.

Support for Mozilla FireFox 3.5

TestPartner provides object recognition, recording, and playback support for testing HTML-based Web applications running on the Mozilla Firefox 3.5 Web browser.

Support for SQL Server 2008 R2 and SQL Server 2008 Native Driver

TestPartner provides support for SQL Server 2008 R2 and the SQL Server 2008 native ODBC driver.

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4. Technical Notes

This section includes technical issues that may affect how you use the product. 

Databases

TestPartner Database Access Permissions in a Multi-user Environment

The access permissions of the folder in which the TestPartner database is installed are automatically applied to the TestPartner database. In a multi-user testing environment, you must ensure that required users have full access to the TestPartner database when installing the database in a location other than the default location.

When installing an Oracle client to use as a TestPartner database on Windows Vista, you must install Oracle client version 10gR2.3 and ODBC driver 10.2.0.3.0 or later.

When installing an Oracle client to use as a TestPartner database on Windows Vista, you must install Oracle client version 10gR2.3 and ODBC driver 10.2.0.3.0 or later.

Using an Existing SQL Server or MSDE Database With TestPartner

To use an existing TestPartner 5.4 or 5.6 SQL Server or MSDE database with TestPartner, you must create a new Data Source Name (DSN) using the 2005 version of the SQL Server Native Client ODBC driver. This driver is automatically installed on your system by the TestPartner installer. For more information on creating a DSN, refer to the "Creating a Data Source Name for a SQL Server Database" section of the TestPartner Installation Guide.

Recommended SQL Server Memory Usage

To prevent SQL Server from inhibiting performance by requesting too much memory, Micro Focus recommends setting the maximum SQL Server memory to 25 percent of the total RAM of the system, unless the total RAM is 256 MB, in which case set the maximum server memory to 80 MB. This recommendation applies when using any version of SQL Server as a TestPartner database if SQL Server is running on the same machine as TestPartner.

Database Growth When Capturing Images in Visual Tests

During the recording and playing back of a visual test, TestPartner captures and stores the screens and controls of the target application at each stage of the recording and playback. Because of the potential of capturing a large number of images and controls, you may experience a high growth rate of the size of your database. For more information, refer to the TestPartner Help topic "Limiting Database Growth".

SQL Server 2005 Express Installs with TCP/IP enabled

For compatibility with QADirector, TestPartner enables TCP/IP when installing SQL Server 2005 Express. Be advised that enabling TCP/IP presents a security risk to outside attacks through the internet.

Notice of Improper TestPartner Database Modification

Modification of the TestPartner repository/database outside of TestPartner or the Database Maintenance Utility violates the TestPartner License Agreement and may lead to database corruption. You are permitted to query the database.

TestPartner and Wide Area Networks (WANs)

Data transmissions on WAN connections have higher latency than Local or Metropolitan Area Networks. If TestPartner connects to its database across a WAN or is executed from an application server across a WAN, the latency may cause TestPartner to behave unreliably. Micro Focus does not support TestPartner if it connects to its back end database, which is located on a remote server, via a WAN. This applies only to TestPartner and its back end database. The application under test may be located anywhere, as long as it is supported by its architecture.

Documentation

Sample Applications in the TestPartner Tutorials

The sample applications used in the TestPartner tutorials are designed and optimized to run on Internet Explorer 7 or later. To ensure a user experience consistent with the lessons in the tutorials, Micro Focus does not recommend running the tutorial sample applications on the Mozilla Firefox browser.

Additional Documentation for TestPartner Server Database Setup

The TestPartner Installation Guide contains detailed instructions on how to set up a database for TestPartner. There are also additional instructions on creating new databases and updating database versions in the Getting Started section for Administrators in the TestPartner Help. You may also need to refer to these instructions depending on your database setup.

Environment

Testing With the User Account Control (UAC) Enabled in Windows Vista or Windows 7

TestPartner supports the recording and playback of applications with the User Account Control (UAC) security setting enabled provided the UAC dialog box does not appear during recording or playback. To disable the User Account Control (UAC) in Windows Vista or Windows 7:

  1. Log in to Windows Vista or Windows 7 as an administrator.

  2. From the Control Panel, select User AccountsChange Security Settings.

  3. Clear the Use User Account Control (UAC) to help protect your computer check box, and then click OK.

Standardizing TestPartner Builds in a Multi-user Testing Environment

In a multi-user testing environment, each TestPartner installation must be the same build as the other TestPartner installations. Failure to standardize the build may cause a TestPartner installation at a lower build to stop responding.

Licensing

TestPartner and Compuware's Distributed License Management Utility 4.3

For this release, TestPartner will continue to install Compuware's Distributed License Management (DLM) Utility 4.3. In a future release of TestPartner, DLM will be replaced with the Micro Focus licensing utility.

To access the utility, click StartProgramsCompuwareDistributed License Management From this utility, you can install and configure TestPartner licenses. There are two types of TestPartner licenses:

  • TestPartner_Developer: Enables full TestPartner functionality.

  • TestPartner_Runtime: Enables only playback functionality from the TestPartner command line utility (TP.EXE) or from QADirector.

Record and Playback

Internet Explorer 8 Address Bar

Due to changes made to the address bar in Internet Explorer 8, TestPartner identifies the address bar as a toolbar control. In previous versions of Internet Explorer, TestPartner identified the address bar as a combo box control. To ensure proper playback, you must update any existing visual tests or test scripts recorded against Internet Explorer 7 or earlier.

The following examples show how TestPartner records the selection of an address bar item in the different versions of Internet Explorer.

Internet Explorer 7 or Earlier
IEWindow("Internet Explorer MainWindow").Attach
   ComboBox("Parent.Caption='Navigation Bar'").Select "http://www.yahoo.com/"
Internet Explorer 8
IEWindow("Internet Explorer MainWindow").Attach
   ToolBar("Parent.Caption='Navigation Bar' Index=2").Select "Show Address Bar Autocomplete"
 Window("Application=IEXPLORE.EXE Caption=''").Attach
   IESuggestionList("Name=Address").Select "http://www.yahoo.com/"
Flash Player Requirements for Testing Adobe Flex Applications

To test Adobe Flex applications, you must have Flash Player 9.0.31.0 or later installed. Additionally, if your Flex application is run locally from disk, you must set the Flash Player Global Security settings to always allow SWF or FLV content to use older security rules for the location in which your Adobe Flex applications appear. For more information, see Adobe Flash Player Global Security Settings Panel.

Using the Page Zoom Feature in Internet Explorer and Firefox

Increasing or decreasing the size of a Web page using the page zoom feature in Internet Explorer or Firefox may cause recording inaccuracies. For best recording results, ensure the size is set to 100% in Internet Explorer and "Normal" in Mozilla Firefox.

Modifying FireFox 2.0 Test Scripts or Visual Tests to Play Back on FireFox 3.0

Because of changes made in the FireFox 3.0 Web browser, you may need to modify test scripts and visual tests recorded against FireFox 2.0 to play back correctly on FireFox 3.0. For example, TestPartner does not identify child controls in some HTML controls such as labels in FireFox 2.0, but does identify child controls in FireFox 3.0 This could cause a discrepancy in index calculation and affect the way TestPartner records attach names. In the following example of an HTML label control, TestPartner would not identify the <select> tag inside the <label> tag in FireFox 2.0, but would identify it in FireFox 3.0.

<body>
     <select>
          <option>000</option>
          <option>111</option>
     </select>
     <label>
          <select>
               <option>AAA</option>
               <option>BBB</option>
          </select>
     </label>
    <select>
         <option>222</option>
         <option>333</option>
   </select>
</body> 

Consequently, the index calculation that TestPartner uses to create attach names would be different between the following two versions of Firefox

Firefox 2.0

MozillaComboBox("ID='' Index=2").Attach MozillaComboBox.Select "333" Firefox

FireFox 3.0

MozillaComboBox("ID='' Index=3").Attach MozillaComboBox.Select "333"

Recording and Playing Back WPF XAML Browser Applications

In order to support WPF XAML browser applications (XBAPs) in a partial trust environment, TestPartner's .NET assemblies must be fully trusted. In order to be fully trusted, they must be installed into the .NET Global Assembly Cache (GAC). To ensure that TestPartner's .NET assemblies are fully trusted, the TestPartner installer installs the assemblies into the GAC when .NET 2.0 or later is detected on the installation computer. If .NET 2.0 or later is not installed or installed after TestPartner, TestPartner's WPF support will still function, except in the case of a WPF XBAP running in a partial trust environment.

To resolve this issue, you must install .NET 2.0 or later and repair the TestPartner installation from the Control Panel.

Recording and Playing Back Test Applications as an Administrator on Windows Vista or Windows 7

Windows Vista and Windows 7 provides you with the option of running applications as a standard user or as an administrator. If you choose to run a test application as an administrator, you must also run TestPartner as an administrator. Conversely, if you run a test application as a standard user, you have the option of running TestPartner as either a standard user or an administrator.

Recording Hot Keys in a Text Box Control Using Record Mode

A hot key or shortcut key refers to a keyboard key or key combination that invokes a particular command. For example, F11, CTRL+N or SHIFT+RIGHT ARROW. To reliably record hot keys in a text box control, you must exit standard recording mode and enter raw recording mode. For more information, see the TestPartner Help topic "Recording Hot Keys Using Raw Mode".

TestPartner Recording and Updates to ActiveX Controls

Microsoft has released a software update that changes the way in which Internet Explorer handles some Web pages that use ActiveX controls and Java applets. Once the update is installed, ActiveX controls from certain Web pages must be activated before they can be used. To enable an ActiveX control, a user must manually click the control.

As a result, TestPartner may record the activation of an ActiveX control that previously did not require activation.

For example:
' Attach to Caption='SwingSet demo'
HTMLBrowser("Caption='SwingSet demo'").Attach
    ActiveX("ClassName='Java Plug-in Control Window'").Activate

' Attach to JavaWindow 
JavaWindow("JavaWindow", tpAttachChild).Attach
JavaButton("Index=4").Click
    JavaComboBox("Index=1").Select "Philip, Lisa, Brent"

TestPartner has accommodated this change made by Microsoft in ActiveX behavior, and new test scripts recorded by TestPartner accurately record and play back the new ActiveX controls that require activation. However, existing scripts that interact with ActiveX controls that have changed may require re-recording.

There are techniques that Web developers can use to update their Web pages. Refer to Microsoft's MSDN Web site for more information about these techniques.

Debug Mode Playback Behavior

By default, the TestPartner General option Minimize on Playback is set to Yes. When this option is set to Yes, TestPartner minimizes to the taskbar each time you step through a line of code in a test script or a step in a visual test while in Debug mode. To change the default Debug mode playback behavior, set Minimize on Playback to No. When this option is set to No, TestPartner minimizes only when you step through a line of code in a test script or step in a visual test that performs an action against the target application. For example, clicking a button or typing in an edit box.

Record and Playback Facilities in TestPartner

When TestPartner is running concurrently with an application being tested, test record and playback facilities in TestPartner may be impacted by the following:

  • The type of application being tested

  • The number of individual controls being recorded or identified on a page

  • The processor speed of the machine where the application is being tested

  • The amount of memory on the machine where the application is being tested

TestPartner recording or playback may slow down when testing applications on slower speed machines when several hundred controls exist on one page.

SAP Support

Supported SAP Patch Level

TestPartner supports SAP GUI for Windows 6.20 (patch level 42 or later) and SAP GUI for Windows 6.40 (patch level 15 or later) and SAP GUI for Windows 7.10 (patch level 2 or later).

Configuring SAP for Use With TestPartner

To configure SAP GUI for Windows, SAP GUI for HTML, and SAP eCATT for use with TestPartner, perform the following steps:

Note: For more information about these configuration steps, refer to the SAP Help Portal (http://help.sap.com) and search the SAP R/3 and R/3 Enterprise documentation for the SAP Help topics listed after each step.
  • Login to SAP as an administrator to make permanent changes

  • Enable scripting on the application server (SAP Help topic: "Enabling Scripting on the Application Server")

  • Enable scripting on the client front end and clear the Notify when a script attaches to a running GUI check box to prevent a confirmation dialog box from displaying each time TestPartner records against an SAP application (SAP Help topic: "Enabling Scripting at the Front End")

  • For SAP eCATT users, select TestPartner as the SAP eCATT external Testing tool (SAP Help topic: "Using an External Tool with eCATT")

Recording Against an SAPWindow Object

To more reliably identify SAP Window objects, TestPartner adds the Caption property as a property of interest in the default recording profile and removes the SAPID property as a property of interest from the profile.

SAP Communication Object and TestPartner

Certain actions performed against SAP are executed from the SAP server. To execute these actions, SAP requires the communication object on the server. When the communication object is on the server, SAP blocks all scripting calls until the SAP communication object is on the client. This can happen when an eCATT script executed from the server tries to access its own SAP GUI session.

When this happens, TestPartner cannot record or play back against the SAP session. To work around this issue, create a new session (System>Create Session in SAP) or log out of SAP and log back in.

Test Script Recording and Playback Against SAP ITS 6.10 and 6.20 HTML Controls

Test scripts recorded against HTML controls in SAP ITS 6.10 and SAP ITS 6.20 may not play back properly. This is because the default properties used to record against HTML controls contain additional elements that cause indexing to be different upon subsequent test script playback. To avoid playback issues for HTML controls in SAP ITS 6.10 and SAP ITS 6.20, create an attach name profile using the recommended properties as shown in the table below.

The recommended property settings for SAP ITS 6.10 and 6.20 HTML controls are as follows:

Control

Default Property

Recommended Property

HTMLFrame

Src, Name

ID

HTMLSpan

ID

InnerText

HTMLDIV (required in some cases)

ID or Parent ID

ElementID

Note that these are recommendations only. There may be cases where the recommendations are not appropriate. It is also recommended that the Record Frame Resizing option in TestPartner's Advanced Record Options be set to No, which is the default setting.

TestPartner Test Assets

Object Map Availability in TestPartner During Playback

In this release of TestPartner, the project scope for objects maps has changed to limit object map availability to the current project and the Common project. During playback, if an object map does not exist in either the current project or Common project, a playback error occurs. This change in project scope for object maps was made to be consistent with the current project scope for all other TestPartner assets.

In previous releases of TestPartner, object maps were available in any project. As a result, if you have objects maps saved in projects other than the current project and Common project, you must move the object maps to either the current project or Common project. As a general guideline, if you plan to use an object map in more than one project, save it in the Common project. Otherwise, save the object map in the project in which it is used.

VSTS Support

TestPartner Integration Support for Visual Studio 2005 Team Suite SP1

TestPartner supports the playback of test scripts from Visual Studio 2005 Team Suite SP1 either as a standalone asset or as a part of a Visual Studio test suite. Playback of visual tests from Visual Studio 2005 Team Suite SP1 is not supported.

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5. Known Issues

This section describes known issues related to the current release of TestPartner

Installation

InstallShield "Error 1316" Error Message

When attempting to uninstall TestPartner, you may receive the following error: "'Error 1316. A network error occurred while attempting to read from the file C:\Windows\Installer\TestParter.msi". This error occurs when the following conditions are met:

  • The TestPartner release you are attempting to uninstall has the VSTS Integration feature installed.

  • You have the latest version of Microsoft Windows Installer installed.

  • You select Micro Focus TestPartner in the Control Panel's list of installed programs, click Change to modify the installation, and then attempt to uninstall TestPartner by clicking Remove from the Program Maintenance page of the InstallShield Wizard.

To work around this issue, select Micro Focus TestPartner in the Control Panel's list of installed programs, and then click Remove or Uninstall depending on the operating system on which TestPartner is installed.

Unhandled win32 Exception Error During Upgrade

When upgrading a release of TestPartner, a Visual Studio Just-In-Time Debugger dialog box may appear stating that "An unhandled win32 exception occurred in COH32.exe [2412].". This error does not affected the installation of TestPartner. Close the dialog box and proceed with the installation.

Silent Install Requires Microsoft Visual C++ 2005 SP1 Redistributable Package (x86)

Due to a Microsoft issue, when upgrading from TestPartner 6.1 or TestPartner 6.2 to TestPartner 6.3 on Windows Vista, Windows 7, or Windows Server 2008, you must install the Microsoft Visual C++ 2005 SP1 Redistributable Package (x86) when performing a silent installation of TestPartner. For more information, refer to the "Silent Installation Overview" section in the TestPartner Installation Guide.

InstallShield "Error 1722" Error Message

You may receive an "Error 1722" error message when installing SQL Server 2005 Express as the default TestPartner database. This error results in a roll back of the installation. To work around this issue, you must create a SQL Server 2005 Express instance "QACInst" prior to installing TestPartner. Alternatively, you can install MS Access as the deafult TestPartner database by deselecting the SQL Server Express option when installing TestPartner.

This error may also occur during the repair of a TestPartner installation. To work around this issue, you must verify the TestPartner database is still hosted by the SQL Server 2005 Express instance "QACInst" and accessible from the SQL Server Express Management Console.

InstallShield "'QACInst' Instance of SQL Server 2005 Express Not Properly Installed" Error Message

When installing SQL Server 2005 Express as the default TestPartner database, you may receive an error message that states "The required 'QACInst' instance of SQL Server 2005 Express Edition was not properly installed". To work around this issue, open the Add or Remove Programs dialog box from the Control Panel and uninstall the Microsoft SQL Native Client. Next, reinstall the SQL Native Client, and then install TestPartner. For more information, refer to the following Microsoft support article: http://support.microsoft.com/?kbid=933833.

McAfee 8.5 Patch 1 Causes Recurrent Reboot

A defect in McAfee 8.5 patch 1 causes a reset of the reboot flag. During installation, TestPartner checks for a reboot flag and prompts the user to reboot. Consequently, the combination of McAfee resetting the flag and TestPartner checking for the flag creates an infinite loop. To avoid this loop, install a later patch of McAfee 8.5.

InstallShield "File Not Found" Error Message

You may receive a "File Not Found" error message after installation. Click OK to dismiss the message. This file is not required for a TestPartner installation.

Previous Version of TestPartner is Detected

If you have uninstalled all previous versions of TestPartner but the installation process indicates that a previous version of the product is still installed, you may need to remove a registry key. Note: Incorrectly editing the registry may severely damage your system. Before making changes to the registry, you should back up any valued data on the computer. In the following registry location:

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Uninstall\{TestPartner version-specific key}

Delete the registry key for the version of TestPartner you have installed:

  • TestPartner 5.2.1 {AF32ADB9-45B1-4736-A390-A0728138E1bb}

  • TestPartner 5.3.0 {32E99FAB-30A3-43BD-95AA-D16C31B0D2DB}

  • TestPartner 5.4.0 {32E99FAB-30A3-43BD-95AA-D16C31B0D2DB}

  • TestPartner 5.6.0 {679B70D8-D304-414E-9CED-DB67B106B4AF}

  • TestPartner 6.0.0 {8C3E03F6-EB13-40F2-827E-BF971DD70909}

  • TestPartner 6.1.0 {AB5F5371-C53E-47D7-925A-FA792350EF5A}

  • TestPartner 6.2.0 {279FBA4C-035F-4B82-82E3-C670B26D2D15}

  • TestPartner 6.3.0 {63AAB797-5051-45A1-B167-E72182408BC9}

Record and Playback

Adobe Flex Testing Considerations

TestPartner provides object recognition, recording, and playback support for testing Adobe Flex 3.0 applications.

Prior to installing the latest version of the Adobe Flash Player, you must close TestPartner or ensure that TestPartner is not running.

When typing against Flex controls running in Firefox 2, TestPartner records the characters typed against a previous Mozilla control that had focus (such as MozillaWindow, MozillaComboBox, etc.) instead of the Flex control against which a character was typed. To work around this issue, manually create a test script to run against Firefox 2 or run and record the test application on Firefox 3.

When you set the ShowHeaders property of a Flex DataGrid to false, the numAutomationChildren property always returns a value of zero. This affects TestPartner's ability to accurately identify child objects. There currently isn't a workaround for this issue. For more information, see Adobe Flex support issue FLEXENT-821.

Due to the design of Adobe Flex applications, all types of text captures are not supported.

Changing the default value for the Menu Wait Time playback option may cause a synchronization failure during playback.

You may need to extend the Flex Delegate class to enable proper recording of specific events relating to Flex controls not included in the Adobe Flex default automation support. For example, TestPartner only records the initial click of a Flex auto repeat button and does not always record the editing of Flex combo box list items properly. To work around these issues, you must include the following code in your Flex application prior to recording:

Import PTPFlexAgent.TPButtonAutomationImpl; 
Import PTPFlexAgent.TPComboBoxAutomationImpl; 

public function AnyInitializingFunction()
{ 
   // Add Auto Repeat Button Delegate Override
   TPButtonAutomationImpl.init(null);
  // Add Combo Box Delegate Override
   TPComboBoxAutomationImpl.init(null);
} 
Default Text Capture Behavior Against Internet Explorer on Windows Vista or Windows 7

By default, when TestPartner performs a text capture against the entire Internet Explorer window, the text in the Internet Explorer frame is captured but the text appearing in the HTML browser area inside the frame is not captured. To capture the text appearing in the HTML browser area, you must perform a text capture against the HTML browser area, not the entire Internet Explorer window.

Alternatively, to capture both the text in the frame and HTML browser area, you can change TestPartner's default text capture behavior by setting the following registry setting to 1:

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Micro Focus\TestPartner\Settings\UseMultiProcessTextCapture = 1

After changing the registry setting, you must run both Internet Explorer and TestPartner as an administrator.

Minimizing Remote Desktop

TestPartner does not function when a remote desktop or remote desktop connection (RDC) is minimized. When you connect through the remote desktop protocol (RDP) to a desktop, you take ownership of the desktop by attaching to the desktop with your mouse and keyboard. If the desktop is minimized without ownership of the desktop being released, any playback of mouse clicks or keystrokes is undefined. The recommended configuration is to run TestPartner on a VMWare-server and connect through VMWare-client software. This allows replay to continue even if the client has been closed.

Incorrect Index Recorded Against Controls

TestPartner may incorrectly compute a control's index while recording. This occurs rarely, but can cause the recorded test script to be unable to attach to the control during playback.

Various circumstances may cause TestPartner to incorrectly compute a control's index. One known instance of this is where TestPartner may incorrectly record the index of a Java control if the control has been previously recorded in the same test script and the control's Z-order has been changed. For example, if a test script records against a Java control that is in the foreground, then the control is moved to the back, subsequent recording against the control may record with a different index, and the test script may not playback correctly. Similarly, TestPartner may not properly record the same index against a control after its Z-order changes.

If TestPartner incorrectly computes a control's index and no other unique identifiers exist, work around the issue by returning the application under test to its state just prior to the action that is not playing back as expected, identifying the control, then adjusting the control's index in the recorded code with an appropriate value.

VSTS Support

VSTS Integration Project Configuration File Requires Manual Editing After Upgrade

After upgrading a TestPartner release that has the VSTS Integration feature enabled, you must manually edit the TestPartner VSTS integration project configuration file (localttestrun.testrunconfig) and replace instances of Compuware.TestPartner with MicroFocus.TestPartner. This file is typically located in the following location: C:\Documents and Settings\Administrator\My Documents\Visual Studio 2005\Projects\<project name>\localtestrun.testrunconfig.

SAP Support

Recording Against SAP Business Explorer Scroll Bars

TestPartner does not record the scrolling movement of the SAP Business Explorer scroll bar. To work around this issue, use the scroll bar to position the desired item so that it is visible. Next, click above or below the scroll bar to record a click position that will mark the position of the item. Make sure that after clicking above or below the scroll bar, the item remains in view. During playback, TestPartner will use this click position to bring the item into view.

Modified Property Does Not Return Correct Value

An SAP limitation fails to update the Modified property, and TestPartner is not able to gather this information in any other way.

No Detailed Message Why TestPartner Cannot Start from SAP eCATT

SAP eCATT stores TestPartner test data in the TP_EDIT or TP_EXEC database. If TestPartner is run within eCATT, and TP_EDIT or TP_EXEC has an old schema, TestPartner cannot start. Neither TestPartner nor eCATT can provide a detailed message why TestPartner cannot start. To resolve this issue, use the Database Maintenance Utility (DBMaint) to update the schema for both the TP_EDIT and TP_EXEC databases.

Recording the Collapse of an SAPTreeView Control in TestPartner

The SAP Document Object Model (DOM) does not provide a way to determine what part of an SAPTreeView control is clicked on when a click is recorded against the SAPTreeView. As a result, TestPartner cannot record a click that collapses any branch within an SAPTreeView control.

Event Creation with SAP Controls

TestPartner does not support event creation and playback for SAP controls. TestPartner provides a high degree of synchronization with objects and controls in SAP applications, which greatly reduces the need for events used to synchronize with SAP applications. Error handling using the TestPartner TOnError object can be used to handle asynchronous type events. For more information, refer to the TestPartner Help topics "Example Test Script - Error Handling" and the "TOnError Object".

TestPartner Test Assets

Including Assets With the Same Name from Different TestPartner Projects

If two TestPartner assets with the same name belong to different TestPartner projects, using the $TPInclude statement or the Include() method in the same test script can cause a VBA error. The error occurs when attempting to open both assets. When this happens, TestPartner displays a message that indicates a VBA asset naming conflict has occurred, and that the asset window will be closed. When the error occurs, TestPartner removes the most recently loaded same named asset from memory.

The error occurs because of how VBA handles assets in its own projects. When two assets with the same name exist in a VBA project, VBA renames the most recently created same named asset by adding a "1" onto the end of the name. For example, if both assets are named MYMODULE1, VBA renames the second asset MYMODULE11. VBA only makes this change internally while the asset is loaded. The name of the asset does not change in the TestPartner database. VBA does not allow two assets with the same name to exist in the same project, so TestPartner issues an error.

The asset name can not be left as what VBA changed it to because that could break scripts with user forms and class modules, which refer to the name of the asset in the code. To work around this issue, do not give the same name to two assets if these assets will be included in the same test script.

Support for .NET Object Arrays When the Object's .NET Assembly is Referenced

Due to limitations in VBA, Microsoft does not support arrays for .NET objects when the object's .NET assembly is referenced. As a result, arrays of .NET objects cannot be used with TestPartner object extension for .NET. Examining an object's array in a Locals window when the object's .NET assembly is referenced may cause TestPartner to stop responding.

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6. Getting Help

If ever you have any problems or you would like additional technical information or advice, there are several sources. In some countries, product support from Micro Focus may be available only to customers who have maintenance agreements.

If you obtained this product directly from Micro Focus, contact us as described below. If you obtained it from another source, such as an authorized distributor, contact them for help first. If they are unable to help, contact us as described below.

However you contact us, please try to include the information below, if you have it. The more information you can give, the better Customer Care can help you. But if you don't know all the answers, or you think some are irrelevant to your problem, please give whatever information you have.

  • The name, release (version), and build number of the product.

  • Installation information, including installed options, whether the product uses local or network databases, whether it is installed in the default directories, whether it is a standalone or network installation, and whether it is a client or server installation.

  • Environment information, such as the operating system and release on which the product is installed, memory, hardware/network specifications, and the names and releases of other applications that were running.

  • The location of the problem in the product software, and the actions taken before the problem occurred.

  • The exact product error message, if any.

  • The exact application, licensing, or operating system error messages, if any.

  • Your Micro Focus client, office, or site number, if available.

Contact

Our web site gives up-to-date details of contact numbers and addresses. To connect, enter http://www.microfocus.com/ in your browser to go to the Micro Focus home page, or go to http://supportline.microfocus.com/.