QTP 8.2 FAQ, Tips & Tricks

Well this post is about tips on various topics. I will try to cover as many as i have in mind and would try to summarize the tips that people have given on the forum (including me )

Data Table

Two Types of data tables

• Global data sheet: Accessible to all the actions
• Local data sheet: Accessible to the associated action only

Usage:

• DataTable("Column Name",dtGlobalSheet) for Global data sheet
• DataTable("Column Name",dtLocalSheet) for Local data sheet

If we change any thing in the Data Table at Run-Time the data is changed only in the run-time data table. The run-time data table is accessible only

through then test result. The run-time data table can also be exported using DataTable.Export or DataTable.ExportSheet

How can i save the changes to my DataTable in the test itself?

• Well QTP does not allow anything for saving the run time changes to the actual data sheet. The only work around is to share the
  
  spreadsheet and then access it using the Excel COM Api's.

How can i check if a parameter exists in DataTable or not?

• The best way would be to use the below code:

code:

on error resume next
val=DataTable("ParamName",dtGlobalSheet)
if err.number<> 0 then
   'Parameter does not exist
else
   'Parameter exists
end if

How can i make some rows colored in the data table?

• Well you can't do it normally but you can use Excel COM API's do the same. Below code will explain some expects of Excel COM APIs

code:

Set xlApp=Createobject("Excel.Application")
set xlWorkBook=xlApp.workbooks.add
set xlWorkSheet=xlWorkbook.worksheet.add
xlWorkSheet.Range("A1:B10").interior.colorindex = 34 'Change the color of the cells
xlWorkSheet.Range("A1:A10").value="text" 'Will set values of all 10 rows to "text"
xlWorkSheet.Cells(1,1).value="Text" 'Will set the value of first row and first col

rowsCount=xlWorkSheet.Evaluate("COUNTA(A:A)") 'Will count the # of rows which have non blank value in the column A
colsCount=xlWorkSheet.Evaluate("COUNTA(1:1)") 'Will count the # of non blank columns in 1st row

xlWorkbook.SaveAs "C:\Test.xls"
xlWorkBook.Close
Set xlWorkSheet=Nothing
Set xlWorkBook=Nothing
set xlApp=Nothing

SMART Identification

Smart Identification is nothing but an algorithm used by QTP when it is not able to recognize one of the object. A very generic example as per the

QTP manual would be, A photograph of a 8 year old girl and boy and QTP records identification properties of that girl when she was 8, now when

both are 10 years old then QTP would not be able to recognize the girl. But there is something that is still the same, that is there is only one girl in

the photograph. So it kind of PI (Programmed intelligence) not AI.

When should i use SMART Identification?

• Something that people don't think about too much. But the thing is that you should disable SI while creating your test cases. So that you
  
  are able to recognize the objects that are dynamic or inconsistent in their properties. When the scrīpt has been created, the SI should be enabled,
  
  so that the scrīpt does not fail in case of small changes. But the developer of the scrīpt should always check for the test results to verify if the SI
  
  feature was used to identify a object or not. Sometimes SI needs to be disabled for particular objects in the OR, this is advisable when you use
  
  SetTOProperty to change any of the TO properties of an object and especially ordinal identifiers like index, location and creationtime.

Descrīptive Programming

• Descrīptive programming is nothing but a technique using which operations can be performed on the AUT object which are not present in
  
  the OR. For more details refer to http://bondofus.tripod.com/QTP/DP_in_QTP.doc (right click and use save as...)

Recovery Scenarios

What is a Recovery Scenario?

• Recovery scenario gives you an option to take some action for recovering from a fatal error in the test. The error could range in from
  
  occasional to typical errors. Occasional error would be like "Out of paper" popup error while printing something and typical errors would be like
  
  "object is disabled" or "object not found". A test case have more then one scenario associated with it and also have the priority or order in which it
  
  should be checked.

What does a Recovery Scenario consists of?

• Trigger: Trigger is nothing but the cause for initiating the recovery scenario. It could be any popup window, any test error, particular state
  
  of an object or any application error.
• Action: Action defines what needs to be done if scenario has been triggered. It can consist of a mouse/keyboard event, close application, call a
  
  recovery function defined in library file or restart windows. You can have a series of all the specified actions.
• Post-recovery operation: Basically defined what need to be done after the recovery action has been taken. It could be to repeat the step, move
  
  to next step etc....

When to use a Recovery Scenario and when to us on error resume next?

• Recovery scenarios are used when you cannot predict at what step the error can occur or when you know that error won't occur in your
  
  QTP scrīpt but could occur in the world outside QTP, again the example would be "out of paper", as this error is caused by printer device driver. "On
  
  error resume next" should be used when you know if an error is expected and dont want to raise it, you may want to have different actions
  
  depending upon the error that occurred. Use err.number & err.descrīption to get more details about the error.

Library Files or VBscrīpt Files
How do we associate a library file with a test ?

• Library files are files containing normal VBscrīpt code. The file can contain function, sub procedure, classes etc.... You can also use executefile
  
  function to include a file at run-time also. To associate a library file with your scrīpt go to Test->Settings... and add your library file to resources
  
  tab.

When to associate a library file with a test and when to use execute file?

• When we associate a library file with the test, then all the functions within that library are available to all the actions present in the test. But
  
  when we use Executefile function to load a library file, then the function are available in the action that called executefile. By associated a library to
  
  a test we share variables across action (global variables basically), using association also makes it possible to execute code as soon as the scrīpt
  
  runs because while loading the scrīpt on startup QTP executes all the code on the global scope. We can use executefile in a library file associated
  
  with the test to load dynamic files and they will be available to all the actions in the test.

Add-ins

Test and Run-time Object
What is the difference between Test Objects and Run Time Objects ?

• Test objects are basic and generic objects that QTP recognize. Run time object means the actual object to which a test object maps.

Can i change properties of a test object

• Yes. You can use SetTOProperty to change the test object properties. It is recommended that you switch off the Smart Identification for the
  
  object on which you use SetTOProperty function.

Can i change properties of a run time object?

• No (but Yes also). You can use GetROProperty("outerText") to get the outerText of a object but there is no function like SetROProperty to
  
  change this property. But you can use WebElement().object.outerText="Something" to change the property.

Action & Functions
What is the difference between an Action and a function?

• Action is a thing specific to QTP while functions are a generic thing which is a feature of VB scrīpting. Action can have a object repository
  
  associated with it while a function can't. A function is just lines of code with some/none parameters and a single return value while an action can
  
  have more than one output parameters.

Where to use function or action?

• Well answer depends on the scenario. If you want to use the OR feature then you have to go for Action only. If the functionality is not about any
  
  automation scrīpt i.e. a function like getting a string between to specific characters, now this is something not specific to QTP and can be done on
  
  pure VB scrīpt, so this should be done in a function and not an action. Code specific to QTP can also be put into an function using DP. Decision of
  
  using function/action depends on what any one would be comfortable using in a given situation.

Checkpoint & Output value
What is checkpoint?

• Checkpoint is basically a point in the test which validates for truthfulness of a specific things in the AUT. There are different types of
  
  checkpoints depending on the type of data that needs to be tested in the AUT. It can be text, image/bitmap, attributes, XML etc....

What's the difference between a checkpoint and output value?

• Checkpoint only checks for the specific attribute of an object in AUT while Output value can output those attributes value to a column in data
  
  table.

How can i check if a checkpoint passes or not?

code:

chk_PassFail = Browser(...).Page(...).WebEdit(...).Check (Checkpoint("Check1"))
if chk_PassFail then
   MsgBox "Check Point passed"
else
   MsgBox "Check Point failed"
end if

My test fails due to checkpoint failing, Can i validate a checkpoint without my test failing due to checpoint failure?

code:

Reporter.Filter = rfDisableAll 'Disables all the reporting stuff
chk_PassFail = Browser(...).Page(...).WebEdit(...).Check (Checkpoint("Check1"))
Reporter.Filter = rfEnableAll 'Enable all the reporting stuff
if chk_PassFail then
   MsgBox "Check Point passed"
else
   MsgBox "Check Point failed"
end if

Environment
How can i import environment from a file on disk

• Environment.LoadFromFile "C:\Env.xml"

How can i check if a environment variable exist or not?

• When we use Environment("Param1").value then QTP expects the environment variable to be already defined. But when we use
  
  Environment.value("Param1") then QTP will create a new internal environment variable if it does not exists already. So to be sure that variable exist
  
  in the environment try using Environment("Param1").value.

How to connect to a database?

code:

Const adOpenStatic = 3
Const adLockOptimistic = 3
Const adUseClient = 3
Set ōbjConnection = CreateObject("ADODB.Connection")
Set ōbjRecordset = CreateObject("ADODB.Recordset")
objConnection.Open "DRIVER={Microsoft ODBC for Oracle};UID=<UID>;PWD=<PWD>"
objRecordset.CursorLocation = adUseClient
objRecordset.CursorType = adopenstatic
objRecordset.LockType = adlockoptimistic
ObjRecordset.Source="select field1,field2 from testTable"
ObjRecordset.ActiveConnection=ObjConnection
ObjRecordset.Open 'This will execute your Query
If ObjRecordset.recordcount>0 then
        Field1 = ObjRecordset("Field1").Value
        Field2 = ObjRecordset("Field2").Value
End if

XML in QTP

• Well i am not explaining what to do in case of XMLs, but i am pasting two post that might help...
  http://www.qaforums.com/ultimatebb.php?ubb=get_topic;f=20;t=004193#000004
  http://www.qaforums.com/ultimatebb.php?ubb=get_topic;f=20;t=005111#000002