Recording a Web UI test

You create a Web UI test in the UI Test perspective. Rational® Functional Tester automatically enables web browsers and configures the test environment before you start recording tests for web applications.

Before you begin

You must have completed the following tasks:

Procedure

  1. In the UI Test perspective, click New > Test From Recording.

    Alternatively, on the toolbar, click the New Test From Recording icon New Test From Recording.

  2. Click Create a test from a new recording.
  3. Select Web UI Test.
  4. Click Recording Encryption Level, and then select the encryption level, if you want to encrypt sensitive data in the application.
  5. Click Next.

    The Select Location page is displayed.

  6. Click to select a folder from the parent folder list.
  7. Type a name for the test.
  8. Optional: Select Customize automatic data correlation to correlate the test data by using automatic data correlation.
    This option is useful only if you are generating a HTTP test from the Web UI recsession file and want to apply data correlation to the HTTP test. Data correlation is not supported for a Web UI test.
  9. Click Next.

    The Select Client Application page is displayed.

  10. Select the web browser that you want to use, and then click Next.
    The type of application defines the recorder that can be used. The following client application types are supported for recording a Web UI test:
    • Apple Safari
    • Google Chrome
    • Microsoft Edge
    • Microsoft Internet Explorer
    • Mozilla Firefox

    The Recorder Settings dialog is displayed.

  11. Set the recording preferences depending on the browser that you selected:
    • If the server requires client SSL authentication, provide the client certificate for the proxy recorder to be authenticated by the server as though the proxy recorder were the client. Select The server requires a specific client certificate.

      To provide single certificate keystore, specify the file name and password of the server certificate keystore. If multiple certificates are required, click Multiple certificates, and click Add to specify a certificate keystore file name and password for each host name and port.

    • If you selected Mozilla Firefox, you can choose to use a temporary Firefox® profile. This option starts Firefox® without any bookmarks, plug-ins, or toolbars that might be associated with your usual profile. Select Use an alternate Firefox profile, and then select Use a temporary Firefox profile.
      Note: Do not select this option if you want to record the test in private mode.
    • If you record a test with the web browser extension that is recommended for Firefox® 57, select a user profile that is associated with the installed extension plug-in. Once this option checked, the web recorder runs the Firefox® web extension to record the test.
    • To launch the browser in the private mode for recording, select the Private Mode check box in the Advanced section.
      Note: You can record tests in the private mode in the Google Chrome, Microsoft Edge, and Mozilla Firefox browsers. Refer to prerequisites and enabling browser topics under Prerequisites for creating tests.
    • To also include the HTTP traffic in the Web UI recording, in the Advanced section, click Also record HTTP traffic. By using this option, you can later generate HTTP tests (in addition to the Web UI tests) from the recording.

      The option is enabled by default. To disable it, click change default value. In the Preferences dialog, clear Also record HTTP traffic, click Apply and click OK.

    • Click Advanced to specify whether to use an HTTP or SOCKS proxy recorder to review and edit network connection settings that the browser uses or to specify advanced SSL authentication settings.
    • Specify advanced SSL authentication settings. If you are using the SOCKS recorder, the RptCertificate.jks certificate is used by default. Select The client requires a specific server certificate and click Add to specify the server hostname, port, certificate database path, and the certificate database password for each website that you are planning to test. If you select Generate certificate, for any IP address received by the SOCK proxy that is resolved by one the server hostnames that you listed, the SOCKS proxy uses a generated certificate signed by the RPT certificate authority, thereby ensuring a smooth recording.
    • If you select Override browser settings, select Accept SSL 3.0, or Accept TLS 1.0, or both.
  12. Click Finish.
    The Welcome page is displayed with the following details:
    • Version of the web browser.
    • Web applications that you added to test.
  13. In the browser address field, type the address of the web application to test.
    Note: If you enter the address of a secure website (one that starts with https:), your browser might display a security alert. Depending on the security certificate for the site, you might be required to accept a security risk to proceed with the recording.
  14. After you finish the user tasks in the browser, stop the recorder. You can stop the recorder by closing the web application under test or by clicking the Stop icon Stop icon in the Recording Control view.
  15. In the Data Correlation and Transformation page, set the data correlation options as appropriate and click Finish.
    This page appears if you have selected the Customize automatic data correlation option.

What to do next

When the test is generated, you can edit it in the test editor. For information, see Editing Web UI tests.

To create variable data for the test, you can use the dataset candidates suggested by the workbench when you first open the generated test. For more information, see Viewing dataset candidates when you open a test.