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Rational® Functional Tester
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.

Rational® Functional Tester
- Release Notes
  This document contains information about what's new, installation instructions, known problems in and contact information of IBM Customer Support.
- System Requirements
  This document includes information about hardware and software requirements for IBM® Rational® Functional Tester.
- Getting Started Guide
  This guide provides an overview of Rational® Functional Tester. You can find the task flows to get you started with Rational Functional Tester. This guide is intended for new users.
- Tutorials
  You can learn to start using Rational® Functional Tester by reviewing the information in the Tutorials for the UI Test perspective and Functional Test perspective.
- Samples
  This section describes about the sample project which can be used with Rational® Functional Tester to test the functionality of an application.
- Administrator Guide
  This guide describes how to install IBM® Rational® Functional Tester software. After you install the software, you can perform administration tasks such as license configuration and integration with other products. This guide is intended for administrators.
- 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.
- 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.
- Test Manager Guide
  This guide describes how to keep track of the performance of the application by evaluating the test results. Following topics cover how you can work with the test results.
- Troubleshooting
  This guide describes how to analyze and resolve some of the common problems that you might encounter while you work with Rational® Functional Tester.
- Reference Guide
  This guide describes the additional topics to gain more knowledge about Rational® Functional Tester.
- All Guides (PDF)
  You can find the link to view or download the content of the release notes, system requirements, and persona guides of IBM® Rational® Functional Tester as a PDF file.
- Security Considerations
  You can take certain actions to ensure that your installation is secure, customize your security settings, and set up user access controls.
- Notices
  This document provides information about copyright, trademarks, terms and conditions for the product documentation.

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.

About this task

To customize a script template, use the Rational® Functional Tester Script Templates Property Page. In Rational® Functional Tester, Eclipse Integration, you can also use the Java™ editor, which provides simple formatting of the template and help with the Java™ syntax. In Rational® Functional Tester, Microsoft Visual Studio .NET Integration, you can use the Code editor.

Procedure

Right-click a functional test project in the Projects view, click Properties > Rational® Functional Tester Script Templates from the pop-up menu.
The Rational® Functional Tester Script Templates Property page is displayed.
In the Select template type list, click the script template to customize.
Edit the script template from the Functional Test Script Templates Property page:
1. Edit the script template using the appropriate placeholder. For information about placeholders, see Customizing Script Templates related topic.
2. Optionally, click Apply to save your edits as you work or when you finish changes to one script template.
3. Click OK to save all edits to all script templates.
4. If you use ClearCase®, you must check out the script template(s) by checking out the Functional Test project. When you click Apply or OK, the ClearCase® Check Out dialog box opens to check out the file before you save it. In the Check Out dialog box, click Finish to check out the script template. Click Apply to save your edits as you work or when you finish changes to one script template or click OK to save all edits to all script templates.
You can also edit a script template with the Java™ editor in Rational® Functional Tester, Eclipse Integration or the Code Editor in Rational® Functional Tester, Microsoft Visual Studio .NET Integration. Click Open current template in Editor to open the template in the appropriate editor.
Tip: To omit associated punctuation for any null properties, enclose the placeholder in a pair of carets (^). For example:
```
^%map:contextComment%^
```