How to Run Tests Manually

This task describes how to run tests manually.

To learn more about running tests manually, see Manual Test Execution Overview.

Note: This task is part of a higher-level task. For details, see Run tests in ALM.

  1. For enhanced functionality and a variety of tools to assist in the manual testing process, run tests with Sprinter. To learn more about Sprinter, see Sprinter Overview.

    To run tests with Sprinter, you must install Sprinter on your client machine. To download and install Sprinter, select Help > Add-ins to open the Application Lifecycle Management Add-ins page.

  2. If Sprinter is installed on your computer, you can run tests manually with Sprinter from the Test Lab module.

    In the Test Lab module, select a test set and click the Execution Grid tab.

    • To run a single manual test, select the test and click the Run button .

    • To run two or more manual tests, select the tests. Click the drop-down arrow next to the Run button and select Run with Sprinter.

  3. If you are not working with Sprinter, you can run tests manually from the Manual Runner dialog box.

    1. In the Test Lab module > Test Sets tab, select a test set and click the Execution Grid tab or Execution Flow tab. Select the tests, click the drop-down arrow next to the Run button, and select Run with Manual Runner.

      For user interface details on the Manual Runner wizard, see Manual Runner Wizard.

      For user interface details on the Manual Runner wizard for business process tests, see the Business Process Testing User Guide: Manual Runner Wizard for Business Process Testing.

    2. Open the application being tested and execute the test steps. Follow the instructions detailed in the test step descriptions.

    3. Compare the actual results with the expected results. When performing the steps, decide whether the application responds according to the expected results.

    4. Assign a pass or fail status to each step, depending on whether the expected results match the actual results.

    5. If a step fails, explain how the application actually responded. A test fails if one or more steps fail.

  4. While executing a test using the Manual Runner, you can add, delete, or modify test steps. After you finish executing the test, you can save your design steps with the changes you make.

    Edit test steps during a manual run from the Manual Runner: Step Details page. For user interface details, see Manual Runner: Step Details Page.

    Note:  

    • If you add an attachment to a memo field of a run step, such as the Description, Expected, and Actual fields, ALM adds the attachment in the run step and displays the attachment in the memo field. When you delete the attachment from the memo field, it is not shown in the memo field but is still saved in the run step.

    • If you add an attachment to a run step without updating a memo field of the step, the attachment will not be saved to the design step when you close the Manual Runner.

    • (Available from 17.0.1 P1) If you add an image or attachment to the Actual area, the image or attachment is not saved to the design step in the Test Plan module.

  5. If a manual test run was paused during execution, you can continue the run at a later stage. This continues the run using the same runner that was used the first time the test was run (Sprinter or the Manual Runner).

    Use one of the following:

    • In the Execution Grid tab or Execution Flow tab, select the test you want to resume running, and select Tests > Continue Manual Run. Alternatively, click the Run arrow and choose Continue Manual Run.

      • Note: This continues the last run of the selected test. If you want to resume running a previous run, click the Test Instance Details button, click Runs on the sidebar, and select the test run you want to resume. Click the Continue Manual Run button.

    • In the Test Runs module > Test Runs tab, select the test run you want to resume and click the Continue Manual Run button.

    If you select multiple test instances in the Execution Grid, or multiple runs in the Test Runs tab, all selected runs continue. If, however, the last test selected in the grid was run with Sprinter, only that run continues.

  6. After test execution is complete, you can view a summary of test results in the following modules:

    • Test Lab. The updated status for each test run is displayed in the Execution Grid. Results for each test step appear in the Last Run Report pane. You can view more detailed results in the Test Instance Details dialog box.

    • Test Runs. The updated status for each test run in the project is displayed. You can generate reports based on test execution details.

    For more details on viewing test results, see View test runs.