QTP - Introduction

QTP stands for QuickTest Professional, a product of Hewlett Packard (HP). This tool helps testers
to perform an automated functional testing seamlessly, without monitoring, once script
development is complete.

HP QTP uses Visual Basic Scripting (VBScript) for automating the applications. The Scripting
Engine need not be installed exclusively, as it is available as a part of the Windows OS. The
Current version of VBScript is 5.8, which is available as a part of Win 7. VBScript is NOT an
object-oriented language but an object-based language.

Testing Tools
Tools from a software testing context, can be defined as a product that supports one or more test
activities right from planning, requirements, creating a build, test execution, defect logging and
test analysis.

Classification of Tools
Tools can be classified based on several parameters. It includes −

 The purpose of the tool

 The activities that are supported within the tool

 The type/level of testing it supports.

 The kind of licensing (open source, freeware, commercial)

 The technology used

Types of Tools
Sr.No. Tool Type Used for Used by

1 Test Management Tool Test Managing, scheduling, defect logging,

Testers
tracking and analysis.

2 Configuration For Implementation, execution, tracking All Team

management tool changes members

3 Static Analysis Tools Static Testing Developers

4 Test data Preperation Analysis and Design, Test data generation

Testers
Tools

5 Test Execution Tools Implementation, Execution Testers

6 Test Comparators Comparing expected and actual results All Team
members

7 Coverage measurement Provides structural coverage

Developers
tools

8 Performance Testing Monitoring the performance, response time

Testers
tools

9 Project planning and Project

For Planning
Tracking Tools Managers

10 Incident Management For managing the tests

Testers
Tools

Where QTP Fits in?

QTP is a Functional testing tool, which is best suited for regression testing of the applications. QTP
is a licensed/commercial tool owned by HP, which is one of the most popular tools available in the
market. It compares the actual and the expected result and reports the results in the execution
summary.

QTP – History and Evolution

HP Quick Test Professional was originally owned by Mercury Interactive and it was acquired by HP.
Its original name was Astra Quick Test and later named as Quick Test Professional but the latest
version is known as Unified Functional Tester (UFT).

Version History
Now let us take a look at the version history of QTP.

Versions Timelines

Astra Quick Test v1.0 to v5.5 - Mercury Interactive May 1998 to Aug 2001

QuickTest Professional v6.5 to v9.0 - Mercury Interactive Sep 2003 to Apr 2006

Hp-QuickTest Professional v9.1 to v11.0 - Acquired and Released

Feb 2007 to Sep 2010
by HP

Hp-Unified Functional Testing v11.5 to v11.53 2012 to Nov 2013

Advantages
 Developing automated tests using VBScript does not require a highly skilled coder and is relatively
easy when compared to other object oriented programming languages.

 Easy to use, ease of navigation, results validation, and Report generation.

 Readily Integrated with Test Management Tool (Hp-ALM) which enables easy scheduling and
monitoring.

 Can also be used for Mobile Application Testing.

 Since it is an HP product, full support is provided by HP and by its forums for addressing technical
issues.

Disadvantages
 Unlike Selenium, QTP works in Windows operating system only.

 Not all versions of Browsers are supported and the testers need to wait for the patch to be released
for each one of the major versions.

 Having said, that it is a commercial tool, the licensing cost is very high.

 Even though scripting time is less, the execution time is relatively higher as it puts load on the CPU &
RAM.

For any automated tool implementation, the following are the phases/stages of it. Each one of the
stages corresponds to a particular activity and each phase has a definite outcome.

 Test Automation Feasibility Analysis − First step is to check if the application can be automated
or not. Not all applications can be automated due to its limitations.
 Appropriate Tool Selection − The next most important step is the selection of tools. It depends on
the technology in which the application is built, its features and usage.

 Evaluate the suitable framework − Upon selecting the tool, the next activity is to select a suitable

framework. There are various kinds of frameworks and each framework has its own significance. We
will deal with frameworks in detail later in this tutorial.

 Build Proof of Concept − Proof of Concept (POC) is developed with an end-to-end scenario to

evaluate if the tool can support the automation of the application. It is performed with an end-to-end
scenario, which ensures that the major functionalities can be automated.

 Develop Automation Framework − After building the POC, framework development is carried out,

which is a crucial step for the success of any test automation project. Framework should be built after
diligent analysis of the technology used by the application and also its key features.

 Develop Test Script, Execute, and Analyze − Once Script development is completed, the scripts
are executed, results are analyzed and defects are logged, if any. The Test Scripts are usually version
controlled.

Launching UFT and Add ins Page

Step 1 − After Installation, application can be launched from the Start Menu as shown in
the figure.

Step 2 − The license page appears. You can click Continue as we have installed the trial
license.
 Step 3 − The Add-ins dialog box opens for the user to select the required add-ins.
Note − Do not load all the add-ins but just the required add-ins and click OK.

Step 4 − After loading the required add-ins, the UFT 11.5 tool opens for the user and the
first glimpse of the UFT looks, as shown below −

Recording a test corresponds to recording the user actions of the application under test so that
UFT automatically generates the scripts that can be played back. Record and Playback can give us
the first impression of the tool, whether it can support the technology or not, if the initial settings
are done correctly.
Steps for Record and Playback are as follows −

Step 1 − Click "New" test from the Start Page as shown below −

Step 2 − Clicking "New" Link, a new test window opens and the user needs to select the test
type. Select "GUI Test", give a name for the test and the location where it needs to be saved.

Step 3 − Once a New test is created, the new test screen opens as shown below. Now, click the
"Action1" tab, which is created with 1 action by default.
Step 4 − Click the "Record" Menu and select "Record and Run Settings" as shown below −

Step 5 − The Record and Run Settings dialog box opens and based on the type of application, one
can select Web, Java, or Windows Applications. For Example, here, we will record a Web Based
Application (http://easycalculation.com/).
Step 6− Click Record. The Internet Explorer opens automatically with the web
address https://www.easycalculation.com/ as per the settings. Click the "Numbers" link under
"Algebra" and key in a number and hit "Calculate". After completion of the action, click the "Stop"
button in the record panel. You will notice that the script is generated as shown below −

Step 7 − Now playback the script by clicking the playback button. The Script replays and the
result is displayed.
Step 8 − The result window is opened, by default, which exactly shows the timestamp of
execution, pass and failed steps.

Significance of Record and Playback

 It is used as the preliminary investigation method to verify if UFT can support the
technology/application.

 Used to create a test a basic functionality of an application or feature that does not require
long-term maintenance.

 It can be used for recording both mouse movements and keyboard inputs.

Modes of Recording

 Normal Recording − This is the default Recording mode that records the objects and the
operations performed on the application under test.

 Analog Recording − This records not only the keyboard actions but also the mouse
movements relative to the screen or the application window.

 Low-Level Recording − This records the exact co-ordinates of the objects independent of
the fact whether UFT recognizes the object or NOT. It just records the co-ordinates, hence
does NOT record mouse movements.

 Insight Recording − UFT records operations, based on its appearance and not based on
its native properties.
How to Choose Recording Modes

After clicking the Recording button, the user can choose the recording mode from the recording
pane that appears on the screen, once the recording starts. The selection can be made from any
of the ones that has been discussed above.

You will see that the following scenario is recorded in all the modes and the same action has been
recorded under various circumstances.

 Launch IE - https://www.easycalculation.com/

 Click "Numbers" under "Algebra"

 Click "Square Root" link

 Enter a value to calculate the square root. Let us say 10

 Hit Calculate

Script Recorded under Default, Analog and Low Level recording mode is given below −

' DEFAULT RECORDING MODE

Browser("Free Online Math Calculator").Page("Free Online Math Calculator").Link("Numbers").Click

Browser("Free Online Math Calculator").Page("Numbers Calculator - Math").Link("Square Root").Click

Browser("Free Online Math Calculator").Page("Square Root Calculator").WebEdit("n").Set "10"

Browser("Free Online Math Calculator").Page("Square Root Calculator").WebButton("calculate").Click

' ANALOG RECORDING MODE

Desktop.RunAnalog "Track1"

' LOW LEVEL RECORDING MODE

Window("Windows Internet Explorer").WinObject("Internet Explorer_Server").Click 235,395

Window("Windows Internet Explorer").WinObject("Internet Explorer_Server").Click 509,391

Window("Windows Internet Explorer").WinObject("Internet Explorer_Server").Click 780,631

Window("Windows Internet Explorer").WinObject("Internet Explorer_Server").Type "10"

Window("Windows Internet Explorer").WinObject("Internet Explorer_Server").Click 757,666

The recordings using insight recording mode will be as shown below −

Object Repository
Object Repository is a collection of object and properties with which QTP will be able to recognize
the objects and act on it. When a user records a test, the objects and its properties are captured
by default. Without understanding objects and its properties, QTP will NOT be able to play back
the scripts.

Sr.No. Topic & Description

1 Object Spy and its Features : - To understand the usage of object spy and its
associated functionalities.

2 Working with Object Repository: - Adding, editing, deleting objects from an Object
Repository and its associated functionalities.

3 Types of Object Repository : -Deals with shared Object and local Object Repository and
their context with respect to scripting.

4 User-defined Objects : - Deals with the circumstances to use the User-Defined Objects.

5 Object Repository in XML : - Deals with converting OR's to XML and using the object
Repository as XML.

6 Comparing and Merging OR :- Operations such as Compare OR', Merge OR's to

effectively work with Object Repository.

7 Ordinal Identifiers : - Circumstances where the ordinal identifiers are used and its
advantages.

8 Child Objects : - Using Child Objects for effective scripting

 QTP - Object Spy
Object Spy is a utility/option within QTP to add objects to the Object Repository. Object Spy can
be accessed from the tool bar as shown below −

Step 1 − Clicking the Object Spy icon, the Object Spy Dialog box opens. The Objects can be
added to the repository on clicking the pointing hand.

Step 2 − After Spying the object, the object hierarchy will be shown. Let us say, we are spying
the "Numbers" link at "http://easycalculation.com/". The Object properties will be as shown
below.
Step 3 − After Spying an object, click the "Highlight" option to highlight the object in the
application.

Step 4 − For adding the object into the Object Repository, click the "Add objects" button in the
Object spy dialog.

Step 5 − The properties and its values are displayed for the selected object in the dialog box,
which should be unique for QTP, to recognize the objects while the script executes.

Step 6 − The supported operations on the object can be retrieved by clicking the operation tab.
Operations such as "click" for a button, "Set" for a text box are retrieved from the "operations"
tab as shown below −

QTP - Working with Object Repository

Adding Objects into OR
After Spying the object, adding the objects into Repository is the first step. The script can execute
successfully if and only if the objects are added into the Object Repository. Upon Clicking "Add
Objects to OR", the objects are added into Object repository.

Even when a user does a recording, the objects and its properties are captured automatically.
Hence, we are able to replay the script successfully.

Object Repository – Features

Step 1 − After adding objects to the OR, we can verify by navigating to "Resources" → "Object
Repository". The Object Repository Window opens and we can locate the added object in the
Repository as shown below −

Step 2 − One can add the properties additionally apart from the default ones by clicking the "+"
button and remove it using the "x" button. If we want to restore the defaults, we can click on the
"circular arrow" button.
Step 3 − One can change the object's name. Here the name of the object is "Numbers" that can
be renamed to "num", which will not have any effect on identifying the object uniquely. If there is
a change in logical name, the same name should be used while scripting. Only the Object's Name
can be changed and not its properties.

Note − Properties of any object must be unique so that QTP will be able to recognize the objects
and act on it. If the object properties were same for two or more objects, then during execution
an error would be thrown that "More than one object is matched for the specified properties".

Step 4 − After adding the objects, the same can be used in script by simple drag-drop as shown
in the figure. When the object is dragged and dropped, the default operation is set. For example,
click for a button, Set for a Text Box etc.
 QTP - Object Repository Types
Object Repository is of two types.

Local Object Repository

As the name suggests, the Object Repository is applicable only for that action. As we know, that
QTP creates a New Test with 1 action by default. Local Object Repository can be opened by
traversing to Resources → Object Repository. This is the default OR in QTP.

Shared Object Repository

The Object Repository is shared across actions/modules, which would be mapped for two or more
actions. Local objects can be exported to be saved into Shared Object Repository by using the
option "Export Local Objects" option. Shared Object Repository can be opened by traversing to
Resource → Object Repository Manager
Following are the major difference between Local and shared ORs.

Local Object Repository (LOR) Shared Object Repository (SOR)

This Object Repository is available; one for This type of OR is available for multiple tests
each action. and for multiple actions.

This is the OR that is available for each tests, This type of OR is usually used in frameworks
by default. considering reusability and maintainability.

Shared Object Repository is read-only by

Local Object Repository is editable in Object
default but can be edited in Object Repository
Repository.
Manager.

It is NOT a standalone file that can edited. SOR is a standalone file that can be edited
easily.

It is saved with an Extension .bdb SOR is saved with an extension .tsr

It should be used when not many tests are SOR Should be used when there are different
working on the same screens of the scripts interacting with the same type of the
application under test. object.

QTP - User Defined Objects

Sometimes, not all objects are recognized by QTP, in case the application does not use Standard
Windows Classes. QTP uses Class Name to find the type of Object. Sometimes, the object is
expected to behave like a button or a Combo Box etc.

When we try to add such kind of button, it might recognize as Winobject.

Hence, we can map that WinObject to behave like "CheckBox" Object type by Navigating to Tools
→ Object Identification, and select Environment as "Standard Windows" and click "User Defined"
button. Please Note this option will not work in any other environment.

In the following example, an object of a specific class is made to recognize as an object of Type
"button". Hence, this object inherits all properties of a button and we can use the objects that are
supported by button.

QTP - Object Repository as XML

Object Repository can be saved in XML format so that the size of the Object repository is reduced.
The OR can be saved as XML by "Exporting as XML" from Shared Object Repository Window as
shown below −
The Same object repository can be imported from XML, can be edited/deleted, and exported back
to XML.

QTP - Comparing and Merging OR's

Comparing Object Repositories
Many a times, we might be in a position to compare two object repositories to spot the difference
and merge it, if in case, some objects are missing in the main repository.

These tools help us largely to spot the differences in the Object Repository

Steps to Compare OR's

Step 1 − Navigate to "Resources" >> "Object Repository Manager"

Step 2 − Go to "Tools" >> "Object Repository Comparison Tool"

Step 3 − The Object Repository comparison Window opens and the user needs to select the two
Object Repository files to be compared.
Step 4 − It performs the comparison and displays the differences one by one as shown below −

Step 5 − It can be filtered based on three parameters viz - unique objects, identical objects,
partial match objects.

Merging Object Repositories

Sometimes, there are circumstances when Object repository needs to be merged, as maintaining
two or more object repositories become additional overheads.

Merging Option is a great boon for testers who need to merge two-object repository without losing
the object hierarchy.
Steps to Merge OR's
Step 1 − Navigate to "Resources" >> "Object Repository Manager"

Step 2 − Go to "Tools" >> "Object Repository Comparision Tool"

Step 3 − The Object Repository Merge window opens and the user needs to select the two Object
Repository files to be merged.

Step 4 − After merging, the statistics are shown to the user.

Step 5 − It can be filtered based on two parameters viz - show all objects, show only conflicting
objects.
 QTP - Ordinal Identifiers
An Ordinal Identifier assigns a numerical value to the test objects, which indicates its location or
order relative to its group. The Ordered value enables QTP to recognize it uniquely when the
inbuilt properties are NOT sufficient to do so.

There are three Ordinal Identifiers in QTP that can be used in different context −

 Index

 Location

 Creation Time

Index
An object appearing first in the page/Window will have a smaller Index value when compared to
another object that comes later in the same page/Window.

The value of index for the group of text boxes will be as follows –

Object Name Index Value

TextBox 1 0

TextBox 4 1

TextBox 2 2

TextBox 5 3

TextBox 3 4

TextBox 6 5
Location
The Location property works vertically from top to bottom and from left to right. Hence, for the
same case, the value of location for the group of text boxes will be as follows −
Object Name Index Value

TextBox 1 0

TextBox 2 1

TextBox 3 2

TextBox 4 3

TextBox 5 4

TextBox 6 5

Creation Time
The Creation Time property holds good only for web based application. When we open two
browser sessions of the same website, QTP will not be able to recognize the window, as both the
windows will have the same set of properties. Hence, we can use creation time with which QTP will
be able to act on the window.

'Will have CreationTime value = 0

SystemUtil.Run "iexplore.exe", "http://www.google.com"

'Will have CreationTime value = 1

SystemUtil.Run "iexplore.exe", "http://www.yahoo.com"

'Will have CreationTime value = 2

SystemUtil.Run "iexplore.exe", "http://www.microsoft.com"

'Will have CreationTime value = 3

SystemUtil.Run "iexplore.exe", "http://www.facebook.com"

Hence, to work on a specific browser, we need to explicitly mention the Creation time in OR or we
can use the description of objects, which we will see in detail in descriptive programming section.

'Sync's www.google.com
Browser("creationtime:=" ).Sync

'Gets the RO text property of www.yahoo.com

Browser("creationtime:=1").GetROProperty("text")

'Highlights microsoft.com
Browser("creationtime:=2").Highlight

QTP - Child Objects

The objects (text box, combo box, links) contained in the frame or window is known as child
objects. Sometimes, we would be in a situation to get the properties of all the links in a webpage
or to get the values of all radio buttons in a window.

In these circumstances, if we want to work on the child objects, we need to use description of
objects using which we will be able to work on all the objects in a particular window/page.
Descriptive programming will be dealt in detail in the upcoming chapter but the significance of this
chapter is to understand child objects and its usage.

The following Script gets the name of the links from the website "www.easycalculation.com"

Dim oDesc
Set oDesc = Description.Create
oDesc("micclass").value = "Link"

'Find all the Links

Set obj = Browser("Math Calculator").Page("Math Calculator").ChildObjects(oDesc)

Dim i
'obj.Count value has the number of links in the page

For i = 0 to obj.Count - 1
'get the name of all the links in the page
x = obj(i).GetROProperty("innerhtml")
print x
Next

The Result is printed in the output window as shown below −

QTP - Actions
Actions helps testers to divide scripts into groups of QTP statements. Actions are similar to
functions in VBScript; however, there are a few differences. By default, QTP creates a test with
one action.
Actions Functions

Action is an in-built feature of QTP. VBScript Functions are supported by both VBScript
and QTP.

Actions parameters are passed by value Function parameters are passed either by by value or
only. by ref.

Actions have extension .mts Functions are saved as .vbs or .qfl

Actions may or may not be reusable. Functions are always reusable.

The properties of the action can be accessed by right clicking on the Script Editor Window and
selecting "Properties".
Action properties contains the following information −

 Action Name

 Location

 Reusable Flag

 Input Parameters

 Output Parameters

Types of Actions
There are three types of actions −

 Non-reusable action − An action that can be called only in that specific test in which it has been
designed and can be called only once.

 Reusable action − An action that can be called multiple times, any test in which it resides, and can
also be used by any other tests.

 External Reusable action − It is a reusable action stored in another test. External actions are read-
only in the calling test, but it can be used locally with the editable copy of the Data Table information
for the external action.
Working with Actions
There are three options to insert an action. Click on each one of those to know more about the
selected type of action.
Sr.No. Action Type & Description

1 Insert Call to New Action :- Inserts a New Action from the existing action

2 Insert Call to Copy of Action : - Inserts a copy of an existing action

3 Insert Call to Existing Action: - Inserts a call to existing re-usable action

QTP - Call to New Action

Inserting Call to New Action
Testers can insert a new action at any point of the script by performing the following steps −

Step 1 − Right click on the scripting area and select "Call to New Action".

Step 2 − In the "Insert Call to New Action" Window, give the test name, description, and also
specify if it is a reusable action or not. Most importantly, select the location of the action to be
inserted.
Step 3 − You can check the changes, graphically, in the test Name Tab as shown below −

You can also use QTP commands to call the Action at any point in the script.

RunAction "Calculate", oneIteration 'Executes Calculate Action for one iteration.

Action can be called with Parameters as shown below −

'Input to the action

num1 = 5
num2 = 10
Dim value1

'Run the action with parameters

OutputValue = RunAction("Calculate", oneIteration, num1, num2, value1)

'Display the output

print OutputValue

QTP - Call to Copy of Action

Inserting Call to Copy of Action
Testers can insert a copy of an existing action at any point of the script by performing the
following steps −

Step 1 − Right click on the scripting area and select "Call to Copy of Action"

Step 2 − In the "Insert Call to Copy of Action" Window, Select "Test Name", "Action Name" and
also select the location of the action to be inserted.

Step 3 − Immediately, the script is auto-generated to show that the copy of an action is inserted.

RunAction "Copy of Calculate", oneIteration

Step 4 − You can check the changes graphically in the test Name Tab as shown below −
 QTP - Call to Existing Action
Inserting call to Existing Action
Testers can insert an Existing action at any point of the script by performing the following steps −

Step 1 − Right click on the Scripting area and select "Call to Existing Action"
Step 2 − In the "Select Action" Window, give the test name, Action name, description and also
specify the location of the action to be inserted.

Step 3 − Once inserted, the following script is generated exactly at the location where the action
was inserted.

RunAction "Action1", oneIteration

Step 4 − You can check the changes graphically in the test Name Tab as shown below −

QTP - Datatables
A DataTable, similar to Microsoft Excel, helps the testers to create data-driven test cases that can
be used to run an Action multiple times. There are two types of Datatables −
  Local DataTable − Each action has its own private datatable, also known as local datatable, which is
can also be accessed across actions.

 Global DataTable − Each test has one global data sheet that is accessible across actions.

The data sheet can be accessed from the "Data" Tab of QTP as shown below −

To execute a test case for some specified number of iterations, one can set the iterations of global
datatable in the Test Settings dialog, that can be accessed using File → Settings → Run(Tab) as
shown below −

Example
For example, if a user wants to parameterize "compound Interest" of http://easycalculation.com/ that can be

accessed using http://easycalculation.com/compound-interest.php. The Parameters can be created as shown

below. Most of the functionalities of Excel can be used in Data table as well.
DataTable Operations
There are three types of objects to access DataTable. DataTable operations can be well
understood by traversing through the following –

Sr.No. Object Type & Description

1 Data Table Methods : Gives detailed information about the data table methods.

2 DTParameter Object Methods :- Gives detailed information about the DTParameter

methods.

3 DTSheet Object Methods : -Gives detailed information about the DTSheet methods.

QTP - Data Table Object Methods

Method Name Description Syntax

AddSheet Adds the specified sheet to the run-time data

DataTable.AddSheet (SheetName)
table

DeleteSheet Deletes the specified sheet from the run-time

DataTable.DeleteSheet SheetID
data table

Export Exports the Datatable to a new file in the

DataTable.Export(FileName)
specified location

ExportSheet Exports a Specific Sheet of the Datatable in DataTable.ExportSheet

run-time (FileName,SheetName)

GetCurrentRow Returns the active row of the run-time data

DataTable.GetCurrentRow
table of global sheet

GetParameterCount Returns the number of columns in the run-

DataTable.GetParameterCount
time data Table of Global Sheet

GetRowCount Returns the number of rows in the run-time

DataTable.GetRowCount
data table of Global Sheet

GetSheet Returns the specified sheet from the run-

DataTable.GetSheet(SheetID)
time data table.

GetSheetCount Returns the total number of sheets in the

DataTable.GetSheetCount
run-time data table.

Import Imports a specific external Excel file to the

DataTable.Import(FileName)
run-time data table.
ImportSheet Imports the specified sheet of the specific DataTable.ImportSheet(FileName,
excel file to the destination sheet. SheetSource, SheetDest)

SetCurrentRow Sets the Focus of the Current row to the DataTable.SetCurrentRow

Specified Row Number (RowNumber)

SetNextRow Sets the focus of the next row in the run-

DataTable.SetNextRow
time data table

SetPreviousRow Sets the focus of the previous row in the run-

DataTable.SetPrevRow
time data Table

Data Table Object Properties

Property Description Syntax

Name

GlobalSheet Returns the first sheet of the run-time data table. DataTable.GlobalSheet

LocalSheet Returns the Active local sheet of the run-time data table. DataTable.LocalSheet

RawValue Retrieves the raw value of the cell DataTable.RawValue

ParameterID, [SheetID]

Value Retrieves the value of the cell in the specified parameter. DataTable.Value(Paramet
erID, [SheetID])

Example
Consider the following DataTable −

'Accessing Datatable to get Row Count and Column Count

rowcount = DataTable.GetSheet("Global").GetRowCount
msgbox rowcount ' Displays 4

colcount = DataTable.GetSheet("Global").GetParameterCount
msgbox colcount ' Displays 3

DataTable.SetCurrentRow(2)
val_rate = DataTable.Value("Rate","Global")
print val_rate ' Displays 7%

val_ppl = DataTable.Value("Principal","Global")
print val_ppl ' Displays 2556

val_Time = DataTable.Value("Time","Global")
print val_Time ' Displays 5
 QTP - DTParameter Object Properties
Method Description Syntax
Name

Name Returns the name of the parameter DTParameter.Name

in the run-time datatable.

RawValue Returns the raw value of the cell in DTParameter.RawValue

the current row of the runtime
datatable.

Value Retrieves or sets the value of the DTParameter.Value

cell in the Active row of the
parameter in the run-time
datatable.

ValueByRow Retrieves the value of the cell in the DTParameter.ValueByRow

specified row of the parameter in (RowNum)
the run-time datatable.

Example
Consider the following DataTable –

Val = DataTable.GetSheet("Global").GetParameter("Principal").ValueByRow(2)
print Val ' Val Displays 2556

DataTable.SetCurrentRow(1)
Val1 = DataTable.GetSheet("Global").GetParameter("Principal").Value
print Val1 ' Val1 displays 232

QTP - DTSheet Methods

Method Name Description Syntax

AddParameter Adds the specified column to the sheet DTSheet.AddParameter

in the run-time data table. (ParameterName, Value)

DeleteParameter Deletes the specified parameter from DTSheet.DeleteParameter

the run-time data table. (ParameterID)

GetCurrentRow Returns the row number of the active DTSheet.GetCurrentRow

row in the run-time Data Table.
GetParameter Returns the specified parameter from DTSheet.GetParameter
the run-time Data Table. (ParameterID)

GetParameterCount Returns the total number of Columns DTSheet.GetParameterCount

in the run-time Data Table.

GetRowCount Returns the total number of rows in DTSheet.GetRowCount

the run-time Data Table.

SetCurrentRow Sets the Focus on the specified Row of DTSheet.SetCurrentRow

the Data Table (RowNumber)

SetNextRow Shifts the Focus to the next Row of DTSheet.SetNextRow

the Data Table.

SetPrevRow Shifts the Focus to the Previous Row DTSheet.SetPrevRow

of the Data Table.

Example
'Accessing Datatable to get Row Count and Column Count
rowcount = DataTable.GetSheet("Global").GetRowCount
msgbox rowcount ' Displays 4
colcount = DataTable.GetSheet("Global").GetParameterCount
msgbox colcount ' Displays 3

DataTable.SetCurrentRow(2)
val_rate = DataTable.Value("Rate","Global")
print val_rate ' Displays 7%

val_ppl = DataTable.Value("Principal","Global")
print val_ppl ' Displays 2556

val_Time = DataTable.Value("Time","Global")
print val_Time ' Displays 5

QTP - CheckPoints
Checkpoints, as the name says it all, refer to a validation point that compares the current value of
specified properties or current state of an object with the expected value, which can be inserted at
any point of time in the script.

Types of Checkpoints
Sr.No. Type & Description

1 Standard Checkpoint: -Verifies the property values of an object in application under test and
supported by all add-in environments.

2 Bitmap Checkpoint :- Verifies an area of your application as a bitmap

3 File Content Checkpoint : -Verifies the text in a dynamically generated or accessed file such
as .txt,.pdf

4 Table Checkpoint : -Verifies the information within a table. Not all environments are
supported.
5 Text Checkpoint : -Verify if the text that is displayed within a defined area in a Windows-based
application, according to specified criteria.

6 Text Area Checkpoint : -Verifies if the text string is displayed within a defined area in a
Windows-based application, according to specified criteria.

7 Accessibility Checkpoint:- Verifies the page and reports the areas of the Web site that may
not conform to the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C) Web Content Accessibility Guidelines

8 Page Checkpoint : -Verifies the characteristics of a Web page. It can also check for broken
links.

9 Database Checkpoint :- Verifies the contents of a database accessed by the application under
test.

10 XML Checkpoint : -Verifies the content of the .xml documents or .xml documents in Web pages
and frames.

Inserting CheckPoint
When the user wants to insert a checkpoint, one has to ensure that most of the checkpoints are supported during the

recording sessions only. Once the user stops recording, checkpoints are not enabled.

Given below is the checkpoint menu, when the user is NOT in the recording mode.

Given below is the checkpoint menu, when the user is in the recording mode.

Example
The checkpoints are added for the application under test - "http://easycalculation.com/"

' 1. Inserted Standard Checkpoint

Status = Browser("Math Calculator").Page("Math
Calculator").Link("Numbers").Check CheckPoint("Numbers")

If Status Then
print "Checkpoint Passed"
Else
Print "Checkpoint Failed"
End if

' 2. Inserted BitMap Checkpoint

imgchkpoint = Browser("Math Calculator").Page("Math
Calculator").Image("French").Check CheckPoint("French")

If imgchkpoint Then
print "Checkpoint Passed"
Else
Print "Checkpoint Failed"
End if

Viewing Checkpoint Properties

After inserting, in case a tester want to change the values, we can do so by right clicking on the
keyword 'checkpoint' of the script and navigating to "Checkpoint Properties" as shown below −

You can locate the same checkpoints in object repository, as well, as shown below. It exactly
shows what type of checkpoint is used and what are the expected values, and time out values.
 QTP - Synchronization
Synchronization point is the time interface between Tool and Application under test.
Synchronization point is a feature to specify the delay time between two steps of the test script.

For example, clicking on a link may load the page is 1 second, sometimes 5 seconds or even it
may take 10 seconds to load it completely. It depends on various factors such as the application-
server response time, network bandwidth, and client system capabilities.

If the time is varying then the script will fail, unless the tester handles these time differences
intelligently.

Ways to Insert Sync Point

 WaitProperty

 Exist

 Wait

 Sync(only for web based apps)

 Inserting QTP Inbuilt Synchronization points.

Let us say, we need to insert a sync point between clicking on "numbers" link and clicking on
"simple Interest" calculator in "www.easycalculation.com". We will now take a look at all the five
ways to insert sync point for the above scenario.

Method 1 − WaitProperty
WaitProperty is a method that takes the property name, Value and Timeout value as input to
perform the sync. It is a dynamic wait and hence, this option is encouraged.

' Method 1 - WaitProperty with 25 seconds

Dim obj
Set obj = Browser("Math Calculator").Page("Math Calculator")
obj.Link("Numbers").Click
obj.Link("Simple Interest").WaitProperty "text", "Simple Interest",25000
obj.Link("Simple Interest").Click

Method 2 − Exist
Exist is a method that takes the Timeout value as input to perform the sync. Again, it is a dynamic
wait and hence this option is encouraged.

' Method 2 : Exist Timeout - 30 Seconds

Dim obj
Set obj = Browser("Math Calculator").Page("Math Calculator")
obj.Link("Numbers").Click

If obj.Link("Simple Interest").Exist(30) Then

obj.Link("Simple Interest").Click

Else
Print "Link NOT Available"
End IF

Method 3 − Wait
Wait is a hardcoded sync point, which waits independent of the event happened or NOT. Hence,
usage of Wait is discouraged and can be used for shorter wait time such as 1 or 2 seconds.

' Method 3 : Wait Timeout - 30 Seconds

Dim obj
Set obj = Browser("Math Calculator").Page("Math Calculator")
obj.Link("Numbers").Click
wait(30)
Browser("Math Calculator").Page("Math Calculator").Link("Simple Interest").Click

Method 4 − Sync Method

Sync Method can be used only for web applications where there is always a lag between page
loads.

' Method 4 :
Dim obj
Set obj = Browser("Math Calculator").Page("Math Calculator")
obj.Link("Numbers").Click

Browser("Math Calculator").Sync
Browser("Math Calculator").Page("Math Calculator").Link("Simple Interest").Click

Method 5 − Inserting QTP Inbuilt Synchronization points

Step 1 − Get into Recording Mode. This option would be disabled if the user is NOT in Recording
Mode.

Step 2 − Go to "Design" → "Synchronization Point".

Step 3 − We need to select the object, which we want to be the Sync Point. After selecting the
object, object window opens as shown below −
Step 4 − Click OK; the "Add Synchronization Window" opens. Select the Property, Value and Time
out value and click OK as shown below −

Step 5 − The script would be generated as shown below, which is the same as that of the
WaitProperty(Method 1) that we had already discussed −

Browser("Math Calculator").Page("Math Calculator").Link("Numbers").Click

Browser("Math Calculator").Page("Math Calculator").Link("Simple

Interest").WaitProperty "text", "Simple Interest", 10000

Default Synchronization
When the user has not used any of the above sync methods, still QTP has an in-built Object
synchronization timeout which can be adjusted by the user.

Navigate to "File" >> "Settings" >> Run Tab >> Object Synchronization Time out as shown
below.
 QTP - Smart Identification
QTP is unable to find any object that matches the recognized object description or it may find
more than one object that fits the description, then QTP ignores the recognized description and
uses the Smart Identification mechanism to recognize the object.

QTP's Smart Identification uses two types of properties −

 Base Filter Properties − The basic properties of a particular test object class whose values cannot
be changed without changing the essence of the original object.

 Optional Filter Properties − Other properties also assist in identifying the objects of a particular

class whose properties are unlikely to change often but can be ignored if they are no longer
applicable.

Enabling Smart Identification for an Object

Step 1 − Navigate to "Tools" → "Object Identification". Object Identification dialog opens.

Step 2 − Choose the Environment, Object Class and Turn ON "Enable Smart Identification" as
shown below −
Step 3 − Click Configure and choose the base and Optional Filter Properties.

Step 4 − Add Properties in Base Properties apart from the default one and also add/remove
Optional Filter Properties. Please note that same properties cannot be a part of both Mandatory
and Assistive Properties and click "OK".
Step 5 − Verify if the Smart Identification is enabled after adding object of that type in the Object
Repository. Smart Identification is set to TRUE. We can also make it False in case we do not want
to enable Smart Identification.

Step 6 − We can even disable a test Level by applying at test script level under "Settings" of
"File" Menu as shown below −
Step 7 − If the Smart Identification is disabled as per Step# 6 then it will not apply smart
identification for any object during the script execution.

Step 8 − In case the objects are added with Smart Identification as Off, QTP will not use Smart
Identification for recognizing in future, even though we have enabled it later.

QTP - Debugging
Debugging, in automation testing context, is a systematic process of spotting and fixing the
coding issues in the automation script so that the script will be more robust and can spot the
defects in the application.

There are various ways to perform debugging using break points in QTP. Break points can be
inserted just by pressing "F9" or by using the Menu option "Run" → "Inserting/Removing Break
Point".

After Inserting the Break point, the "Red Colored" Dot and the line will be highlighted in RED as
shown below −

Method ShortCut Description

Step Into F11 Used to execute each and every Step. Steps into the Function/Action and
executes line by line. It pauses on each line after execution.

Step Over F10 Used to Step over the Function. Step Over runs only the current step in the
active document.

Step Out Shift+F11 After Step Into the function, you can use the Step Out command. Step Out
continues the run to the end of the function and then pauses the run session
at the next line.

Options in Break Point

Various Options in Break Point can be accessed by Navigating through the 'Run' Menu.
Sr.No. ShortCut & Description

1 F9 :-Insert/Remove BreakPoint

2 Ctrl+F9 :- Enable/Disable BreakPoint

3 Ctrl+Shift+F9: -Clear All BreakPoint

4 Use Only Menu : -Enable/Disable All BreakPoints

Debugging Pane
The following are the panes in the debugging window −

 Output − This Tab displays all the Output of the Print Statements.

 Watch − This Tab displays the Boolean output of the Given Expression.

 LocalVariables − This Tab displays the Output of the Local Variables.

Example
The Watch Pane shows the output expression as shown below −

The Local Variables Pane shows the values held by the local variables as shown below −