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.
Putting test assets under source control
Use version-control software, such as Rational® Team Concert™, to put the test assets under source control.

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
  You can find the sample project that you can use 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.
        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.
        Putting test assets under source control
        Use version-control software, such as Rational® Team Concert™, to put the test assets under source control.
      - 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.
  - Extending the functionality in the Visual Studio IDE
    These topics describe various ways that you can customize Rational® Functional Tester or use the application programming interface (API) to extend Rational Functional Tester functionality.
  - 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.

Putting test assets under source control

Use version-control software, such as Rational® Team Concert™, to put the test assets under source control.

If you use a version-control software, such as or Rational® Team Concert™, put the following assets under source control to share them with the members of your team that use the same source-control product. Put the different project assets in separate folders under the main project.


Asset	File name extension	Comments
Projects	`.project`	This enables the project to be seen and imported by another user.
Manifest and build files	MANIFEST.MF, build.properties	These are project files that are checked in.
Recording	`.recdata, .recsession`	The recording data and the session information will be part of these files.
Tests	`.testsuite`	The test script.
Managed Application	.ma	This is the application under test that is instrumented with the code.
Custom code	`.java`	Put any custom code that you have written for a test under the source control. Put this code under the src folder for the project; for example, in src\custom. This code must be versioned as a single logical unit with the test that includes it (that is, the code and the test should be versioned together).
JavaScript	`.js`	Put any JavaScript file that you have used for a test under the source control.
Datasets	`.dataset`	Put any Dataset that you have used for a test under the source control.
Results	`.xmoebreport, .stats, .rstats, .pstats, and .mstats`	These are results assets and contain the data that is used to create reports and should be under source control. Some of these assets are not visible in the Test Navigator. To see these assets, in the Test Navigator view, click the drop-down icon and select Filters and clear the Statistics Stores check box. You can perform the check out and check in operations from this view. Store the results in a separate results folder, which you can specify when running a schedule or test.

Follow these guidelines:

During a session, keep schedules and tests checked out for easy editing. When you exit Eclipse, you are prompted to check them back in.
Put test logs (files with the .execution file name extension) under source control, in the results folder.
Do not put the class path file under source control.