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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.
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.
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.
Creating scripts using multiple terminals
You can create scripts that simultaneously automate the testing of multiple host terminals. Using this feature, you can create scripts with host applications that react to the interactions with other host applications.

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 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.
    - Functional test assets
      This section describes the different types of functional test assets that are available in Rational® Functional Tester.
    - Working with functional test scripts (Windows-only)
      This section describes the process of creating functional test scripts to test your applications.
    - Verification points
      Verification points verify whether an expected behavior occurred during a test playback, or they verify whether there is a change in the state of a control or an object. When you create a verification point, you capture information about a control or an object in the application to establish this information as a baseline for comparison during the playback.
    - Driving functional tests with external data
      This section describes techniques you can use to data-drive functional tests with external data.
    - 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.
        Creating a new connection configuration file
        Before connecting to your host session, you can create a new connection configuration by saving the connection values in a host connection configuration file.
        Saving connection properties
        You can save your connection properties for later use. The connection properties are saved with a .conn extension in location specified in the Preferences window. On loading the connection properties file, the current properties are replaced with the properties stored in the file.
        Creating scripts using multiple terminals
        You can create scripts that simultaneously automate the testing of multiple host terminals. Using this feature, you can create scripts with host applications that react to the interactions with other host applications.
        Customizing screen size when connecting to a TN3270 or TN3270E host
        You can customize your screen size when connecting to a TN3270 or TN3270E session. Other types of sessions, such as TN5250 and VT sessions, are not affected by this feature.
      - 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.
  - 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.

Creating scripts using multiple terminals

You can create scripts that simultaneously automate the testing of multiple host terminals. Using this feature, you can create scripts with host applications that react to the interactions with other host applications.

Procedure

Start recording a new script using the host connection. For information on recording a host connection script, see related topics.
Log in to your host session and interact with the host, navigating to other screens and creating data verification points.
To open another terminal session, perform the following steps:
1. On the Recording Monitor window toolbar, click the Start Application icon.
  The Start Application window opens.
2. Click Extension for Terminal-based Applications from the Application Name list, and click OK.
You can now switch back and forth between the terminals, continually interacting with the hosts, and creating verification points on the different terminals.
Log off from both hosts, and on the tool bar click the Stop recording icon.
Save your script.

What to do next

Note: Extension for Terminal-based Applications uses .conn files to differentiate the sessions. The terminal sessions cannot use the same .conn file in order to distinguish the terminals from one another. Otherwise, when the script is played back, Rational® Functional Tester will not recognize that there are two terminal sessions. All actions against either terminal will be played back on a single terminal.

If during playing back your script, any of the verification points fail, then edit your script or object map.