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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.
Rational® Functional Tester proxy SDK
Extend automated functional testing support for your application's user interface controls.
Proxy development
A challenge in functional testing is the variety of user interface (UI) frameworks that are available (for example, Java™ and HTML) and controls (for example, button and table) that testing must support. UI frameworks differ in architecture and programming models and the controls differ in their inheritance hierarchy, methods, properties data, and user actions.
Developing proxies using the Proxy SDK wizard
Rational® Functional Tester proxy SDK supports wizard driven development of proxies. Proxy development life cycle stages such as creating a proxy project, creating a proxy class, exporting the proxy packages and deploying these proxies is done using the proxy wizards.

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.
    - Introduction to proxy SDK
      With Rational® Functional Tester proxy software development kit (SDK) you can extend automated functional testing support for your application's user interface controls (GUI test objects), beyond what is provided by Rational Functional Tester by default. The proxy SDK provides detailed documentation, API references and ready-to-use samples and tutorials on how to extend Rational Functional Tester to add support for testing new controls. It also helps you to extend already supported controls from the existing domains. You can develop proxies manually or by using the proxy wizards driven approach.
    - Rational® Functional Tester architecture
      Rational® Functional Tester can be extended to perform additional functions for which it needs to communicate with the application under test (AUT). To do that Rational Functional Tester first establishes a communication channel to the AUT which is called enablement.
    - Proxy development
      A challenge in functional testing is the variety of user interface (UI) frameworks that are available (for example, Java™ and HTML) and controls (for example, button and table) that testing must support. UI frameworks differ in architecture and programming models and the controls differ in their inheritance hierarchy, methods, properties data, and user actions.
      - Understanding proxies
        A proxy object implements the prescribed Rational® Functional Tester interface for a UI control in the application under test (AUT). When you enable your application for testing, the proxy classes are loaded into the application and become part of it. A proxy object wraps around the actual control (the native object) in your application, making it testable in Rational Functional Tester. It is a connection point between the TestObject and the real control (object) being tested at the AUT.
      - Proxy development environment
        Rational® Functional Tester proxies can be developed either in Java™ or C# programming languages based on the UI framework of the application under test (AUT).
      - Setting up proxy projects
        ProxyObjects are deployed as either JAR files which are proxies written in Java™, or as Assembly DLLs which are proxies written in C#, along with customization file with the .rftcust extension.
      - Current level of proxy support that Rational® Functional Tester provides
        To develop proxies for a control, you must understand the current level of support that Rational® Functional Tester provides for that control. Consider that you want to add testing support for the Java™ swing UI control, javax.swing.JFormattedTextField.
      - Extending proxies
        Rational® Functional Tester needs UI control-specific information to perform functional testing operations such as recording, playback, verification points, and data driving. It tries to map the closest proxy if it finds a new control for which it has no proxy.
      - Extending proxies for Flex custom controls
      - Developing proxies using the Proxy SDK wizard
        Rational® Functional Tester proxy SDK supports wizard driven development of proxies. Proxy development life cycle stages such as creating a proxy project, creating a proxy class, exporting the proxy packages and deploying these proxies is done using the proxy wizards.
        Creating a proxy project
        The Rational® Functional Tester proxy SDK supports wizard driven proxy development. This wizard helps you create a new proxy project in the work area.
        Creating a proxy class
        Proxy classes that you develop are stored in the proxy project container. You must use proxy-class wizard development to create a proxy framework. The proxy writer must provide the logic for the proxy. For example, you must enter the logic for the methods and interfaces for the proxy to recognize the controls.
        Exporting proxy packages
        You can use the export wizard to export resources to an archive file. The components that must be deployed are bundled in a file.
        Importing proxy packages
        The import wizard imports the proxy package to the customization directory of Rational® Functional Tester. The import wizard displays the proxy items that are available in the proxy package. You can import these items into Rational Functional Tester or any computer.
        Proxy project creation wizard
        This wizard helps you create a new proxy project in the work area. When you first open the New Project wizard, you need to select the type of project you want to create. To assist in locating a particular wizard, the text field can be used to show only the wizards that match the entered text.
        Proxy class creation wizard
        The New Proxy Class wizard helps you to create a new proxy class in an existing proxy project. This wizard creates a proxy stub. The proxy writer provides the logic for the proxy. For example, you must specify the logic for the methods and interfaces to modify the existing behavior of Rational® Functional Tester.
        Exporting proxy items
        This wizard helps you to archive and export proxy items to a destination folder.
        Importing proxy items
        This wizard displays the proxy items in the archive file and helps you select the proxy items and deploy those items in an existing project.
    - TestObjects
      TestObjects are the script-side interfaces for proxies and application under test (AUT) controls. A TestObject is a connection point between the test script and a ProxyObject that connects to the real object in the AUT. During recording, statements are recorded and objects are added to the Object Map. The script uses the information from the Object Map to construct and find TestObjects.
    - ProxyObject hierarchy
      While developing new proxies by extending existing proxies for any domain, it is important to understand the existing proxies and the hierarchies, so that you extend the right proxy.
    - TestObject class diagram and canonical names
      Rational® Functional Tester has a predefined set of TestObjects that are hierarchically grouped and each TestObject has a set of predefined methods.
    - SubItems
      SubItems are part of TestObjects. The ObjectMap does not contain the SubItems, because they are not mapped.
    - Value classes and value managers
      The following code examples show several value classes and value managers.
    - TestData types
      The Rational® Functional Tester framework calls the getTestDataTypes() and getTestData(String) proxy methods for extracting data from controls for verification and reference. These methods are used during the creation and play back of data verification points. You can override the getTestDataTypes() method to add more specific data types for a control.
    - Proxy exceptions
      Rational® Functional Tester has a set of predefined exceptions that covers wide ranges of errors that are usually expected while functional testing. These exceptions are available for both the Java™ and .NET proxy development frameworks.
    - Proxy development best practices
      Following best practices while you develop proxies can help make your work more efficient and effective. Consider these methods to enhance your development efforts.
  - 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.
  - 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.

Developing proxies using the Proxy SDK wizard

Rational® Functional Tester proxy SDK supports wizard driven development of proxies. Proxy development life cycle stages such as creating a proxy project, creating a proxy class, exporting the proxy packages and deploying these proxies is done using the proxy wizards.

To use the proxy development wizard, you must have:

Detailed understanding of the Rational® Functional Tester framework.
Knowledge of the controls for which proxies are created.
Knowledge of Java programming based on the proxy framework.

Rational® Functional Tester Proxy SDK wizard supports developing proxies for Flex, Eclipse and Java technologies