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IBM Rational Functional Tester Version 8.2.1

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Abstract

This document describes how to download and install IBM® Rational® Functional Tester Version 8.2.1.

Download Description

Rational Functional Tester is an object-oriented automated testing tool that tests Windows®, .NET, Java™, HTML, Siebel, SIlverlight, SAP, AJAX, PowerBuilder, Flex, zSeries®, iSeries®, and pSeries® applications. It enables you to record reliable and robust scripts that can be played back to validate new builds of a test application. Rational Functional Tester runs on Microsoft® Windows 2000, Windows XP, Windows Vista™, and Linux® operating systems.

Rational Functional Tester is available in two integrated development environments and two scripting languages. Rational Functional Tester, Java Scripting uses the Java language and the IBM Rational Software Delivery Platform. Rational Functional Tester, VB.NET Scripting uses the VB.NET language and the Microsoft Visual Studio .NET development environment.

This release of IBM Rational Functional Tester Version 8.2.1 includes the following new features:

  • Microsoft .NET Framework 4.0: Testing .NET Framework 4.0 applications that contain Windows Presentation Framework (WPF) controls is supported.
  • Dojo 1.5: Automated testing of Dojo 1.5 applications with specific Dojo 1.5 controls is supported.
  • Microsoft Silverlight 4.0: Automated testing of Microsoft Silverlight 4.0 applications with specific Silverlight controls is supported.
  • Mozilla Firefox 4.0 and 5.0: Testing HTML, Flex and Dojo applications that are loaded in the Mozilla Firefox 4.0 or 5.0 browsers is supported. Tabs are also supported in the Mozilla Firefox 4.0 and 5.0 browsers.
  • Red Hat Enterprise Linux 6.0: Testing applications on the Red Hat Enterprise Linux 6.0 operating system is supported.
  • Microsoft Internet Explorer 9.0: Testing HTML, Flex, Dojo and Silverlight applications that are loaded in the Microsoft Internet Explorer 9.0 browser is supported.
  • SAPGUI 7.2: Testing all SAP R/3 versions through SAPGUI 7.2 running on Windows is supported.
  • Playback improvements: Handling of unexpected windows: You can configure the handling of unexpected active windows during tests so that they do not disrupt playback.
  • Playback improvements: Dynamic find: You can dynamically find objects when the object hierarchy changes, so that playback failure because of object hierarchy changes is prevented.
  • Handling Rational Quality Manager execution variables in Rational Functional Tester scripts: You can access Rational Quality Manager execution variables associated with a test script, test case or test suite in Rational Functional Tester scripts during playback.

  • Note: The execution variables feature is available only with Rational Quality Manager, version 3.0.1. You can access the information center for Rational Quality Manager, version 3.0.1.
  • Logging additional information related to unregistered objects: Selecting an option in the Logging Preferences enables you to log the cumulative number of test objects created and unregistered during playback if Rational Functional Tester scripting methods have been used to return test objects. This informs users to unregister the bound test objects in the script, preventing the possibility of memory leaks during playback.
  • Support for Windows Server 2008 R2

Supported Domains
For details on the list of domains supported for functional testing, integration of Rational Functional Tester with other Rational products and compatible shell sharing products, see technote 7019698: List of domains supported for functional testing.

Prerequisites

For information about hardware and software requirements for Rational Functional Tester, version 8.2.1, see System Requirements.

If you are installing or upgrading Rational Functional Tester on Microsoft Windows, to use the .NET Scripting feature, you must copy msvcp71.dll into the System32 directory (C:\Windows\System32), if it is not already available. You can copy the msvcp71.dll file from any other Windows operating system such as Windows XP or download it from Internet.

Before you update Rational Functional Tester, close the Eclipse and Microsoft Visual Studio IDEs, as well as any open Web browsers, and all other applications that are enabled by Functional Tester.

Note: For details on the list of supported platforms on which IBM Rational Functional Tester can be installed, see List of supported platforms.

Installation Instructions

Installing Rational Functional Tester, Version 8.2.1:

For information about installing Rational Functional Tester, version 8.2.1, see Installing Rational Functional Tester.

You can upgrade to Rational Functional Tester, Version 8.2.1 in two ways:
Note: To upgrade to Rational Functional Tester 8.2.1, the minimum required version of IBM Installation Manager is 1.4.4.

  • Using IBM Installation Manager
If IBM Rational Functional Tester, Version 8.2, 8.2.0.1, 8.2.0.2 or one of their interim fixes is already installed on your computer, you can install this update using the Update Packages wizard in IBM Installation Manager. For information, see Updating Rational Functional Tester.
  • Local upgrade of an existing installation

  • 1. Download the Rational Functional Tester 8.2.1 package from the location specified at the bottom of this page.
    2. Extract the files to a temporary directory. For example, extract the file to C:\temp
    3. In the IBM Installation Manager click File > Preferences and add the temporary directory to the list of repositories, for example, C:\temp\rft821.update.disk1\disk1\.
    4. Use the Update Packages wizard of the Installation Manager to proceed with the update.

Support available for the help installation:
Rational Functional Tester help system is configured to use remote help. An internet connection is required to access help or to download and install help locally. For more information about configuring and accessing help, see Configuring help content in the Rational Functional Tester information center.

For more information, see the followiing technotes:
Installing .NET 2010 Scripting

Prerequisite
Microsoft .NET Framework 4.0 is installed with Microsoft Visual Studio .NET 2010. However, to use Rational Functional Tester with the Visual Studio .NET 2010 Integrated Development Environment, you must also install Microsoft .NET Framework 2.0, 3.0 or 3.5.

When you install Rational Functional Tester 8.2.1 for Visual Basic .NET 2010, select .NET 2010 Scripting on the Features page and proceed with the installation.

During the installation, the Rational Functional Tester .NET Scripting help is installed automatically.

Note: To view the Rational Functional Tester .NET Scripting help in the Visual Studio 2010 IDE, you must enable the local help option in the Help Library Manager.

Known problems
  • Testing applications built with Microsoft Silverlight 4.0 that are loaded in Mozilla Firefox browsers is not supported.
  • Testing applications that are loaded in the Mozilla Firefox 4.0 or 5.0 browsers on Linux is not supported.
  • For guest users in Internet Explorer, with the protected mode on, recording and playback of functional test scripts do not work as expected.
  • The Rational Functional Tester .NET 2010 Scripting help is not displayed if the required Microsoft Windows security updates are not installed. To resolve this problem, do one of these steps, as required:
Known problems are documented in the form of individual technotes in the Support knowledge base at

http://www.ibm.com/software/awdtools/tester/functional/support/


As problems are discovered and resolved, the knowledge base is updated and maintained with new information. By searching the knowledge base, you can quickly find workarounds or solutions to problems.
The following links run customized queries of the live Support knowledge base:

Information Center for Rational Functional Tester version 8.2.1

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Problems Solved

Rational Functional Tester, version 8.2.1 contains fixes for these APARs:

APARsDescription
PM28667Rational Functional Tester is unable to copy and paste an entire record in the datapool.
PM12626On Internet Explorer 8, the startBrowser & startApp functions return the incorrect process test object.
PM28228Playback fails with ObjectNotFound exception for HTML controls.
PM28976In a datapool, on clicking in a cell and moving the cursor by using the arrow keys, the cursor moves between cells instead of moving between characters.
PM30689On trying to copy or paste data between cells in a datapool, HTML format tags are also pasted along with the data.
PM33828The Datapool Edit Variable function does not work as expected.
PM35981Inconsistent recording and playback failure are seen against textbox and listbox controls within a PowerBuilder DataWindow.
PM36192When running an applet application in a Firefox 3.6.x browser, Rational Functional Tester recognizes the entire body as an HTML.Object.
PM38720The Object Finder fails to detect an object. The InsertObject wizard selects or highlights an incorrect object.
PM40651The Unify Function corrupts the object map.
PM47791Controls within a table in an SWT application are not recognized, and an error is thrown on playing back a script that tries to select the table objects: Could not find a Table. com.rational.test.ft.ObjectNotFoundException
PM42351On a terminal application, on taking a data verification point, the error *** Invalid resource[Current text value] *** is displayed.
PM42661A select combo box down item is not selected properly after scrolling.
PM43376Playback is unable to click a button in a Siebel popup.
PM47602Rational Functional Tester is unable to insert objects from a Microsoft 2007 Excel Cognos toolbar.
PM43737The System.Console.WriteLine() method fails to write output to the debug console.

For details on the list of resolved APARs for the 8.2 series, see APAR list for Rational Functional Tester Version 8.2 releases.

On
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Technical Support


http://www.ibm.com/software/awdtools/tester/functional/support/

The Passport Advantage Online Help href="http://www.ibm.com/software/sw-lotus/services/cwepassport.nsf/wdocs/pao…"> Instructional Videos will guide Passport Advantage customers through the download and CD ordering processes.

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Problems (APARS) fixed
PM43737;PM40651;PM35981;PM43376;PM42351;PM38720;PM42661;PM12626;PM28667;PM30689;PM33828;PM47791;PM28228;PM28976;PM36192;PM47602

Document Information

Modified date:
20 July 2018

UID

swg24031074