FT Design overview

This topic provides an overview and a workflow for working with FT Design.

Overview

Create and edit automated scripts in natural English to help you achieve codeless quality.

Use the AI Object-Detection Service to identify objects in your application as a human would and helps you build your scripts step by step. AI-based automated testing helps you save time, increase resilience, and develop more robust application test automation.

As you develop a script, you can run the script independently to make sure the script can work correctly. After the script is ready, you can associate it with a Codeless Test or a Unit to include the script in your scheduled run or MBT model:

  • Associate a script with a Codeless Test in the Quality module or in Functional Test Execution.

  • Schedule and run a Codeless Test in the cloud from Functional Test Execution.

  • Associate a script with a Unit and include the script as part of your MBT test.

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Workflow

A typical workflow for creating and developing a codeless automation script is as follows:

  1. Configure and launch your application.

    For details, see Prepare to create a script.

  2. Create a codeless automation script by inspecting your application.

    For details, see Create script steps based on your application.

  3. Customize your script and step settings to optimize object identification in the runtime.

    For details, see Customize settings.

  4. Run your script on one or multiple applications.

    For details, see Run a script.

  5. View and analyze run results.

    For details, see Analyze run results.

  6. Associate your script with a Codeless Test that can be run from Functional Test Execution, or a Unit that you can include in an MBT test.

    For details, see Associate or unassociate your script.

  7. You can manage all of your scripts from the script tree pane or the FT Design Home page.

    For details, see Navigate FT Design.

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Navigate FT Design

Functional Test Design includes the following panes: 

Pane name Description Available operations
Script tree

Displays all the folders and scripts in your workspace.

When viewing the Home pane, this tree is always displayed.

When viewing a specific script, use the Show/Hide tree button to show or hide this pane .

  • Search for a folder or script.

  • Refresh the tree to display changes performed in other tabs or sessions.

  • Add, delete, rename, or move items. Hover over an item in the tree to display the Add (+) and More options buttons.

  • Open a folder, script, or associated item.

Home 

Displays information about all the items in the folder selected in the Script tree.

For example: script name, associated codeless test or unit, and author.

To open the Home page when viewing a specific script, click the home button in the Script tree pane.

  • Add a new folder or script. See Prepare to create a script.

  • Search or filter the display.

  • Rename, move, or delete items. Right-click to open the context menu. To perform operations on multiple items, select their check boxes.

  • Open a folder, script, or associated item.

Editor

Displays the steps of a specific script.

Open the Editor by clicking a script in the Script tree or Home pane.

  • Inspect an application or a mockup to identify objects. See Create a script.

  • Add steps to your script. See Manually create and edit steps.

  • Open panes to define Script parameters, Script settings, Script applications, and step details.

  • Associate your script with a new codeless test or unit. See Associate or unassociate your script.

  • Open the associated codeless test or unit.

  • Run your script. See Run a script.

  • Rename, move, or delete the script. Click the down-arrow next to the script's name.
Script parameters Create parameters to use for the currently open script. This lets you use varying values rather than constant ones.

  • Create, rename, and delete parameters.

  • Define default values to use for your parameters.

See Parameterize scripts.
Script settings Configure script-specific settings for the currently open script.

See Customize settings.
Script applications

Define the applications you want to test using the currently open script.

The script runs on these applications.

See Configure your applications.
Step editing pane Configure details for the selected step. Some step details can only be set in this pane and not in the Editor or while performing inspection.

See Manually create and edit steps.

Notes:

  • For script naming rules, see Naming conventions.

  • Renaming or moving an associated script updates the associated test or unit with the script's new name or location.

  • If you delete a script associated with a test or unit, the test or unit cannot be run automatically anymore.

  • If a script is open when you create a new script in the script tree, you can decide to reuse the applications configured for the open script.

  • Opening a script opens it the Editor.

  • Opening an associated item opens it in a new tab, in the module or submodule you used most recently. This might be the Backlog submodule, the Quality module, or the Execution submodule.

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Advantages of AI-based automated testing

AI-based automated testing provides you with the following advantages:

  • Faster test creation. Using AI technology to interact with visual objects the way a human would speeds up test authoring and saves time. In addition, you can run one script on different browsers hosting your application.

  • Increased resilience. AI-based scripts are less sensitive to application changes. They can run successfully even if the object location or framework is changed. This makes maintenance easier and increases resilience.

  • No need for programming knowledge. You can describe your codeless automation scripts in natural English. This extends the range of personas who can contribute to automation, resulting in a higher test coverage.

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See also: