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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.
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.
Customizing a script template
Rational® Functional Tester uses its default script templates to format and provide basic information when you create a script. You can customize the information and format by customizing the script templates.
VP placeholders
VP placeholders resolve Test Object and verification point (VP) placeholder values into property strings. Default placeholders values are also resolved.

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 IBM® Rational® Functional Tester to create functional tests for these applications. You must first record the tests and then use Rational Functional Tester 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 IBM® Rational® Functional Tester to create traditional functional tests for these applications. You must first record the tests and then use Rational Functional Tester to run the tests before you can view the test results.
- 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.
  - Rational® Functional Tester proxy SDK
    Extend automated functional testing support for your application's user interface controls.
  - Customizing a script template
    Rational® Functional Tester uses its default script templates to format and provide basic information when you create a script. You can customize the information and format by customizing the script templates.
    - Customizing script templates
      You can customize the default script templates that Rational® Functional Tester uses to format and provide basic information when you create a script.
    - Default placeholders
      You can use default placeholders to customize the systemwide placeholders such as properties, date, and time of any script template.
    - Object map property placeholders
      The object map property placeholders resolve object map placeholder values into property values. They also resolve default placeholder values.
    - Script placeholders
      Script placeholders resolve script-level placeholder values into script values. As the values are resolved, several lines of information can be cached, depending on the placeholder.
    - VP placeholders
      VP placeholders resolve Test Object and verification point (VP) placeholder values into property strings. Default placeholders values are also resolved.
    - Script helper superclass placeholders
      You can use the script helper superclass placeholders to customize the Script Helper Parent, the Header of the file template.
  - Using the API to edit functional test scripts
    These topics describe how you can take advantage of the Rational® Functional Tester application programming interface (API) or the scripting framework to make changes to functional test scripts. As a general rule, the modifications that you make with the scripting SDK, should emulate as closely as possible, the user interactions to test with the application-under-test.
- Experimental Features
  Rational® Functional Tester 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.

VP placeholders

VP placeholders resolve Test Object and verification point (VP) placeholder values into property strings. Default placeholders values are also resolved.

Usage: Use the following placeholder to customize the VP: Verification Point Default Name template:

vp placeholder

Description: Allows access to verification point attributes.

Syntax: %vp: argument%

Arguments for the vp placeholder:

: type -- Returns the type of verification point being created. For example, text may be used for the Visible Text test of a Data verification point (Text).; description -- Returns the description of verification point as presented in the record UI. For example, Visible Text may be used for a Data verification point (Text).

testobject placeholders

Description: This placeholder resolves values relative to an entry in the object map. It is valid only during helper script method generation. The property for the testobject placeholder returns the property name.

Syntax: %testobject: property%

One recognition property:

: .class -- Returns the Java™ class name, the HTML tag (with an HTML prefix), or the VB class name of the test object.

Note:

Administrative properties are prefixed with a # character. For information about administrative and recognition properties, see Property Sets in the Test Object Map topic.
From the VP: Verification Point Default Name script template, you can also access any dynamically available property, which is the actual test object in the software under test, not the mapped test object.

Administrative properties:

: #name -- Returns the test object's descriptive name.; #role -- Returns the test object role.; #domain -- Returns the domain in which the test object is defined, that is, Java™, HTML, or .NET.; #testobject -- Returns the interface class name used to interact with the test object.; #class -- Returns the full class name of the test object.; #className -- Returns the simple class name for the test object, that is, the full class name without the package information.; #description -- Returns a user-specified description, defined in the object map editor. If this property is null, Rational® Functional Tester uses the simple #className property.; #property -- Returns any test object property converted to its toString value. You can find the properties available for a test object in the test object map property set.