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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.
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.
Testing terminal-based applications
Use the Rational® Functional Tester Terminal-based Applications feature to create test scripts and automate your host-application test cases. You can test host attributes, host field attributes, and screen-flow through a host application. It uses terminal verification points and properties, as well as synchronization code to identify the readiness of terminal for user input.

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.
  - Preparing the functional test environment
    This section describes the tasks you must perform to configure the functional test environment.
  - Managing functional test projects
    A functional test project stores application test assets such as scripts, object maps, verification point baseline files, and script templates. You must create a functional test project before you can record scripts.
  - Working with functional test scripts (Windows-only)
    This section describes the process of creating functional test scripts to test your applications.
  - Working with verification points
    Verification points verify that a certain action has taken place, or verify the state of a control or an object. When you create a verification point, you are capturing information about a control or an object in the application to establish this as baseline information for comparison during playback.
  - Driving functional tests with external data
    This section describes techniques you can use to data-drive functional tests with external data.
  - Managing functional test assets
    You can integrate Rational® Functional Tester with Rational Team Concert™ and manage functional test assets using any of these source control management tools.
  - Testing terminal-based applications
    Use the Rational® Functional Tester Terminal-based Applications feature to create test scripts and automate your host-application test cases. You can test host attributes, host field attributes, and screen-flow through a host application. It uses terminal verification points and properties, as well as synchronization code to identify the readiness of terminal for user input.
    - Importing certificates from the server for secured connections
      Starting from Rational® Functional Tester 9.1.1, you can import certificates from the server to connect to the host machines securely. You can create a CustomizedCAs.p12 / CustomizedCAs.jks keystore through the Extension for Terminal-based Applications that produces the *.p12/JKS file. This file passes the host server's self-signed certificate credentials to the terminal to allow a secure connection.
    - Creating a host connection script
      You can create a host connection script so that you can interact with the host session, navigate to other screens, and create data verification points.
    - Recording a host connection script
      You can automate the testing of a host application by recording a script that connects to, and interacts with a host system. The session is recorded as a set of commands and can be played back at a later time. This allows you to automate the navigation to specific screens.
    - Extension for Terminal-based Applications window
      Use the Extension for Terminal-based Applications window to connect to the host and record or play back host interactions in the scripts.
  - Troubleshooting issues
    You can find information about the issues or problems that you might encounter while you work in the Functional Test perspective of Rational® Functional Tester. You can also find the details about the causes and resolutions that you can apply to fix the issues.
- 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.
- 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.

Testing terminal-based applications

Use the Rational® Functional Tester Terminal-based Applications feature to create test scripts and automate your host-application test cases. You can test host attributes, host field attributes, and screen-flow through a host application. It uses terminal verification points and properties, as well as synchronization code to identify the readiness of terminal for user input.

You can use the terminal-based applications feature to perform the following tasks:

Store, load, and share common host configurations by using a properties file. The connection configuration can be loaded automatically through scripts, using these files.
Record or play back scripts against multiple host terminals.
Start the terminal even when you are not recording or playing back your scripts. With this function, you can interact with the host without leaving the working Eclipse environment.
Perform data driven testing.

For information about the Host Access Class Library (HACL) for Java APIs, see IBM WebSphere Host On-Demand Information Centerl