For example, GUI tests, actions, and application areas can be linked with function libraries and shared object repositories, respectively or API tests can be linked with data tables, user code files, or activities. You store your tests or components in the Test Plan or Business Components module, respectively, and you store your resource files (including application areas) in the Test Resources module. When you associate a resource file to a test or a GUI component's application area, these assets become linked. Linking assets improves runtime performance by decreasing download time. (Using attachments instead of resources increases download time from Quality Center and ALM.) Linking assets also helps to ensure that the relationships between dependent assets are maintained.

To ensure that your resource files are recognized as dependencies, they must be saved in the Test Resources module in ALM, and they must be associated using the full ALM path.

You can create versions of these assets in UFT One or in ALM, and you can manage asset versions in ALM. For details, see Version control in ALM.

Resource files are stored in the Test Resources module, enabling you to manage your resources in one central location, and to view at a glance which tests and application areas are using each resource file.

Tests or components open and run faster when the associated resource files are stored in the Test Resources module (instead of being stored as attachments to tests in the Test Plan module).

You can copy assets from other projects. This enables you to reuse your existing assets instead of creating new assets whenever you create a new project. For example, you can create a "template" set of assets to use as a basis for new projects.

You can synchronize these assets in both projects when changes are made, or you can customize your assets to suit the unique needs of each development project.

When you delete an asset (a reusable GUI action or component or associated resource file), a warning message informs you if the asset is used by other tests (or more than once in the current test) or is associated with an application area. This message contains a Details section that lists the tests or application areas that are associated with this asset or contain calls to this action so you can modify the tests or application areas, as needed. This helps you manage your business process tests and GUI action calls so that tests do not inadvertently fail.