Deciding When to Use QuickTest Automation Scripts

Creating a useful QuickTest automation script requires planning, design time, and testing. You must always weigh the initial investment with the time and human-resource savings you gain from automating potentially long or tedious tasks.

Any QuickTest operation that you must perform many times in a row or must perform on a regular basis is a good candidate for a QuickTest automation script.

The following are just a few examples of useful QuickTest automation scripts:

  • Initialization scripts. You can write a script that automatically starts QuickTest and configures the options and the settings required for recording on a specific environment.
  • Maintaining your tests or components. You can write a script that iterates over your collection of tests and components to accomplish a certain goal. For example:
    • Updating values. You can write a script that opens each test or component with the proper add-ins, runs it in update run mode against an updated application, and saves it when you want to update the values in all of your tests and components to match the updated values in your application.
    • Applying new options to existing tests or components. When you upgrade to a new version of QuickTest, you may find that the new version offers certain options that you want to apply to your existing tests and components. You can write a script that opens each existing test and component, sets values for the new options, then saves and closes it.
  • Calling QuickTest from other applications. You can design your own applications with options or controls that run QuickTest automation scripts. For example, you could create a Web form or simple Windows interface from which a product manager could schedule QuickTest runs, even if the manager is not familiar with QuickTest.

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