IBM Rational Functional Tester, version 8.2.2 Release Notes

This document contains information about system requirements, installation, and new features in IBM® Rational® Functional Tester, version 8.2.2. It also provides information about contacting IBM Software Support.

Description

Rational Functional Tester is an object-oriented automated testing tool that tests HTML, Java, Dojo, Ajax, Microsoft Windows, Microsoft .NET, Microsoft Silverlight, Microsoft Visual Basic, Siebel, Flex, SAP, GEF, and PowerBuilder applications that run on Microsoft Windows or Linux operating systems. You can also test Adobe PDF documents. You can test IBM zSeries®, IBM iSeries®, and IBM pSeries® applications by using the extension for terminal-based applications that is provided by Rational Functional Tester. With Rational Functional Tester, you can record reliable and robust scripts that you can play back to validate new builds of a test application.

Rational Functional Tester is available in two integrated development environments, Eclipse and Microsoft Visual Studio .NET. The product records user actions to create simplified test scripts that are easy to understand on the Rational Software Delivery Platform. Rational Functional Tester supports two scripting languages for advanced users. Rational Functional Tester Java scripting uses the Java language, and Rational Functional Tester .NET scripting uses the Microsoft Visual Basic .NET language and the Microsoft® Visual Studio .NET development environment.

This release of IBM Rational Functional Tester 8.2.2 includes these enhancements:

To view the list of domains that are supported for functional testing in each release of Rational Functional Tester and the compatible versions of Rational products that can be integrated with Rational Functional Tester, see the technical document at http://www.ibm.com/support/docview.wss?&uid=swg27019698

The latest version of the Release Notes is available in the Rational Functional Tester Information Center.

System requirements

For information about hardware and software requirements for Rational Functional Tester, version 8.2.2, see System requirements.

Installing Rational Functional Tester, version 8.2.2

For information about installing Rational Functional Tester, version 8.2.2, see the Installation roadmap topic in the Rational Functional Tester help.

If Rational Functional Tester, version 8.2, 8.2.0.1, 8.2.0.2, 8.2.1, 8.2.1.1 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 the Updating Rational Functional Tester topic in the help.

Installing Rational Functional Tester through Rational Test Workbench

Rational Functional Tester is also included in the Rational Test Workbench package. You can use the Rational Functional Tester license when you install Rational Functional Tester through the Rational Test Workbench package.

Known limitations and workarounds

Automatically enabled functional test environment

When the test environment is automatically enabled, the following limitations are seen:
  • For Standard Widget Toolkit (SWT) and for Eclipse applications, the test environment is enabled automatically if both Rational Functional Tester and the test application use a JRE from the same vendor. If the JREs are from different vendors, complete one of the following steps so that the environment is enabled automatically:
    • By default, Rational Functional Tester uses the IBM JRE. Verify whether you can set the test application to use IBM JRE. If this is not possible, set Rational Functional Tester to use the Sun JRE that the test application uses.
    • If the test application uses Sun JRE, complete one of the following steps:
      • Copy the tools.jar file and the attach.dll file from the Sun jdk<version_number> directory to the jre<version_number>/lib/ext directory.
      • Start the test application with this command: java -javaagent:"<Rational Functional Tester installation directory>\javaagent\FtAgent.jar"
  • You cannot open the Verification Point Comparator by clicking the View Results link in the functional test HTML log. In such cases, open the corresponding project log file from the functional test project log, in the Functional Test Projects view.
  • When you test HTML applications that contain applets in 32-bit browsers, replace the contents in the java.policy file by the following code to make sure that the browser is enabled automatically:
    grant {
    permission java.security.AllPermission;
    };
    You must also make sure that during playback, the first click must be on the applet window.
  • Testing HTML applications that contain applets loaded in automatically enabled 64-bit browsers is not supported.
  • 64-bit Internet Explorer browsers are enabled automatically only for users with administrator rights.
  • When you test 32-bit SWT or Eclipse applications in automatically enabled environments, the first click action is not recorded. Perform the first click twice to make sure that it is recorded.
  • When you test applications in 64-bit automatically enabled environments, the first click action is not recorded. Perform the first click twice to make sure that it is recorded.
  • In an automatically enabled test environment, if you uninstall a JRE that is associated with a browser, restart the computer, and then make sure that the corresponding Java entries are removed from the registry. Disable the uninstalled JRE in any browser add-ons that point to the uninstalled JRE, if any.

Manually enabled functional test environment

When the test environment is automatically enabled, the following limitations that are seen when the test environment is manually enabled do not occur:
  • While testing applications, HTML pages that contain applets may not load in Mozilla Firefox 3.6 or later, or Internet Explorer 32-bit browsers:
    • IBM JRE 1.6 Service Refresh 8 or later
    • Sun JRE 1.6 Update 18 or later
    • IBM JRE 1.7 or Sun JRE 1.7
    Workaround: Disable the Next-Gen plug-in in the browser.
    Note: If the Next-Gen plugin options cannot be disabled using a mouse, use the Tab or Space bar keys. Alternatively, set the UseNewJavaPlugin value to 00000000 in the registry entry corresponding to Sun JRE 1.7 under HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\JavaSoft\Java Plug-in.

Rational Functional Tester .NET Scripting integration with Microsoft Visual Studio 2010

After installing Rational Functional Tester 8.2.2 .NET 2010 Scripting, the option to create a new functional test project is not available in the menu or in the New Project wizard. To resolve this problem, complete these steps:
  1. Download and install the vcredist_x86.EXE file from the location http://www.microsoft.com/en-us/download/details.aspx?displaylang=en&id=26347. Complete the installation instructions mentioned in the page. You might be prompted to restart your computer.
  2. Open the command prompt and navigate to C:\Program Files\IBM\FunctionalTester\vsnet\bin (on 64-bit computers, C:\Program Files (x86)\IBM\FunctionalTester\vsnet\bin)
  3. Run the following command: regsvr32 RftVs10.dll. A dialog box is displayed, with a message indicating that the Rftvs10.dll file was successfully registered: DllRegisterServer in RftVs10.dll succeeded.
Known problems are also documented in the form of individual technical notes in the Support Knowledge Base. 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:

Contacting IBM Software Support

IBM Software Support provides you with technical assistance.

For FAQs, lists of known problems and fixes, and other support information, visit the product support page for Rational Functional Tester software at http://www.ibm.com/software/awdtools/tester/functional/support/.

For product news, events, and other information, visit the product home page for Rational Functional Tester Software at http://www.ibm.com/software/awdtools/tester/functional/index.html.

Before you contact IBM Software Support, gather the background information that you need to describe your problem. When describing a problem to an IBM Software Support specialist, be as specific as possible and include all relevant background information so that the specialist can help you solve the problem efficiently. To save time, know the answers to these questions:

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