QR code and barcode simulation

UFT Mobile's simulation lets you simulate the scanning of QR codes and barcodes.

About QR code and barcode simulation

Using UFT Mobile's QR code and barcode simulation, you specify the image to use instead of the actual scan of the device. You can then use these images to test your app.

When you perform simulation of a QR code, UFT Mobile replaces the code scanned by the camera, with the selected file.

Performing QR code and barcode simulation

The QR code and barcode simulation is available from the Device access window for exploratory testing, and from the UFT/UFT Developer testing tools.

Note: Simulation is supported only for packaged iOS and Android apps. iOS version should be 11.1 or higher.

  1. Activate simulation mode, by clicking the QR code and barcode simulation button .

    The Simulate QR Code or barcode scan dialog box opens.

  2. In the Simulate dialog box, provide a file, one at a time, in one of the following ways:

    1. Paste in the URL of the image or video file.
    2. Browse for a file on a local or network machine.
    3. Drag and drop a file( not supported for UFT One).
  3. Click the uploaded image to select it. A green checkmark indicates this is the image to be used for simulation.
    You can add all your QR code or barcode image files at this stage, even if you do not intend to use them for the current test. See Guidelines for information on the valid file types and sizes. If you have uploaded multiple files, select the image to use the next time your device scans a code by clicking it.

    Tip: If you do not change your selection, the test will continue to use the same image each time you scan a code.

  1. Close the dialog box by clicking the close button in the top right hand corner.
  2. On your device, navigate to the screen in the app from which you will be scanning the code. Click the simulation button and click SCAN.
  3. When simulating multiple scans, for each code simulation click the simulation button , select the image to use, and click SCAN.

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Guidelines for QR code and barcode simulation

When using QR code and barcode simulation for replacing images, follow these guidelines:

General guidelines

  • When performing QR code simulation, make sure that the QR code you are simulating is clear, centered, and not bent.

  • When performing barcode simulation, make sure that the bar code is clear and in a place that can be detected by the barcode detection area. (The detection area is determined by the app.) If your simulation fails during replay, open the captured image and note the location of the bar code. Make sure that the barcode is near the center of the barcode detection area. If it is not, either crop the existing image or create a new image with a light background with just the barcode in the center.

    Barcode detected successfully Difficulty in detecting barcode
  • The supported image formats are: JPG, GIF, PNG, BMP, and WBMP.
    For Android camera 2, only JPG and YUV_420_888 image formats are supported.

  • Android X: Photo and barcode simulation can only be used one at a time. If your app uses both photo and barcode simulation, deactivate one before activating the other. For automation, ensure that you use a stop operation before switching between simulations.

  • Recording of QR codes and bar codes is not supported for testing tools, such as UFT, Sprinter, and so forth; replay is supported.

    To replay on iOS or Android, add the SimulateBarcodeByImage method. For example:

    Example:
    Device("Device").UploadMedia "CODE39.png", "Z:\QRCode_Image\Scandit_Demo\PNG_File\CODE39.png"

    Device("Device").App("SimpleSample").SimulateBarcodeByImage "CODE39.png"

    On iOS, you can also use the SimulateBarcodeByData method. For example:

    Example:
    Device("Device").App("com.hp.hmc.ScanditSample").SimulateBarcodeByData "OK","AZTEC"

  • When working in the remote device view with exploratory testing, simulation cannot be deactivated after it has been activated.
  • The maximum upload file size for images is 5 MB. The maximum upload size for videos is 20 MB with 1.5 GB of free memory for Android devices, and 40 MB for iOS devices.
  • The uploaded files are only valid for the current session. Once the test or remote view session is finished, the files will be erased.

Android specific

  • Simulation is only supported for Scandit Barcode Scanner SDK, Google Mobile Vision, ML Kit, Zxing and other barcode recognition tools based on an image captured by camera 1, camera 2, and camera X. The native camera API  is not supported.
  • When working with Android 6.0 or later, you must have permission to access the device's external storage.
  • This simulation is only supported for apps using the YUV NV21 camera preview image format.
  • Simulation may not be possible if you customized the built-in camera settings.

  • Set the saveToPic parameter to true (false by default) to save the image to a subfolder in the device's photo gallery. For example, modify the recorded step:

    Device("Device").UploadMedia "sample.png","C:\sample.png"

    to

    Device("Device").UploadMedia "sample.png","C:\sample.png",True

iOS specific

For iOS, AVFoundation and Vision.framework are supported.

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See also: