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Test Execution Specialist Guide
This guide describes how to automate the playback of the tests by using different methods such as Docker, IBM Cloud Private, Jenkins and so on. The test results can be pushed to Rational® Test Control Panel.
Configuration of test runs from the Functional Test perspective
When you created functional tests, you must configure the run of the recorded functional tests from the Functional Test perspective before you can view the test results.
Playback of test scripts for HTML applications by using the Web UI engine
You can play back test scripts for HTML applications in web browsers by using the Web UI engine without enabling the Java environments and browsers.

Test Execution Specialist Guide
This guide describes how to automate the playback of the tests by using different methods such as Docker, IBM Cloud Private, Jenkins and so on. The test results can be pushed to Rational® Test Control Panel.
- Configuration of test runs from the UI Test perspective
  When you create Web UI, mobile, or Windows tests, you must configure the play back of the recorded tests as test runs from the UI Test perspective before you can view their test results.
- Configuration of test runs from the Functional Test perspective
  When you created functional tests, you must configure the run of the recorded functional tests from the Functional Test perspective before you can view the test results.
  - Script Playback
    When you play back a script, Rational® Functional Tester replays your recorded actions, which automates the software testing cycle.
  - Restoring the test environment before playback
    The state of both the environment and the application-under-test can affect script playback. If the recorded environment and the playback environment are different, playback problems can occur.
  - Configuring how to handle unexpected windows during playback
    Problems can occur during script playback if unexpected windows are displayed. Unexpected windows such as security and warning message dialog boxes or custom dialog boxes can cause playback failure with exceptions such as object not found or window not activated. You can configure how unexpected windows can be handled so that scripts can be played back smoothly without interruption.
  - Inserting dynamic test objects
    You can also insert dynamic test objects by using Insert Dynamic Test Object. The hierarchy of a test object in the object map represents the order of search of the particular control during playback. Over a series of application changes, the hierarchy of the objects may change if new objects are introduced in the test application. This results in a playback failure. Using dynamic test objects you can anchor a test object as a descendant to its parent.
  - Enabling the dynamic find feature
    The test object map lists in a hierarchy the test objects in the application under test. Changes to the application-under-test might result in changes in the object hierarchy. During playback, Rational® Functional Tester is then unable to find an object whose hierarchical position has changed, and this causes playback failure. With the dynamic find feature you can prevent playback failure that results from hierarchy changes in the application under test. The dynamic find feature performs searches for objects whose hierarchy has changed, when a search that is based on object recognition scoring (ScriptAssure) fails to find such objects.
  - Enabling the dynamic find feature in the Visual Studio IDE
    The Rational® Functional Tester test object map lists the test objects in the application under test, in a hierarchy. Changes to the application under test might result in changes in object hierarchy. During playback, Rational Functional Tester is unable to find an object whose hierarchical position has changed, and this causes playback failure. With the dynamic find feature, you can prevent playback failure that results from hierarchy changes in the application under test. The dynamic find feature performs searches for objects whose hierarchy has changed when a search based on object recognition scoring (ScriptAssure) fails to find such objects.
  - Using ScriptAssure
    Using ScriptAssure™, you can play back scripts successfully even when the application-under-test has been updated.
  - Ambiguous object recognition in functional testing
    Ambiguous recognition occurs when Rational® Functional Tester can not uniquely identify an object in the system-under-test. This commonly happens when Rational Functional Tester cannot differentiate between an instance of the application-under-test started by a script playback and an instance of the same application inadvertently left open previous to script playback. This also applies to identical windows from one application and identical HTML documents. Ambiguous recognition will cause script playback failure unless the duplicate application is closed.
  - Playback Monitor
    During playback you can view the script name, the number of the line that is executing, status icons, and a description of the action in progress from the Playback Monitor.
  - Pausing or stopping script playback
    Playback of a script can be paused or stopped.
  - Running scripts from Rational® Functional Tester
    You can run scripts from Rational® Functional Tester so that all of your recorded actions are played back. The recorded actions include the actions that you performed to start and stop an application, add verification points, and any other actions that you performed while using the application.
  - Playback of test scripts for HTML applications by using the Web UI engine
    You can play back test scripts for HTML applications in web browsers by using the Web UI engine without enabling the Java environments and browsers.
    - Supported keyboard actions
      You can use specific keyboard actions in the functional test scripts for HTML applications that are run by using the Web UI Engine.
  - Running a script from the Microsoft™ Edge browser
    You can use IBM® Rational® Functional Tester to play back test scripts using the Microsoft™ Edge browser.
  - Debugging scripts
    You can use the same process to debug a Functional Test script as you would to debug other Visual Basic or Java™ applications. If you prefer, in Rational® Functional Tester, Eclipse Integration, you can debug your script in the Rational Functional Tester Debug Perspective which makes it easier to start the debugger that comes with the Java Development Toolkit.
  - Screen snapshot on playback failure of functional tests
    If playback of a script causes an exception to be thrown, Rational® Functional Tester takes a screen snapshot at the time of the failure. The screen snapshot is accessible through the log.

Playback of test scripts for HTML applications by using the Web UI engine

You can play back test scripts for HTML applications in web browsers by using the Web UI engine without enabling the Java environments and browsers.

After you install or reinstall Rational® Functional Tester, the Play back with Web UI Extension and Play back with Web UI Action checkboxes in Windows > Preferences > Functional Test > Playback are selected as the default options. Therefore, when you play back a functional test script for an HTML application, Rational® Functional Tester automatically selects the Web UI engine for the playback.

You can also set a specific browser profile in Rational® Functional Tester before you play back the test script for the HTML application. If you set the profile and then run the test script, the browser displays the profile details before the application is loaded. However, if you do not set any specific browser profile, then the test script runs on the browser with a temporary profile that is not configured with any predefined settings. See Setting a specific browser profile for the playback of functional HTML tests.

Notes:

When you play back a functional test script for an HTML application in the Mozilla Firefox, Microsoft Edge, or Google Chrome browser by using the Web UI engine, and if there is a browser and driver incompatibility, then Rational® Functional Tester automatically downloads the appropriate driver to play back the test scripts successfully.
You can clear the cache and history of the Mozilla Firefox, Microsoft Edge, and Google Chrome browsers for the functional test playback. You can go to Window > Preferences > Test > Test execution > UI Test Playback > Desktop, and then select the Clear cache and Clear history checkboxes before the test playback.