Home
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.
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 web applications
You can test web applications in Rational® Functional Tester by using the industry-standard browsers such as Google Chrome, Apple Safari, Mozilla Firefox, and Microsoft Edge. You can record Web UI tests and then play back the tests to evaluate the test results. You can also test the web applications on dual monitors when you extend the display of your computer to a secondary monitor.
Creating Web UI tests
See the different ways to record Web UI tests. After the recording stops, the tests are generated automatically.
Prerequisites for creating tests
Before you can create a test, you must complete the prerequisite tasks.
Enabling Microsoft Edge for Web UI testing
You can record UI test for a web application by using Microsoft Edge browser in a running browser instance. You must first enable the Edge browser before you record UI tests by using the Edge browser.

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 web applications
      You can test web applications in Rational® Functional Tester by using the industry-standard browsers such as Google Chrome, Apple Safari, Mozilla Firefox, and Microsoft Edge. You can record Web UI tests and then play back the tests to evaluate the test results. You can also test the web applications on dual monitors when you extend the display of your computer to a secondary monitor.
      - Creating Web UI tests
        See the different ways to record Web UI tests. After the recording stops, the tests are generated automatically.
        Web UI recording
        IBM® Rational® Functional Tester provides multiple ways to create Web UI tests using the UI Test perspective. You can create a Web UI test that captures both functional and HTTP traffic in the same recording. In addition, you can create a Web UI test for a web application that is already running in an instance of the Chrome, Firefox, or Safari browser. You can also initiate a recording from a step of an existing test. You can also play back tests on Microsoft™ Edge browser but they must be recorded on Chrome, Firefox, or Internet Explorer.
        Prerequisites for creating tests
        Before you can create a test, you must complete the prerequisite tasks.
        Configuring applications for tests
        When you want to test Android, iOS, web, and Windows desktop applications, you must first configure them. You can configure these applications in a common web interface that helps you to manage all the applications in one place. You can use these applications anytime later to record and play back tests.
        Enabling the Apple Safari browser to perform Web UI tests on macOS
        You can record and play back Web UI tests in the Apple Safari browser to test the web applications. To record Web UI tests in the Safari browser, you must first enable the browser and then record tests.
        Enabling Google Chrome for Web UI testing
        Before you can record a Web UI test on a web application that is already running in the Chrome browser, you must install the Google Chrome extension for Web UI testing.
        Enabling Microsoft Edge for Web UI testing
        You can record UI test for a web application by using Microsoft Edge browser in a running browser instance. You must first enable the Edge browser before you record UI tests by using the Edge browser.
        Enabling Mozilla Firefox for Web UI testing
        Before you can record a Web UI test of a web application that is already running in the Firefox browser, you must first install the IBM® Rational® Functional Tester Web UI browser extension for Firefox.
        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.
        Recording a Web UI test by using a running browser instance
        You can create a Web UI test of a web application from the UI Test perspective using a browser that is already running locally. For example, if you have already recorded some part of a web application, you can go back at a later time to resume the recording Support is provided for Chrome and Firefox on Windows and Linux computers and for Safari, Chrome and Firefox on Macintosh computers. Internet Explorer is not supported.
        Recording Web UI steps for an existing test
        If you already have a test, you can add more steps to it at a desired location by initiating the recording from a step or from the application node. For instance, if the task flow has changed in the new version of the application that you recorded and you want to update the existing test script, start the recording from the step after which the new steps must be added. You can also initiate the recording from the Launch application or In application nodes of the test.
        Recording a test with Google Chrome Device Mode
        You can use the Google Chrome Device Mode feature to emulate tests of web applications on mobile devices.
        Annotating a test during recording
        You can add comments, add transactions, or change a page name while you record a test. The advantage of adding these elements during (rather than after) recording is that you can place the annotations in the test exactly where you want. In addition, because annotations are part of the recorded test, they are regenerated when you regenerate the test. You can also insert split points into a test during record.
        Splitting a test during recording
        You can insert split points when you record a test. Split points allow you to generate multiple tests from a single recording that you can replay in a different order with a schedule.
      - Editing Web UI tests
        With the test editor, you can view and customize a Web UI test.
      - Frequently asked questions
        This section provides answers to frequently asked questions about the IBM® Rational® Functional TesterWeb UI extension.
      - Troubleshooting Web UI tests
        While working with Web UI tests, you might encounter problems that you can easily troubleshoot. The topics in this section address some of these problems.
    - Testing mobile applications
      You can test the Android or iOS mobile applications by recording and playing back mobile tests on Android devices or emulators, iOS mobile devices or simulators by using Rational® Functional Tester.
    - Testing Windows desktop applications
      You can configure the Windows applications to record and play back tests on the Windows desktop applications. You can also test the Windows applications on dual monitors when you extend the display of your computer to a secondary monitor.
    - Recording SAP tests
      When you record a test, the test creation wizard records your interactions with the SAP server, generates a test from the recording, and opens the test for editing. You can record tests from the SAP GUI. You can also record SAP batch input tests that can be used to produce a heavy load on the server while minimizing the processing requirements for virtual testers.
    - Working with Selenium or Appium tests
      You can manage your Selenium or Appium Java™ tests from the UI Test perspective, where you can import and modify the tests, add them to compound tests, and run them. You can also create new Appium Java tests from the Perfecto perspective on Windows™ and Mac OS, add the tests to compound tests, and run them. Perfecto is not currently supported on Linux®.
    - Compound tests
      You can create compound tests to help you organize smaller tests into scenarios that can then be run end-to-end. You can combine tests from different extensions to achieve end-to-end flow.
    - Accelerated Functional Tests
      When you create Web UI, mobile, or Windows tests, you can use the Accelerated Functional Test (AFT) feature in Rational® Functional Tester to distribute test effort during the play back of the recorded tests.
    - Working with keywords
      In Rational® Functional Tester, you can record and then associate Test Workbench tests with the keywords that are created in IBM® Rational Quality Manager. The keywords are used in manual tests in Rational Quality Manager. When you run a manual test that contains a keyword associated with a Rational Test Workbench test, the Test Workbench test is run on the workstation where the adapter has been started.
  - 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.
  - 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.

Enabling Microsoft Edge for Web UI testing

You can record UI test for a web application by using Microsoft Edge browser in a running browser instance. You must first enable the Edge browser before you record UI tests by using the Edge browser.

About this task

For enabling the Edge browser, you must install the extension from the Chrome Web Store. Alternatively, you can also use the extension that is bundled along with Rational® Functional Tester.

Note: You must preferably install the extension from the Chrome Web Store and use the extension bundled with the product only when you are unable to install from the Chrome Web Store.

Procedure

Install the extension from the Chrome Web Store by performing the following steps:
1. Open the Microsoft Edge browser.
2. Click Setting and more icon and then select Extensions. The Extensions page is displayed.
3. Turn on the Allow extensions from other stores toggle button, if it is not enabled.
4. Click the Chrome Web Store link.
  
  The Chrome Web Store page is displayed.
5. Enter Rational® Functional Tester in the Search field and press Enter.
  The search results are displayed.
6. Locate IBM® Rational® Functional Tester – Web UI, and then click Add to Chrome.
  A confirmation dialog is displayed.
7. Click Add extension.
  The Rational® Functional Tester extension is added to the Edge browser.
  Note: To verify if the extension is successfully installed on the Edge browser, click Extensions on the Edge browser. The added extension is listed the Installed Extensions section. You can enable or disable the installed extension.
Alternatively, use the extension that is packaged with the product.

To install the extension:
1. Open the Edge browser extension page by clicking More Tools > Extensions.
2. Select the Developer Mode check box.
3. Click the Load unpacked extension button.
4. Navigate to the WebUIExtension folder within the default shared directory of IBM® Rational® Functional Tester . For example, on a Windows computer, the directory could be as follows:
```
C:\Program Files\IBM\IBMIMShared\plugins\com.ibm.rational.test.rtw.webgui.browextension.chrome_version_id\ChromeExtension
```
5. Select the WebUIExtension folder and click OK to install the extension.

What to do next

You can record a test using an existing instance of the Edge browser. See Recording a Web UI test by using a running browser instance for details.