Rational Functional Tester is available in two integrated development environments. For automated testing, the product records user actions to create simplified test scripts that are easy to understand in Rational Software Delivery Platform. It also supports two scripting languages for advanced users. Rational Functional Tester, Eclipse Integration uses the Java™ language and the Rational Functional Tester, Microsoft Visual Studio .NET Integration uses the VB.NET language and the Microsoft® Visual Studio .NET development environment.
The object-oriented recording technology in Rational Functional Tester lets you generate functional testing scripts for automated testing quickly by recording against the application under test. Rational Functional Tester uses object-oriented technology to identify controls or objects by their internal properties and not by screen coordinates. If the location or text of a control or the object changes, Rational Functional Tester can still find it during playback.
The object testing technology in Rational Functional Tester enables you to test any controls or object in the application under test, including the control properties and data.
In Rational Software Delivery Platform, you have the option to capture snapshots of the application controls while recording the simplified functional test script. The captured application visuals are displayed in the Application View. You can use the application visuals to modify the simplified functional testing scripts and insert or edit verification points without opening the test application.
While working with the Rational Functional Tester, Eclipse Integration or Rational Functional Tester, Microsoft Visual Studio .NET Integration, the test object maps are used and the application visuals are not available. When you record a functional test script, Rational Functional Tester automatically creates a test object map for the application under test. The Functional Tester test object map lists the test objects available in the application, whether they are currently displayed or not. The object map provides a quick way to add objects to a functional test script. Since the test object map contains recognition properties for each object, you can easily update the recognition information in one central location. Any functional test scripts that use this test object map also share the updated information.
During recording you can insert verification points into the script to confirm the state of a control or an object across builds of the application under test. The verification point captures object information (based on the type of verification point) and stores it in a baseline data file. The information in this file becomes the baseline of the expected state of the object during subsequent builds. Functional Tester has an object properties verification point and five data verification points (menu hierarchy, table, text, tree hierarchy, and list). You can use the Verification Point Comparator to analyze differences across builds and update the baseline file.
Rational Functional Tester features platform-independent and browser-independent test playback. For example, you can record a functional test script on Windows and play it back on Linux. You can record a functional test script using Firefox or Internet Explorer. Because the functional testing script contains no references to the browser used during recording, you can play back the functional test script using any of the supported versions of Firefox or Internet Explorer.
With Rational Functional Tester proxy software development kit (SDK) you can extend automated functional testing support for application user interface controls (GUI test objects), beyond what is provided by Functional Tester by default.
Rational Functional Tester supports integration with various Rational products such as Clear Case, Rational Quality Manager, and Rational Team Concert™.
Rational Clear Case and Rational Team Concert integration: You can integrate Rational Functional Tester with Rational Clear Case or Rational Team Concert and manage functional test assets using any of these source control management tools.
Rational Quality Manager integration: Rational Functional Tester can be integrated with IBM® Rational Quality Manager by configuring the adapter and execute the functional test scripts from Rational Quality Manager.
Rational Functional Tester Extension for Terminal-based Applications supports functional testing of zSeries (Mainframe such as TN3270, TN3270E), iSeries (AS/400 such as TN5250) and pSeries (Virtual Terminals such as VT default, VT100, VT420-7, VT420-8, VT UTF-8). Rational Functional Tester Extension for Terminal-based Applications tool helps you create test scripts to automate the functional testing of host application test cases. It provides a rich set of capabilities to test host attributes, host field attributes and screen flow. It uses terminal verification points and properties, as well as synchronization code to identify the readiness of terminal for user input.