Running Ranorex Automated Tests with HP Quality Center

HP Quality Center is a web based test management software which supports both manual and automated testing of UI based applications.

Having an existing HP Quality Center infrastructure, it’s easy to integrate your Ranorex automation since HP Quality Center offers so called VAPI-XP-TESTs as an interface to trigger console based applications.

By compiling a Ranorex Test Suite project, a console application will be built which can be triggered by the mentioned VAPI-XP-TESTs. And, as you might know, by specifying command line arguments when running the Test Suite executable, you can control almost everything within a test suite.

• Preparation
• VAPI-XP-TEST
  • Create a VAPI-XP-TEST
  • Add Parameters to specify the Ranorex Automation
  • Alter the VAPI-XP-TEST Script
• Test Set
  • Create a Test Set executing the VAPI-XP-TEST
  • Set Parameters to trigger the Ranorex Automation
  • Execute the VAPI-XP-TEST
• Conclusion

Preparation

It is necessary to have the Ranorex main components – and at least a valid runtime license – installed on the machine you are going to execute Ranorex automation on.

For demonstration purposes, you can simply create a new KeePassTestSuite sample project from the Ranorex Studio start page as shown in following figure and compile it:

To execute the Ranorex Test Suite executable, it’s recommended to create a batch file (e.g. C:TestsExecTestSuite.bat) and define parameters for path, executable, report file name and additional command line arguments.

As it’s easier to attach only one file instead of separate files for the style and the included images of a report to a test run, it’s recommended to use the “zr” command line option to compress the generated report to a single archive.

For further details, have a look at the list of all available command line arguments in the section “Running Tests without Ranorex Studio” in our user guide.

The mentioned batch file should contain following code:

cd %1
%2 /zr /zrf:%3 %4 %5 %6 %7 %8 %9

whereas the arguments are defined as follows:

• %1: The path the Ranorex test suite executable is located at
• %2: The test suite executable
• %3: The name of the generated zipped report file
• %4 – %9: up to 5 additional command line arguments forwarded to the Ranorex test suite executable

This batch file will

• change to the directory specified as first command line argument
• start the executable specified as second command line argument
• with enabling the report compression and defining a zipped report file specified as third command line argument
• and additional command line arguments specified in the remaining command line arguments

VAPI-XP-TEST

Create a VAPI-XP-TEST

To trigger a console app we have to create a new VAPI-XP-Test as described in the following steps:

• Add a new test in the “Test Plan” area:
  
• Set the test type to “VAPI-XP-TEST:
  
• Select VBScript as Script language:
  
• Set “Console Application as test type:
  
• Enter the batch file location in “Application Executable file” and press the “+” button to add the application call to your script:
  
• Finish the HP VAPI-XP Wizard:
• 

Add Parameters to specify the Ranorex Automation

As we have four parameters with our batch file, add these four parameters to the new generated VAPI-XP-TEST:

Alter the VAPI-XP-TEST Script

The generated Test Script simply calls the batch file as defined in the “HP VAPI-XP-Test Wizard”.

To forward the values of the parameters and to attach the generated report file alter your test script as you can see in following code listing:

Sub Test_Main(Debug, CurrentTestSet, CurrentTSTest, CurrentRun)
  On Error Resume Next

  ' clear output window
  TDOutput.Clear

  Dim path        'String
  Dim executable  'String
  Dim args        'String
  Dim reportFile  'String
  Dim cmdLineArgs 'String
  Dim result      'Integer
  Dim executed    'Integer

  If Not Debug Then
    ' bind parameters to local variables
    With CurrentTSTest.Params
      For i = 0 To .Count - 1
        If StrComp(Trim(.ParamName(i)), "Path", 1) = 0 Then
          path = .ParamValue(i)
        End if
        If StrComp(Trim(.ParamName(i)), "Executable", 1) = 0 Then
          executable = .ParamValue(i)
        End if
        If StrComp(Trim(.ParamName(i)), "Args", 1) = 0 Then
          args = .ParamValue(i)
        End if
        If StrComp(Trim(.ParamName(i)), "ReportFile", 1) = 0 Then
          reportFile = .ParamValue(i)
        End if
      Next
    End With
    ' if Report is not set, use default value
    If isEmpty(reportFile)Then
      reportFile = "Report.rxzlog"
    end if
    ' check whether parameters are set to a value or not
    If (path = "" or executable = "") Then
      TDOutPut.Print  "Error: Path and/or Executable are not set!"
      result = -1
      executed = -1
    Else
      cmdLineArgs = chr(34)& path & chr(34) & " " & executable & " " & reportFile & " " & args
      result = XTools.run("C:TestsExecTestSuite.bat", cmdLineArgs , -1, true)
      executed = 0
    end if
    ' Add zipped report file as attachment if test script has been executed
    If executed = 0 Then
        Set objRunAttach = CurrentRun.Attachments
        Set newAtt = objRunAttach.AddItem(Null)
        newAtt.FileName = path & "\" & reportFile
        TDATT_FILE = 1
        newAtt.Type = TDATT_FILE
        newAtt.Post
    End If
    ' handle run-time errors
    If Err.Number <> 0 Then
      TDOutput.Print "Run-time error [" & Err.Number & "] : " & Err.Description
    End If
    ' update execution status in "Test" mode
    If result <> 0 Or Err.Number <> 0 Then
       CurrentRun.Status = "Failed"
       CurrentTSTest.Status = "Failed"
    End If
  Else
    TDOutput.Print "Debug Mode: As no parameters are set, no Ranorex Automation will be executed!"
  End If
End Sub

Test Set

Create a Test Set executing the VAPI-XP-TEST

After defining the test in the “Test Plan” area, you can create a new test set in the “Test Lab” area which triggers the VAPI-XP-TEST generated before.

To do so, follow the directions below:

• Switch from the “Test Plan” to the “Test Lab” area
• Create a new test set:
• Add the VAPI-XP-TEST created before to your newly created test set by dragging/dropping it into the execution grid:

Set Parameters to trigger the Ranorex Automation

This test set should now execute the test case “TC_AddEntry” of the KeePassTestSuite sample project.

Therefore, open the test instance details by double clicking the test in the execution grid and set the parameters in the execution settings as follows:

• Path: the path the test suite executable is located at
• Executable: “KeePassTestSuite.exe”
• Args: “/tc:TC_AddEntry”
• ReportFile: “Report.rxzlog”

You can add several other test sets executing other test cases, or different run configurations. This can be done by simply setting the command line arguments available for test suite execution forwarded by setting the parameter “Args”.

You can additionally set global parameters via command line arguments as well. In the sample test suite used for demonstration, you can set the execution path of the application under test, using following command line argument:

/pa:"GlobalExecutionPath=..."

You can find a list of all available command line arguments in the section “Running Tests without Ranorex Studio“ in our user guide.

Execute the VAPI-XP-TEST

After setting the parameters you should be able to execute your test:

Within the execution grid you will see the test result:

At the test instance details, which can be opened by double-clicking the test in the execution grid, you can analyze several runs of your test:

By double-clicking a specific run, you will see that a zipped report file has been attached to the run.

It can be opened by double-clicking it:

Conclusion

By adding a simple VAPI-XP-TEST as explained in this blog, you are able to create test sets for every Ranorex Test Suite executable by simply altering the arguments passed to the test suite.

This allows you to execute Ranorex test automation within HP Quality Center.

Please feel free to share your thoughts on this topic in the comment section.