UFT : Advance Version of QTPOverview of UFT

UFT (Unified Functional Testing) is an automation functional testing tool, currently available in version 12.01 (in July 2014). Its supported features motivate developers and testers to develop and deliver bug free quality software to meet the business needs. Due to its excellent features, UFT software and UFT professionals both are always in demand.

It is not a new product of HP, an old product “QTP” with new and advance features. Initially, QTP was written by Mercury Interactive and released the first version 5.5 in 2001, later on developed by Hewlett Packard (HP) in 2006. In 2012, HP renewed QTP with the new name UFT; during renewal HP’s UFT version was 11.50.

The name “Unified” reveals that UTF is an advanced and combined “GUI and API (service)” testing tool, strongly test the functionalities of the front-end and back-end of the software application. HP said that the new released of UFT 12.01 provides better documentation support as compare to UFT 12.0.

Also, UFT supports BPT (Business Process Testing) is a component-based testing framework provides strong and efficient platform to test complete business process manually and automatically, combines manual and automation tests with less duplication and its component reusability feature makes the testing process fast. Enable structured automated testing.

Language support: QTP/UFT uses VB Script as a scripting language, this is only a language fully supported by IDE (Integrated Development Environment) of QTP/UFT. IDE is a user interface of QTP/UFT. Apart from VB Script, it also supports java script and Windows shell script. Using VB Script, user can take the advantages of Object Oriented Programming concepts, but not polymorphism and inheritance.

Technologies support: UFT is available for.Net, Stingray 1, Terminal Emulator, Oracle, Siebel, PeopleSoft, Delphi, Flex, Power Builder, Windows Mobile, Web Services, WPF, SAP,  Web, Java (Core and Advanced), VisualAge Smalltalk, Silverlight and mainframe terminal emulators, these all technologies depends on which UFT version you are using.

Current version of UFT 12.01 supports; JDK 1.8, Hyper V and XenDesktop 7 (Technology

Preview level), SAP Web Dynpro ABAP for Netweaver 7.40, and Prolonged Internet

Explorer support for SAP Web UI.

UFT Vs. QTP / New features supported by UFT

Although, I mentioned above UFT is a latest version of QTP with many new features are the advanced solution for functional and regression testing.

Let’s have a look on the difference between QTP and UFT and all new features supported by UFT that helps developers and testers to test the objects, components and whole applications efficiently and securely,

People who are using QTP for past some years and are very friendly with it, every day they test many functionalities of the software application to find and release bugs, during testing process they use many other tools with QTP to provide bug free quality software. Then after releasing UFT, definitely a question comes in mind that why to go for UFT, how UFT is advanced than QTP, how we can test the software application in better manner using UFT new features? Here is the solution of your all questions,

1) HP UFT = HP QuickTest Professional + HP Service Test

UFT (Unified functional testing) name reveals that is a combination of “HP QuickTest Professional” and “HP Service Test”, means; UFT software package includes all features of QTP and service test both. This integrated HP Unified Functional Testing package facilitates developers and testers to test three layers of the software applications; the Interface layer, the service layer and database layer.

QTP only support GUI testing to test the functionalities of Windows and Web applications, but UFT support GUI and API testing both.

2) Browsers supported by QTP and UFT

UFT runs on all main browsers that user uses regularly for their daily task, like; Internet Explorer v6 -v11, Firefox v3.0 – v31 (uses appropriate patches and service packs), Google Chrome v12 - v35, and Apple Safari (on remote Mac PC) v6, v6.10, v7.00, but QTP basically runs on Internet Explorer, Google Chrome till v36, and Firefox browsers, but not on Apple Safari depends on patches and service packs used.

Using Apple Safari browser, UFT runs the test on remote Mac PC efficiently due to secure communication between the UFT PC and the Mac PC, detect the browser object during test to take the snapshot.

3) OS supported by QTP and UFT

UTF runs on OS: Windows XP/Vista/2003/7/8/8.1 and Windows Server 2008/Windows Server 2012 R2

QTP runs on OS: Windows XP/2003/Vista/7 and Windows Server 2008

4) Welcome page (Start Page) of UFT and QTP

QTP Welcome Page: Welcome page of QTP is little bit different than UFT, in terms of color, design, text style, and content of the page. In the welcome page, QTP provides process guidance list (Keyword-Driven Testing, Application areas, and Business Components) and many tools icons to test the applications as per the requirement. Also, displays files which you have already opened earlier for work purpose and an option to hide the welcome page.

UFT Welcome Page: As, I have already explained that UFT is little bit different than QTP, in terms of color, design, text style, and content of the page. In the welcome page, UFT displays links to open and create a new test file, also many tools to support and maintain that particular file.

5) QTP and UFT both have two different icons

QTP and UFT both icons are totally different than each other.

6) UFT Installation is faster and secure than QTPAlthough, UFT installation package is smaller than all previous versions; installation process has become very faster and secure, also it takes very less time during installation. Additionally, UFT provides option to install add-in for ALM and the Run Result Viewer with the installation package, installation process can be in any supported language by UFT; no need to install a separate language pack. During installation, it installs and configures all necessary software, tools and add-ins required to run UFT. Securely install the package without disabling the User Account Control (UAC) for your PC.

7) UFT provides all services at one common place (IDE)

UFT v11.5: QTP has distinct options for functional testing; one for GUI testing and another for non-GUI using API Service Test.

But, Unified functional Testing (UFT) is a combination of both products (GUI and API) and its features and displays in one common user interface. Initially to test the application, user can choose any one of the option “GUI or API (Service test)” from the “Start page” as per the requirement.

UFT v12.0: In addition to GUI and API testing, UFT 12.0 also provides option for Business Process Testing, all together in one common user interface.

8) New Add-Ins - Flex and Qt 

The new version of QTP is supporting two new add-ins: “Flex” and “Qt”, these add-ins

facilitate users to test GUI part of Flex and Qt applications.

UFT Flex add-in is required to test Flex applications or objects from its interface

successfully. This add-in faces problems in case of accessing UFT Flex Agent and finding

Flex based web applications, to come out of these problems you have to compile a Flex

application with a UFT Flex pre-compiled agent which is not necessary for QT applications.

To run Qt applications in UFT, no any additional process is required; simply work for Qt

applications as like other supported applications by UFT.

9) New Canvas of UFT

The canvas of UFT is basically a Test Flow pane displays all actions (all the functions of the test scripts) happens during testing process in graphical form. As per the requirement of the test, you can drag and drop all the actions up and down. You can run, debug, call the existing action or new one.

10) INSIGHT Recording

Insight Recording; one of the best and easy image (objects) reorganization technique than other techniques, makes recording easier by providing recording toolbar. It recognizes those objects and applications that UFT can’t do ever using simple techniques, also helpful in recognizing applications run on remote system

11) UFT’s improved Debug process using many Features

Old QTP had less debugging features as compare to new one (UFT). During the test of an

application, debugging becomes an important process of an automation tool. Due to its

importance, has been improved in the latest version of QTP.

Let’s see how debugging has been improved by addition of many features,

Call Stack – Facilitates to see all methods and functions that are presently available in

the call stack.

Loaded Modules – Useful for API testing, displays all .dlls files of a particular

application executed using API test.

Threads – This is also for API testing, displays all info about threads presently running

as part of the run session.

Local Variables Pane – Displays all types of variables and their current values.

Console Pane – During debugging process; run the line of codes written in VB Script

language for GUI testing and C# code for API testing.

Watch – Displays the current value and type of variables, properties or expressions in

the Watch pane.

Debug pane – Displays all values and types of variables, properties, and expressions

written in VBScript or C# language.

12) UFT Run step command for API testing

Applicable in API testing, a small feature, but very much helpful to run any step, function or object of an application displayed on the canvas using the new “Run step” feature. You can access this “Run step” feature by right clicking any object on the canvas.

This feature is useful when you are testing an application using API service of the UFT and an application during test having many functions, objects and properties. Together execution of all functions, objects and properties making your process slow or not required to execute all, only single function is required to execute during test. In this case, run only single function by right-clicking the function.

13) UFT’s MSAA API

MSAA or Microsoft Accessibility API is used to create controls which can be easily accessed by Assistive Technology Products. Microsoft ribbons used MSAA. So now UFT can identify these Microsoft ribbon objects as standard test objects and can directly use them in scripting.

14) UFT’s Integrated Print window

UFT has integrated print window to print debug information from scripts.

15) UFT’s new GUI, API and BPT testing window

GUI testing window: UFT’s GUI is an advance and new testing framework (window), provides a very fast, trustworthy, reusable, programmable, and inclusive interface to developer and tester for software quality check in less time.

API testing window: Earlier with QTP version, the Web Service add-in was supporting certain API testing in the form of the standalone Service Test application. But now, UFT has integrated it into a common IDE is a great place to visualize and understand API testing process that are helpful in testing headless application (application without user interface).

Headless applications like; JMS, Databases and Web Services are not supported by the API testing toolbox. UFT fully supports C# coding to test the applications.

BPT testing window: UFT’s BPT (Business Process Testing) is a subject matters and component-based customized automation testing platform, provides new framework (window) to design, create, maintain, and execute the test and manage the data of the test. It is also helpful in developing and maintaining reusable test components, best for all types of testing simple and complex both.

To create and maintain the test using Business Process Testing in UFT, you get two options; “business process tests” and “business process flows”, these two platforms usually contain same business components in same order. To work on Business Process Testing, you must have to connect an ALM project with BPT support.

16) ALM now using external authentication Earlier, UFT previous versions were using a common method to give username and password to connect to ALM project and server, but now with UFT 12.0 you can connect to ALM 12.00 server and project by external authentication, such as; CAC (Common Access Card) or SiteMinder. UFT facilitates users to install external authentication certificates or single sign-on mechanisms to avail ALM service, now no need to remember user name and password for the same purpose.

ConclusionPersonally, I experienced that UFT is really a good invention of HP, provides user-friendly IDE for any kind of GUI and API testing.

People, who are really passionate to use QTP new and enhanced features personally/professionally, go to the HP website and download the trial version of UFT 12.01. Surely, after using UFT latest version, you will never look back to the previous version.