What is our primary use case?

What needs improvement?

For how long have I used the solution?

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

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What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

How are customer service and support?

Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?

How was the initial setup?

What other advice do I have?

Which deployment model are you using for this solution?

What is our primary use case?

How has it helped my organization?

What is most valuable?

What needs improvement?

For how long have I used the solution?

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

How are customer service and technical support?

Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?

How was the initial setup?

What other advice do I have?

Which deployment model are you using for this solution?

Last year I had the honor to attend the Micro Focus ADM Conference in Dallas, Texas. Participating with other users in a round table discussion, we spoke of what we loved most, and least, about the UFT automation tool feature set.

The results of this meeting can be seen in UFT 14.51. Micro Focus continues to show they are listening to their user base. They are committed to making changes large and small that makes UFT more user-friendly and efficient. Here is a quick dive into product changes, some undocumented, in 14.51.

Parallel Test Execution adds isolated execution

With a ParallelRunner utility, scripts can be executed on up to four different browsers simultaneously. Execution can be performed from a command prompt:

or by referencing a JSON formatted file.

Parallel execution was introduced in UFT14.50, but there was one drawback: It was difficult to handle events that caused conflicts when executed simultaneously. For example, if multiple tests attempt to perform an LDAP validation with identical credentials, UFT 14.51 resolves this with isolated execution using the ParallelUtil object. This tells other concurrent tests to pause so that the current code segments can execute without any overlapping interference.

You can see a demo of UFT 14.51 Parallel Execution in this short video.

'Open in Repository' speeds Object Repository access

A small change is in the context-sensitive right-click menu makes day to day work in scripts and the repository much easier. In prior versions, users could only jump to the Object Properties… dialog - which has no edit functionality- and then click on View in Repository in order to edit an object.

Now with the addition of the Open in Repository option, a path without the extra mouse click is provided. Users can now jump directly from the code to edit a problem object in the repository. This continues to reduce the "Clickitis" of UFT.

'Go to Definition' jumps to the function between linked libraries.

In prior versions the Go to Definition option only allowed users to jump from the Main Script to a library, or to a function within in the same library. The only way to jump to a function declared in another library was to search the entire project. Now users can jump to function definitions between external libraries.

Spy has a new Hover Mode

Users have long awaited the Object Spy to detect objects that appeared only when the mouse is floated over. This is a switch found at the top of the tool interface, and a message appears indicating the new mode is operational when activated. 
As a reminder, the Spy tool has undergone a lot of improvements in recent releases. It can display the properties of two objects at the same time for comparison. And it's no longer modal, so the user can now move the main IDE window freely, and even edit code, while the Spy tool remains open.

You can see these features in this short video.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4DHL1qSLCRE

Count and percentages of Pass, Fail and Warnings

The tally of Fail and Warnings in the Results Viewer now report a count and percentage of reported Pass results. 

Users can quickly identify tests with a large count failure from those with single faults from a high-level standpoint. This greatly addresses the prioritization of maintenance when multiple tests in a test suite have failed. 

Persistent Watch List with Undocumented Methods Revealed

Set variable or object property in the Watch list and save the test. Restart UFT, reload the test and view the Watch window. All tracked variables and objects will return without retyping.

The Watch window holds another surprise. Many, if not all, undocumented methods are now displayed including .Highlight, .HighlightAllMatchingChildren, .Init and .MakeObjVisible.
An additional issue has been resolved where only a partial alphabetical list of object properties was retrieved due to a timeout.  

More support for StormRunner Functional with new AOM Methods and Properties  

StormRunner Functional uses Amazon Web Services to create virtual test labs for testing Web and Mobile devices:

Operating systems: Windows 10, Windows 8.1, Windows 7, Ubuntu

Browsers: IE, Chrome, Firefox

Browser versions: Latest version, Beta, Prior Versions

Six Different Screen Resolution: 1920 x 1080 to 800 x 600

One of the major advantages of StormRunner Functional is that it spins up virtual environments only for the run time duration. Add the ability to run tests concurrently and this makes testing in the cloud significantly faster. 

Pricing, Setup Cost and Licensing

UFT is a licensed product, but it has some advantages that make it a viable choice over other open source options.

The first cost advantage becomes evident when Micro Focus tools are combined with StormRunner Functional to run tests in the cloud. SRF runs under Amazon Web Services, spinning up test environments on an as-needed basis. This allows Micro Focus to offer customers a flat rate charge, instead of a pay-by-the-minute plan. This offering can be very attractive to budget-conscious users who have had the surprise experience of paying for machine instances that were inadvertently left idle for days or weeks in the cloud.

UFT has another advantage with the choice of VbScript as its programming language. It's easy to learn and quick to write test scripts. Where Java and Selenium require a much higher level of code density, complexity and multiple third-party support tools by comparison. The ROI of using an open source tool can be lost when the time and manpower needed to get up and running quickly is lost to a high learning curve and the lack of an on-demand customer support line.

Lastly, successful automation projects expand from an initial proof of concept application to other applications under other technologies. So another advantage to consider is the number new and legacy web technologies, including terminal emulators and Windows thick clients supported by UFT.

This makes UFT the “everything and the kitchen sink” of automation tools, with an easy to learn language, a solid history, and extensive support resources.

Initial Setup

Setup remains straight forward taking about 30 minutes to complete, including one system restart. The tool installs the bare minimum of add-ins. To add more takes less than 10 minutes.

Room for Improvement

With this release, the list of good features dominates over those on the desired list. But there are a few changes I'd still like to see.

• A user is forced back to the main script during debugging. 90% of code development and issues occur in function libraries. So having the tool jump back to the main script from it's last line of execution is problematic making debugging overly tedious. Fortunately, this is the only remaining source of "Click-itus" in the product.

• No RegEx support of integer properties. From an advanced user perspective, if the tool allowed for the RegEx "[1-9]\d+" in the Height and Width properties, a collection of visible objects could be returned. This would eliminate the additional code to search the outerhtml properties of all returned objects for textual cues like "DISPLAYED".

Other Solutions Considered

I have worked QTP/UFT and Selenium/Serenity engagements; however, I do compare functionality of other tools in my spare time, including Micro Focus LeanFT, TestProject.IO, SmartBear TestComplete, MABL and AutoBloks from the creators of Test Design Studio at Patterson Consulting .

Other Advice

Be sure to have new automation engineers trained beyond basic YouTube videos. Avoid on the job training. This will prevent rookie mistakes, producing more robust scripts and less maintenance. Micro Focus tool training is available from both Orasi and RTTS.

Use of Solution

I have worked with QTP/UFT for 16 years.

My projects over the years have included the tool along with the use of ALM (aka Quality Center or Test Director), Business Process Testing (BPT), and TAO for SAP.

Conclusion

Micro Focus' Unified Functional Testing tool is returning as a major contender in the test automation field. This release continues to show a real commitment to adding more ease of use and providing more functionality to users.

Disclosure

I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.

UFT 14.02 resolves issues, reduces "click-itis", shows Micro Focus gets it!

The new parent company of UFT, Micro Focus, is showing their user base that they get it.

They really get it! Changes in this point release alone remind me of the days when QTP was under Mercury Interactive's vision.

Here is a quick dive into many product changes, well beyond what is mentioned in the What’s New section of UFT’s User Guide.
 

Easier download

At times it felt like HP had a hard time getting out of it's own way to get new users to download and try UFT with a 60 day trial license.  Micro Focus has begun to streamline that process. Here is the link to get exactly what you want. No muss, no fuss.

https://software.microfocus.com/en-us/download/uft

Yes, it records and plays back on Chrome and Firefox too. 

Like Internet Explorer, each browser has a UFT Hook extension that must be enabled before object recognition will work.

It can now record and playback on Chrome with Polymer's Shadow DOM as well.

More Tech Stack Support

UFT 14.02 extends support to WebAgGrid objects and Firefox v.57.  

Return of the Run and Spy buttons

My last review praised a new ability in UFT 14.01 allowing the Spy utility being left open while writing code, but lamented the loss of the Run and Spy buttons when a Function Library window had the focus. These buttons are now restored to their original state, substantially reducing "Click-itus" in the product.   There are other design changes that really eases day to day use:

• Double-clicking a function in the Toolbox takes the user to the source code, rather than adding code to a random cursor location.

• Floating mouse-over popups now appear below the code, making it easier to select objects to send it to the Watch window.

• Sending values to the Watch window works on the first try, even if the Watch window is not active.

• There are fixes with Auto-code generation functionality.

• The Spy window split bar is unlocked, giving the user more view space to the property values by default.

Test Combinations Generator (TCG) gets a significant new option: Pull from UI

The TCG tool was introduced in UFT 14.00 to help users with large Data-Driven test design. It is actually two tools in one: First it is an extensive random data generator. Second it can take small groups of data and generate large combination scenarios organized into Happy Path, Error path and Regression groups.

The new Pull from UI feature now allows users to import data from populated WebLists in an application.

With a simple point-and-click, a list of countries above is imported into the TCG tool and then available for use in the Global table.

To understand why sourcing data from a web list is important, one should have an understanding why the Test Combinations Generator is so beneficial to data-driven testing:

• Need a quick list of random user names? But only with the letter "X"? It does it.

• A range of random dates? Available in nine common date formats? Yup it does that too.

• Same for random URLs, IPs and MAC addresses.

• How about a list of randomly generated emails and passwords that meet specific business rules? A little RegEx gets it for you. 

• Combine eMails and Passwords and you have an instant set of unique credentials of simulated new users.

• Need a list of random part numbers in a custom format? Use the Regular Expression data generator to create combinations.

Hidden TCG Benefit: Learn Regular Expressions

A side benefit here about RegEx: The TCG tool comes with several pre-configured RegEx samples that can be modified. This means it can be used to experiment and learn RegEx much the way many of us learned to code: by modifying a working example and analyzing the results.

Test Combinations Generator (TCG) can really mix it up

While all this data can be exported into Excel sheets for multiple uses the Test Combinations Generator does not stop there. It can take a few short columns of data values and create larger scenario data sets. Take 10 first names and 10 surname names and TCG can create 100 family members. Add random dates in an 80 year span and you have a simulated population sample.

When using four or more types of data, the combinations can quickly become exponentially large. TCG tops out at just over 65,000 combinations, which might take months or years to run every combination just once.

So Micro Focus offers Pairwise, as well as Triplewise, combination sets. This achieves the most efficient combination coverage. This means your automation script can look for problems when combining two or three list values, without repeating every possible combination.

Finally, the TCG tool further allows the user to identify Happy Path data, as well as Error Path data.

This means you can further segment your data combinations into a small Smoke data set, a Negative data set, with the remaining being the Regression data set.

These data sets can be selected upfront for easy instant access to data driven testing from the Global data table.

To see more of UFT’s TCG tool in action, check out this video:

User friendly help messages.

Micro Focus seems to have taken a cue from  Alan Cooper's book About Face and Paul Heckel's Elements of Friendly Software Design. Highly descriptive messages pop up indicating exactly what is needed to activate functionality. In addition, the Help file is now peppered with screen captures and even demo movies.

UFT 14.02 PAM access

Another welcome change is online access to the Product Availability Matrix from the Help menu. In prior releases, this document has often been hidden in the Documents folder under the Start menu.  It informs users what environments and configurations recent versions of UFT requires to run efficiently.

Stability Issues

UFT 14.02 remains extremely stable. It's been my tool of choice for nearly two decades because it is solid.

Scalability Issues

Scalability is entirely up to the framework design.

While Record and Playback is available for new users to learn the tool, it will result in fragile, high maintenance test suites. This is true of most automation tools, so a hybrid framework design approach is always highly recommended.

Fortunately, UFT is extremely flexible in design.  Advanced developers can go so far as to design a framework which translates plain English like:      

"Click the Ok Button"

into executable script code:       

Browser(“index:=0”).Page(“index:=0”).WebButton("InnerText:=Ok").click   

This leads to function designs which in many cases can bypass the object repository entirely. Click here to see a sample showing how this can be accomplished.

With the Business Process Testing (BPT) option, non-technical users can easily build test cases inside of ALM (Application Lifecycle Management) from scripted components designed by automation engineers.

Enhancing Object Methods 

Scaling object class methods to add new functionality or extending existing methods is achievable with the Function Definition Generator Wizard. 

This allows automation engineers to fully customize UFT methods, as well as add new functionality. These methods appear in the Intelli-sence dropdown of object classes. Even descriptions appear on the interface to help new team members who are just learning a new framework design.

Previous Solutions

Prior to using VBScript-based UFT/QTP, I used Mercury Interactive's C-based WinRunner up until 2004. Product support was discontinued in 2011.

Initial Setup

Setup remains very straightforward and takes about 45 minutes, including one system restart. The tool installs the bare minimum of add-ins. To add more takes less than 10 minutes.

Room for Improvement

With this point release the list of good features far exceeds those on the desired wish list. 

• When a debug session ends, UFT forces the user back to the main script. 90% of code development and issues occur in function libraries. This is the only remaining source of "Click-itus" in the product.

• RegEx support of property strings, but not integers properties. If the tool allowed [1-9]\d+ in the Height and Width properties, the returned object collections would exclude all non-visible objects.

• The tally of Fail and Warnings in the results viewer lack a count of reported Pass results. From a high-level stand point, a Test with one failure and 99 Pass results looks just as bad as a test with 100 Fail results.

Pricing, Setup Cost and Licensing

For the price of five automation licenses, you simply would not be able to hire five manual testers.

Over two years, a successful automation project can mature to a 24/7 test execution schedule that outweighs the equivalent cost of manual testers. It also tends to expand from a initial proof of concept to multiple applications.

While UFT 14.02 is a commercial product, the sheer volume of internal tools focused on ease of use gives it an edge over other open source products by speeding test development.

Another advantage of UFT is the number new and legacy web technologies, including terminal emulators and Windows thick clients supported by by the tool.

UFT is the “everything and the kitchen sink” of automation tools with an easy to learn language, a solid history, and extensive support resources.

Other Solutions Considered

I only work QTP/UFT engagements; however, I do compare functionality of other tools in my spare time, including Micro Focus LeanFT, Selenium, and SmartBear TestComplete.

Other Advice

• Be sure to have new automation engineers trained beyond basic YouTube videos, and avoid on the job training.  This will prevent rookie mistakes, producing robust scripts and less re-work in the future. Micro Focus provides tool training, as does Orasi and RTTS in New York.  

• Consider expanding your Test Automation Engineer's toolbelt with Test Design Studio from Patterson Consulting. It includes a static code analysis tool, similar to Lint, but tailored to UFT. This allows UFT developers to efficiently analyze entire entire code base for errors in a single sitting, not just at run-time.

See Test Design Studio's Code analysis

Use of Solution

I have worked with QTP/UFT for 14 years continuously.

My projects over the years have included the tool along with the use of ALM (aka Quality Center or Test Director), Business Process Testing (BPT), and TAO for SAP.

Conclusion

Micro Focus' Unified Functional Testing tool is shaping up to return as a major contender in the test automation field. This new release shows a real commitment to ease of use and hints at providing more superior functionality to users in the coming year.

Before we start start, let's clear up any confusion new users may have: HP's Unified Functional Tester 12.50 (UFT) is the latest version of the QuickTest Professional (QTP) formerly from Mercury Interactive. They are essentially the same product, in the same way Word 2007 and Word 2013 are the same. There are a few new features, and all the stuff you know and love is still in there. It's just that, for long time users such as myself, someone has tidied up a bit, and I can't find anything. At the end, I will discuss a few things about HP's latest product, LeanFT. Also note that I am organizing these features starting with what beginners can handle, and then what they can leverage as their skills advance.

The features that are most valuable in UFT include the built in Excel data table, the Automatic Object Identification and the Record and Playback feature. That said, I will ask advanced automation engineers to bear with me, as that last answer will have raised huge red flag.

The Excel data tables are visible from the main interface for easy access. UFT can easily load external Excel worksheets to replace any that you have displayed. So if you want to edit them in Excel instead that's perfectly fine. Advanced users can have several test cases in individual Excel files, or as multiple worksheets in a single file. Aside from all the features Excel provides, it also allows design of data-driven tests, keyword-driven tests, and hybrids.

If you ever wonder why UFT licenses are just so darn expensive, it's because the developers bent over backwards to provide the "Kitchen Sink" of object recognition. By default UFT records and stores all objects in its Object Repository. It has at least 15 different add-ins to support multiple technologies, including .Net, Java and even Terminal Emulators. It automatically uses a minimal combination of unique object properties to do this. And in the case where no unique properties can be used, the object index is used as a last resort. However advanced users can also build objects on the fly in code, either with Descriptive Programming or a Descriptive Object. All three approaches support CSS, xPath and Regular Expressions, so that you can reduce maintenance if portions of the object property value changes regularly. There is even a feature to identify objects by image called Insight, and another to create hotspot virtual objects. While these last two are not as reliable as Descriptive Programming, they are there as your options of last resort.

Next, to clarify: Record and Playback should never be the primary way to create automated test scripts. The code is not optimized, and will often be so brittle that it will often take a few attempts to create a script that can simply be executed repeatedly. This can cause new users to inadvertently trash the product online from sheer frustration. Consider this: If you had only a hammer as a tool, would tell the internet it sucks because it's only good for building birdhouses and doghouses, but not suited for completing residential buildings? I should hope not. The best way to look at Record and Playback is as a tool with a few specific purposes: First if you are unfamiliar with the VBScript language syntax, it builds code automatically for you to inspect and learn. Second it comes in handy when first building objects with descriptive programming. It allows you to quickly inspect how UFT would choose to identify an object, if your initial attempts are failing. Lastly it is a good way to quickly create a Proof of Concept, showing that, yes, the tool understands your particular web application.

The best example of improvement within the organization is a closer working relationship with my fellow manual testers. While project managers would like have me automate 100% of everything, and secretly kick their manual testers to the curb, it's simply not possible. To avoid the natural animosity this idea can promote, I work with a manual tester on each regression release. Essentially I work down through a list of the tests I have automated, and they work up executing the remaining manual tests. We both end up in the middle, finishing a job much sooner than expected. We both feel we are an essential part of the team, and we don't feel overwhelmed by the amount of work we are expected to perform.

It also puts us on more even playing field with our Developers. Most of them think I am still just a blackbox manual tester with a tool they view as nothing more than a toy. On several occasions Developers have stated that the defects I have uncovered are caused by the tool itself. I have had accusations that it's my tool that is causing memory leaks, or that it has covertly acquired Local Admin Rights and have changed all manner of random settings. I have found, repeatedly, that I must defend and prove that I don't have the skill, nor the time, to create such fantastical code. After proving two or three items are actually the developer's issues, usually on a system without my tool installed, I generally get some "street cred" with developers. After that point we work together to be more efficient.

Deployment and setup of UFT can't be much simpler.

HP has a policy that software updates for the QTP/UFT products are only available to licensed users with a service agreement. This is fully understandable from a business perspective. However this policy extends beyond version upgrades to software patches, and it backed up by HP's highly paid lawyers. The problem this poses is that any potential customer that downloads the tool for use with a 30-day trial license must work with an unpatched version that is often less stable than the patched version in use by licensed long-term customers. The problem here is that HP wants potential new customers to try their product, but policy prevents them from showcasing that product in the best light, thus shooting themselves financially in the foot. I would sincerely hope HP CEO Meg Whitman, who is a brilliant businesswoman, might have a chance to read this article, recognize the policy flaw, and resolve it for the betterment of her company's bottom line.

That said I would recommend anyone interested trying the tool for the first time to use the latest release of UFT which is 12.50. If you have an earlier version such as 12.02, even with a patch, I would recommend the upgrade as well. This also gives you access to LeanFT at no additional cost which we will discuss shortly.

I would like to see the "double clicking a function in the keyword list takes me to the function source code" changed back to "double click a function keyword takes me to the function reference". I would like to see the person who thought that would be a grand idea removed, to prevent other such grand ideas from taking root in the product.

Seriously I would like to see a Static Code Analysis component added to the product. For those who are unfamiliar with the advantage this tool provides, it is simply this: It scans all your project code all at once, and gives you a list of where all potential errors exist. Which is significantly better than finding errors one at a time at run-time. Amazingly this professional level tool is available on the internet for just about every known programming language... except VBscript. Google it if you don't believe me.

In fact there is paid Static Code Analysis tool specifically for UFT users called Test Design Studio from a third party at patterson-consulting.net. I highly recommend including a license to compliment the HP IDE.

Get the latest patch for UFT.

Don't use more than two Actions. They only serve to needlessly complicate your project. Functions work just as well without the overhead of additional Excel pages that probably with never get populated. Similarly, if you find yourself struggling with the decision to use a Function or a Sub, make it a Function and forget about it.

Don't let the tool organize the folder structure of your project. It's buried pretty deep by default. It's easier if you have a project folder off the root of a drive that contains the folders: Tests, Functions, Environment, Results and Documentation.

Learn what Regular Expressions are and how to use them for simple pattern matching. Don't be put off by their complexity, a basic understanding goes a long way in this field. Much the way a little salt will make a bland soup better, but too much ruins it.

There is a lot of flexibility and functionality in UFT. You can store data in many different places. It does not mean you should try to utilize every one of them. Anyone who has worked with Photoshop, as an example, knows there are a hundred imaging functions, but at most six are all you need to be proficient at it. The same goes for storing data with HFT.

If you can't get the tool to recognize an object on the first day, go make friends with the developer. Show them the list of Add-In support UFT provides and ask them to point out which ones they are using in the environment. Then save them at the last second from being hit by a bus. Some day down the road you will have to call in that favor.

Roll your own results reporter. My results go out to another Excel file with links to screen captures.

LeanFT is a hybrid solution for those who are looking to take advantage of Selenium. You might think one of those advantages might be speed. Because the most commonly used language of Selenium is Java, there is no doubt that it has speed over UFT's VBscript. However, this has about as much meaning in the automation field as noting that a rocket-equipped Jaguar will out-pace a Bugatti on an open stretch of desert road. Bring them into the reality of city driving with streetlights, hairpin curves and pedestrians and speed makes it more likely both car and animal will crash into a building.

The major weakness with Selenium that LeanFT addresses is it's identification of objects. The problem here is that much of the object identification available to Selenium users is hard to decipher, and difficult to maintain, particularly with xPath. Take this example:

//a[contains(text(),'Eggs')], //div[@id='shortcuts']/span/span[2]/a/span

SPAN. SPAN[2]. A. SPAN? This is this an index to an unknown level of HTML code and impossible to maintain when it changes.

LeanFT brings to Selenium many of the object identification techniques noted above that QTP/UFT engineers how been comfortable with for years without being forced to learn the complexities of xPath. This is important to me as I can now port my own custom object recognition technique from UFT directly into Selenium. In addition reporting results can be sent back to HP ALM (formerly Quality Center). LeanFT also has access to other common frameworks like TESTNG and JUNIT, as well as source control tools such as GIT and SVN.

I personally have a relationship with contacts inside HP. Years ago I made the decision to be a Track Speaker at a Mercury World conference in Orlando (which is now HP Discover in Las Vegas and London). My decision was a financial one, I simply could not afford the airfare, the hotel and the ticket into the conference. But I learned that, if accepted, I could at least attend the conference for free. I did this to meet others like myself face to face and maybe get on the inside track. I found ten other people who knew more about this tool than I do, and I am friends with nine of them. At that initial conference I was fortunate enough to sit in on a discussion group about the future of the product. At the end they asked for volunteers for the Beta program and I made sure they had my number.

For how long have you been using this solution?

I have 10 plus years using Unified Functional Testing (UFT) which equates to over 10,000 hours of hands-on experience. I started using QuickTest Professional (QTP) which was the predecessor to UFT. I then started using UFT 11.50 when it was released. Since then, I have used UFT versions 12.52, 12.54, 14.03, 14.52, 14.53, 15.0, and 15.0.1. The latest version I have used is UFT One (version 15.0.1). Consequently, this product review is about UFT One 15.0.1

What is your primary use case of this solution?

I primarily use a suite of UFT automated regression tests after every release to test Web applications using Chrome and Microsoft Chromium Edge Browsers. The current automation team I am on used Internet Explorer (IE) but stopped using it when support for IE ended on June 15, 2022. During my career I have also used UFT to test standalone applications (Java, Visual Basic, and SAP). This includes developing new scripts and modifying scripts as needed. UFT One 15.0.1 came out with many new features. In particular, a new UI design that is worth showing. There are two modes – Default theme and Dark theme. It is very easy for the user to switch modes by simply going to the Options setting and choosing the theme you want. For clarity, I have two pasted screenshots - UFT Default theme (Figure 1) and UFT Dark theme (Figure 2) displayed below.

Figure 1) UFT One Default theme

Figure 2) UFT One Dark theme

Please share how Micro Focus UFT One has improved your organization. If it did not, please explain why.

During my career UFT One has improved the organizations I have worked for because after a release, we will schedule several hundred UFT Regression Tests to run unattended at night and get the results in the morning. UFT also has a built-in reporter utility that clearly shows what specific tests were executed, the Pass/Fail status, and exactly where a test step failed along with the timestamp. This is especially important for providing proof of the test results in the future if requested.

Which features have you found most valuable, and why?

The best feature of UFT by far is its compatibility with a large variety of products, tools and technologies. It is a currently a challenge to find a single tool on the market besides UFT that will successfully automate tests for so many projects and environments. For Web Browser testing, UFT One 15.0.1 supports Chrome, Microsoft Chromium Edge, and Firefox. UFT One 15.0.1 also supports GUI testing of SAP, Oracle, Terminal Emulator, .NET, and PuTTY. Another plus is that UFT will automate Windows applications such as Microsoft Outlook, SharePoint, Word, and Windows Objects (i.e. dialog boxes). Furthermore, UFT One 15 has a new Data Table functionality that supports Excel files (both .XLS and .XLSX formats) for importing, exporting, and writing to. Also, AI-based testing is supported on desktop browsers as well. Before version 15.0.1, AI-based testing was supported only on mobile browsers. UFT One also supports API and database testing as well.

The InsightObject feature

All versions of UFT have a feature called the InsightObject that has the ability to identify any object by taking an image of the object and using the “similarity” property. Using the GetVisibleText method can be used to extract the text from the InsightObject even though it is essentially an image. UFT One 15.0.1 enhanced the InsightObject feature making it more accurate in identifying objects.

The InsightObject feature is so helpful I have dedicated a special section with screenshots and a brief description on how the InsightObject feature works. The following screenshots from Figure 3) to Figure 10) cover the InsightObject feature.

Figure 3) Web Page used to illustrate InsightObject functionality

Credit: NASA.gov
Image credit: NASA Ames/JPL-Caltech

We want UFT to capture the area of the image that contains the planets Mercury, Venus, Earth and Mars. This is done by using the InsightObject feature. The area of object is selected that we want to identify and add to the Object Repository.

Figure 4) InsightObject displaying the captured object within the Web Page

Credit: NASA.gov
Image credit: NASA Ames/JPL-Caltech

Figure 5) InsightObject displayed when added to the Object Repository. The object is “InsightObjectFourPlanets”

Credit: NASA.gov
Image credit: NASA Ames/JPL-Caltech

Figure 6) IDE code with InsightObject named ”InsightObjectFourPlanets”

Credit: NASA.gov
Image credit: NASA Ames/JPL-Caltech

Figure 7) Code with InsightObject using the Highlight method.

Credit: NASA.gov
Image credit: NASA Ames/JPL-Caltech

Figure 8) Cool feature: Move the mouse over the InsightObject and it clearly displays the image object.

Credit: NASA.gov
Image credit: NASA Ames/JPL-Caltech

Figure 9) Using the GetVisibleText method to get text from “InsightObjectFourPlanets” and put into variable strGetTextPlanets.

The UFT Print Log displaying Output

Figure 10) Print Log after execution displays the text below:

“strGetTextPlanets = Mercury Venus Earth Mars”

In what areas could the product or service be improved? What additional features should be included in the next release?

Sometimes UFT can take a while to open and sometimes will run slower than expected. Also, UFT uses a lot of memory. When UFT was originally released, the “Print Button” was eliminated that existed on the Standard toolbar with the predecessor QTP. A user now has to use the keys “Ctrl + P” to print out the IDE that contains the code. Also, no “File >> Print” option exists, either. For the next release, having a “Print button” would definitely be beneficial. Also, the formatting of printed IDE output needs improvement. I frequently like to print out my code so I can examine it and make notes. However, the code displayed after printing is not easy to read due to the way it is formatted. The trial license is now limited to only 30 days, which is not enough time for a prospective buyer to fully learn all the features of the newest version. Sixty days would be more realistic and more attractive to potential customers.

Alternatives and Advice: Did you previously use a different solution and if so, why did you switch?

I originally used QuickTest Professional (QTP) and have used several different versions of UFT since. The latest version I have used is UFT One 15.0.1

What do you advise others about setup cost, pricing and/or licensing?

When considering UFT for your organization, I would first evaluate how large your QA department is and if you will have a business need to automate your functional and regression tests. Also, decide if your department is going to perform API testing because that is part of UFT. Even if your company has a salesperson come in and demo UFT, I would highly encourage at least one of your developers or automation engineers to download and install it to explore for themselves the functionality and features included during the demo trial period.

If your company is going to invest in UFT, I would encourage the company to do their due diligence in making sure that they hire an Automation Engineer well experienced with the Micro Focus tools. This person must be particularly good at writing VBScript and know all of the advanced tips and tricks in getting UFT scripts developed so they will run without stopping unexpectedly. The QA Automation Engineer must be able to write functions from scratch and know the difference between passing a parameter by Value and by Reference.

I would also encourage the company to use a Citrix Server for UFT to be installed on. The reason for this is that it is much easier to maintain the Citrix environment with respect to patches, Browser versions, etc., versus every user having to make sure their laptop or PC is up to date with patches. Also, Citrix can have multiple sessions and be accessed remotely.

Do you have any additional comments or advice regarding this solution?

Many customers do not know that UFT is not strictly just for GUI testing. All versions of UFT come included with API testing. When customers remark about the price, it is important to know that this price also includes API testing. Previously, the API feature was known as Service Test when QTP existed and had to be purchased separately. UFT is essentially QTP and Service Test bundled into one product. For clarity, I have displayed a screenshot of a basic API test below that sends an HTTP Request.

Figure 11) API Test “API_DEMO_UFT_TEST” that sends an HTTP Request

Figure 12) API Test “API_DEMO_UFT_TEST” Results displayed

What are your impressions of the scalability of this solution?

It is quite straightforward to add users. The limiting factor is the number of licenses.

What are your impressions of the stability of this solution?

UFT 15.0.1 is pretty stable. It can sometimes run out of memory when executing a really long test set or when executing several hours continuously.

What is your ROI?

This must be determined on a case-by-case basis. Based on my experience, the largest ROI is running labor-intensive regression tests for releases over a period of time. Another point to consider is that UFT can also generate time-intensive conditioned data that can be used by manual testers, which frees up their time to concentrate on testing duties. Also, consider using the API testing that comes with UFT. Creating and using API tests will also increase the ROI.

Was the initial setup straightforward or complex and in what ways?

Installing UFT is straightforward. If you are using concurrent licenses, then a System Administrator might be necessary to configure the License Server. The setup will vary from company to company depending on the environment they choose.

Did you implement through a vendor team or an in-house one?

Implemented in-house.

Tell us about your experience with customer service and support.

This will vary by the Service Provider your company chooses.

What is most valuable?

What needs improvement?

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

How was the initial setup?

What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?

What other advice do I have?

What is our primary use case?

What is most valuable?

What needs improvement?

For how long have I used the solution?

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

How was the initial setup?

What other advice do I have?

Which deployment model are you using for this solution?