Learn business process tests and flows

This section describes how to learn a flow or business process test automatically while navigating your application.

In this topic:

Learn process overview

This section describes how BPT Packaged Apps Kit users can learn flows and business process tests automatically by navigating through packaged apps.

During the Learn process, BPT Packaged Apps Kit:

• Learns the actions performed when navigating packaged apps.

• Breaks down the learned actions into a sequence of automated UFT One keyword and/or scripted GUI business components, each representing a screen, tab, or transaction in your app.

• Creates steps in each component based on the operations you perform.

• Populates an existing flow or test with the learned automated components.

• Automatically creates input component parameters for controls in the user interface that require user input, such as text fields. The default value for these parameters is the value inserted in these fields during the Learn process.

• Automatically creates output parameters.

  Tip: By default, output parameters that are added during the Learn process are promoted to flow or test parameters. You may want to remove an output parameter from its level and define it as an output component parameter if it is used only within its flow or test.

• Automatically creates screenshots.

• Enables you to take snapshots as you learn.

• Enables you to insert checkpoints and output values into the flow or test.

• Analyzes each of the components in the flow or test to see if one or more components exists that are similar to, or identical to, the learned components. If such a component exists, you can reuse the existing component instead of creating a new component.

For app-specific details on how BPT Packaged Apps Kit breaks up a learned flow or test into components and creates parameters, see Work with BPT Packaged Apps Kit with support for SAP apps.

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Learn flows

Learn a flow or business process test automatically while navigating your application.

To learn a flow or business process test:

1. Prerequisites:

   Consider the following:

   • Make sure BPT Packaged Apps Kit is enabled. Access to BPT Packaged Apps Kit must be provided by your ALM Project Administrator using Project Customization. To enable BPT Packaged Apps Kit in ALM, see Configure Business Process Testing.

   • Make sure UFT One is installed on the client machine along with its SAP add-in and ALM plug-in.

   • We recommend you close UFT One before learning a flow or business process test.

   • Make sure that you belong to a user group that has the following task permissions: Modify Folder (Test Plan), Modify Test, Add Component Folder, Add Component, Add Step, Add Parameter, Modify Component, Modify Step, Modify Parameter.

   • In UFT One, select Tools > Options and click the Run node. Ensure that the Allow other OpenText products to run tests and components check box is selected in the Run pane.

   • Set BPT Packaged Apps Kit reuse options. For details, see : Configure Business Process Testing.

   Note: When using BPT Packaged Apps Kit, it is best to work with only once instance of ALM open. Do not open multiple instances of ALM in multiple browsers or tabs.

   For additional details on configuring UFT One to work with applications, setting up BPT Packaged Apps Kit, and on configuring user permissions, see : .

2. Open and log into the packaged app to learn.

   Log into the app for which you want to learn the flow or business process test, and navigate to the point at which you want to start learning.

   Note: BPT Packaged Apps Kit is not able to learn the login procedure.

3. Create or select a flow or business process test in ALM.

   1. In the Test Plan module, before learning, do one of the following:

   • Create a new flow or business process test in which to insert learned components. For task details on creating flows, see Create business process tests and flows.
   • Select an existing flow or test in which to insert learned components.

   2. If there are already components in the flow or test, and you want to insert the new components between existing components, in the Test Script tab, select the component after which you want to insert the new components.

   Note: To insert the new components at the beginning (before existing components), you must first insert the new components to a different location, and then change the order of the components manually after the Learn process is finished.

   Example:

   Suppose a flow contains the components Comp_1, Comp_2, and Comp_3. If you want to insert the new components between Comp_2 and Comp_3, select Comp_2.

4. Start the Learn wizard in ALM.

   1. To open the Learn Wizard, in the Test Plan module, in the Test Script tab, select the flow in which you want to insert learned components and click the Learn button.

   2. If there are already business components in the flow or test, you are asked if you want to remove the existing component. If you select No, the learned components are inserted after the selected component.

   3. If other messages appear related to granting access to other assets, scripts, or applications, resolve the issues and click Retry.The Learn toolbar opens. When Learning, the title bar flashes.

5. Learn the packaged app.

   Perform the operations that you want to learn. In general, the operations you perform for a single flow or test should represent those of a single screen or transaction in your application. These operations are saved as actions, and you can see the actions listed in the Learn toolbar.

   Tip: You can set the recording mode to use while learning using the toolbar.

   As you perform actions, the Learn toolbar provides a count of the number of steps performed in the application.

   Tip:  

   • To enable more efficient component reuse, it is recommended that you perform the same operation in the same manner each time you learn a flow or test. For example, clicking the Enter button or pressing the Enter key on the keyboard results in different learned steps. Therefore, if you are not consistent when performing such operations, two otherwise identical components might be considered only similar rather than identical. For reference details on how components are selected for reuse, see Available components for reuse.
   • Using keyboard input to navigate your app instead of clicking buttons outside your screen or tab results in fewer learned components in your flow or test. For example, clicking the Enter button during the Learn process results in the creation of a new component for the Enter button, whereas pressing Enter results in an additional step in the existing component. For app-specific details, see Work with BPT Packaged Apps Kit with support for SAP apps.

6. Add checkpoints while learning the packaged app.

   You can add object property checkpoints to a component during the Learn process. Object property checkpoints enable you to check object property values during a test run to determine if they match expected values. The test results provide information about which object property checkpoints failed during a test run, and why.

   Adding checkpoints and output values while learning eliminates the need for you to add these steps after learning components.

   1. While performing user actions in your app, in the Learn toolbar, click Insert and select the type of checkpoint to insert.

   2. If necessary, in the Object Selection dialog box, select the object on which you want to insert the checkpoint or output value.

   3. In the Checkpoint Properties dialog that opens, select the test object properties to check and click OK. The Learn toolbar counter changes to note that you added a checkpoint or output value step. In addition, this checkpoint step will be part of the learned component that is created after you stop learning the app.

   4. Continue performing operations in your application to continue learning.

7. Stop the Learn wizard.

   When you finish performing the operations that you want to learn, click Stop in the Learn toolbar.

8. Review the Learn summary.

   After stopping the Learn process, the Learn Summary dialog box opens. Click any learned component to see its steps.

   UI Element	Description
   <number of learned components>	Displays the number of components that the Learn process learned.
   Test name	Displays the name of the flow or test.
   New Component Path	Displays the location where the learned components are stored.
   Designer	Displays the ALM user name of the user who designed the flow or test.
   Date	Displays the date on which the summary was created.
   Change Path	Enables you to change the path / location where the learned components are stored..
   	Remove Component from Flow/Test. Deletes the selected component from the learned flow or test.
   <tree>	Displays the business components learned. When you select a component you can view its steps in the Steps tab. The component icon in the flow tree indicates the component's reuse status. For user interface details on reuse icons, see Test Plan Module Icons for Business Process Testing.
   	Thumbnail of snapshot for the component.
   <component name>	Displays the full name of the component including its flow or test.
   	Lets you edit the component name.
   Steps tab	For a learned component, the Steps tab displays a description of the steps in the currently selected business component. For a reused component, the Steps tab displays a description of the steps in the reused component.
   	Displays a screenshot of your application as it appeared at the beginning of the selected component in the flow or test. For a reused component, the Screenshot tab displays the screenshot of the reused component.
   Available Components for Reuse tab	Displays the reuse status of the selected component in the tree. For details, see Available components for reuse.
   Reuse	On the Available Components for Reuse tab, lets you reuse a component.
   Unuse	On the Available Components for Reuse tab, lets you change a reused component back to its regular state ("un-used").
   Automatically reuse components	Any components found that can be reused are automatically reused when creating.
   Create	Saves the new components to the Business Component module, and adds them to the flow or test. The flow / test is displayed in UFT One, but you can switch to ALM to see the flow or test in Business Process Testing.
   Cancel	Cancels learning. All the learned components are deleted.

9. (Optional) Change the default location for learned components.

   In the Learn Summary dialog box, click Change Path to change the default location in which learned business components are stored.

10. (Optional) Reuse components.

    If BPT Packaged Apps Kit detects that a learned component is similar or identical to an existing component, it displays the number of similar components next to the component name in the component tree.

    For details about components reuse, see Available components for reuse.

11. Save the learned components into the flow or test.

    Click Create to close the Learn Summary dialog box, create the new components to the Business Component module, and add the components to the flow or test.

    You see the learned components in UFT One. Return to ALM and click to see the learned components with Business Process Testing.

    Note: Creation of business components for a learned flow or test may take some time.

12. Results.

    BPT Packaged Apps Kit performs the following:

    • Creates automated business components in the Business Components module that correspond to screens, transactions, and so on, in your app.

    • Creates component steps based on the operations you perform.

    • Adds the created components to the flow or test.

    • Inserts the checkpoints and output values you defined.

    • Automatically creates input component parameters for controls in the application's user interface that require user input, such as text fields. The default value for these parameters is the value you insert in these fields during the Learn process.

    • Automatically creates screenshots.

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See also:

• Create business process tests and flows