Creating Web UI tests

You can create a Web UI test from the IBM® Rational® Test Workbench. The test workbench automatically enables web browsers and configures the test environment before you start recording tests for web applications.

Before you begin

  • To include HTTP traffic in the Web UI recording, install the HTTP Extension of the IBM Rational Test Workbench. Capturing HTTP traffic along with a Web UI recording ensures that both performance and functional aspects of the application are tested.
  • For Internet Explorer 9 or later
    • To ensure that the browser always loads the web pages in standard mode, add <!DOCTYPE html> at the beginning of the HTML source of the pages.
    • To avoid the application from running on a compatibility mode internally, in Internet Explorer, click Tools > Compatibility View Settings and clear all the three check boxes.
  • When recording a test, wait for each page to load completely. This waiting time does not affect performance results, because you can remove extra waiting time (think time) when you play back the test.
  • Do not change any browser preferences.

Procedure

  1. In the test workbench, click New > Test From Recording. Alternatively on the toolbar, click the New Test From Recording icon New Test From Recording.
  2. Click Create a test from a new recording. Select Web UI Test or Create a test from an existing recording, and select a recording session. If you are recording sensitive data, click Recording Encryption Level and select the encryption level to record.
  3. Optional: Select Advanced recording to record the actions you perform while testing a web application, or the HTTP traffic, or both. Click Next.
  4. Optional: If you did not create a test project earlier, click the Create the parent folder icon Create the parent folder to create a test project. For more information, see Creating a test workbench project.
  5. Type a name for the test.
  6. Optional: To correlate the test data by using automatic data correlation, select Customize automatic data correlation. This option is useful only if you are generating a HTTP test from the Web UI recession file and want to apply data correlation to the HTTP test. Data correlation is not supported for a Web UI test. Click Next.
  7. In the Select Client Application page, select the web browser to use and click Next. The type of application defines the recorder that can be used. The following client application types are supported for recording a Web UI test:
    • Google Chrome
    • Mozilla Firefox
    • Microsoft Internet Explorer
      Note: You can record Web UI tests with Microsoft Internet Explorer 9 and above only.
  8. In the Recorder Settings dialog, set the recording preferences depending on the browser you selected:
    • If the server requires client SSL authentication, you must provide the client certificate keystore for the proxy recorder to be authenticated by the server as though the proxy recorder were the client. Select the The server requires a specific client certificate check box. Specify the file name and password of the server certificate keystore. If multiple certificates are required, click Multiple certificate, and click Add to specify a certificate keystore file name and password for each host name and port.
    • If you select Mozilla Firefox or Microsoft Internet Explorer and you intend to also record the HTTP traffic using the HTTP recorder, click Save to add the RPT Trusted Root Certification Authority (IbmRptRootCA.cer) to the Trusted Root Certification Authorities (typically, in C:\Program Files (x86)\IBM\IBMIMShared\plugins\com.ibm.rational.test.lt.recorder.proxy_version\SSLCertificate).
    • If you selected Mozilla Firefox, you can choose to use a temporary Firefox profile. This option starts Firefox without any bookmarks, plug-ins, or toolbars that might be associated with your usual profile. Select the Use an alternate Firefox profile check box, and then select Use a temporary Firefox profile.
    • Click Advanced and then click Also record HTTP traffic to also include the HTTP traffic in the Web UI recording. By using this option, you can later generate HTTP tests (in addition the Web UI tests) from the recording.

      The option is enabled by default. To disable it, click change default value. In the Preferences dialog, clear the check box Also record HTTP traffic, click Apply, and click OK.

    • Click Advanced to specify whether to use an HTTP or SOCKS proxy recorder to review and edit network connection settings that the browser uses or to specify advanced SSL authentication settings.
    • Specify advanced SSL authentication settings. If you are using the SOCKS recorder, the RptCertificate.jks certificate is used by default. Select The client requires a specific server certificate and then click Add to specify the server hostname, port, certificate database path, and the certificate database password for each website that you are planning to test. If you select Generate certificate, for any IP address received by the SOCK proxy that is resolved by one the server hostnames that you listed, the SOCKS proxy uses a generated certificate signed by the RPT certificate authority, thereby ensuring a smooth recording.
    • If you select Override browser settings, select Accept SSL 3.0, or Accept TLS 1.0, or both.
    If you selected Advanced recording check box at Step 3, the Recorder Settings dialog displays the following additional options:
    • Record HTTP Traffic: Select this check box to record the HTTP traffic that is sent and received with the selected browser.
    • Record User Actions: Select this check box to record the actions that you perform while testing a web application.
    Choose both the options to record your actions and the HTTP traffic together.
  9. Click Finish. The Welcome page opens. The page displays the version of web browser that is launched and also the list of web applications that were added to Rational Test Workbench Eclipse Client. Read the instructions provided on the page before proceeding.
  10. In the browser address field, type the address of the web application to test.
    Note: If you enter the address of a secure website (one that starts with https:), your browser might display a security alert. Depending on the security certificate for the site, you might be required to accept a security risk to proceed with the recording.
  11. After you finish the user tasks in the browser, stop the recorder. You can stop the recorder by closing the web application under test or by clicking the Stop icon Stop icon in the Recording Control view.
  12. Optional: In the Data Correlation and Transformation page, set the data correlation options as appropriate and click Finish.
Related concepts:
Editing Web UI tests
Related tasks:
Running a Web UI test
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