Running manual tests in offline mode

In certain situations, you might need to run manual tests offline. After you export manual test scripts from the Engineering Test Management , web UI, you can run test scripts offline by using the Engineering Test Management Excel Importer Utility, and then you can import the test results back into the repository.

Complete the following steps to run a manual test offline:

1. To generate the .rqms file for a test case, follow these steps:
   1. Locate the test case by using one of the following steps:
      • In the main menu, click Construction > Browse > Test Cases.
      • Open the Test Cases section of a test suite editor.
      • Open the Test Cases section of a test plan editor.
   2. Select the test case.
   3. Click the arrow next to the Run icon (), and then click Run Offline:
      
   4. Optional: You can modify the following properties under the Define Record Details section in the Run Offline dialog box:
      • Test Plan
      • Iteration
      • Test Environment
      • Test Script
      • Build Record
      • Deployment Plan

      
      Note: In the Define Record Details section, you can use an existing test case execution record, or you can generate a new test case execution record.
   5. Optional: Select the Modify execution variable values checkbox to modify the execution variable values. The values can be modified in the Run Offline dialog box. The generated execution package (.rqms) contains information about the execution variables and their values. For more information about execution variables, see ETM Excel/Word Importer Utility.
   6. Click Finish to save the .rqms file to a local file directory.
2. To generate the .rqms file for a test case execution record, follow these steps:
   1. Locate the test case execution record by using one of the following steps:
      • In the main menu, click Execution > Browse > Test Case Execution Records.
      • Open the Test Case Execution Records section of a test case editor.
      • Open the Test Case Execution Records section of a test plan editor.
   2. Select the test case execution record.
      Note: To run multiple manual test scripts offline, you can select up to 50 test case execution records at a time and then click Run Offline. This creates a compressed file that you can import by using the Excel Importer Utility. The limit of 50 test case execution records exists to control the size of the exported data. This feature is only supported for multiple test case execution records, not multiple test cases.
      Tip: You can specify the maximum number of offline executions that can be run at a time under Advanced Properties > Server Settings Component.
   3. Click the arrow next to the Run icon (), and then click Run Offline:
      
   4. Optional: Click Run Offline with Options. You can modify the following properties under the Define Record Details section in the Run Offline with Options dialog box:
      • Test Script
      • Build Record
      • Deployment Plan

      
   5. Click Finish to save the .rqms file to a local file directory.
3. To generate the .rqms file for a test suite, follow these steps:
   1. Locate the test suite by using one of the following steps:
      • In the main menu, click Construction > Browse > Test Suites.
      • Open the Test Suites section of a test plan editor.
   2. Select the test suite.
   3. Click the arrow next to the Run icon (), and then click Run Offline:
      
   4. Optional: You can modify the following properties under the Define Record Details section in the Run Test Suite Offline dialog box:
      • Test Suite Execution Record
      • Test Plan
      • Iteration
      • Test Environment
      • Build Record

      
      Note: Remote scripts are not supported for offline executions. An error message is shown if there are test cases with the remote test scripts in the test suite. You can skip these test cases from the Run Test Suite Offline dialog box.
   5. Optional: Select the Modify execution variable values checkbox to modify the execution variable values. The values can be modified in the Run Test Suite Offline dialog box. The generated execution package (.rqms) contains information about the execution variables and their values. For more information about execution variables, see ETM Excel/Word Importer Utility.
   6. Click Finish to save the .rqms file to a local file directory.
4. To generate the .rqms file for a test suite execution record, follow these steps:
   1. Locate the test suite execution record by using one of the following steps:
      • In the main menu, click Execution > Browse > Test Suite Execution Records.
      • Open the Test Suite Execution Records section of a test suite editor.
      • Open the Test Suite Execution Records section of a test plan editor.
   2. Select the test suite execution record.
   3. Click the arrow next to the Run icon (), and then click Run Offline:
      
   4. Optional: You can modify the properties such as Build Record under the Define Record Details section in the Run Offline with Options dialog box:
      
   5. Click Finish to save the .rqms file to a local file directory.
      Note: Remote scripts are not supported for offline executions. An error message is shown if there are test cases with the remote test scripts in the test suite. You can skip these test cases from the Run Test Suite Offline dialog box.
   Limitation: Offline execution is not supported for test cases with remote test scripts. Running a test case with remote test scripts or a test suite that has associated test cases with remote test scripts results in error. An error message is shown to remove or skip the remote test scripts.
   Note: If the manual test script that you are executing has file attachments that are needed while running the script offline, you must save them separately from the .rqms file. To save the attachments click Construction > View Test Scripts to view test scripts, then click the attached files and save them locally.
   Caution: Do not modify the .rqms file manually. It does not work if the file is changed.
   Note: You can customize the execution states under the Execution States section in the Manage Project Properties > Properties page. These customized execution states are shown in the Microsoft Excel file (.xlsx) that is generated by using the Import for offline option.
5. Import the .rqms file into Microsoft Excel by using the Add-in menu:
   1. Open Microsoft Excel.
   2. From the menu, click ETM > Import for Offline.
   3. Browse to the file location and select the .rqms file.
   4. Click Open, and then click Import. A Microsoft Excel file (.xlsx) with its corresponding configuration file (.cfg) is created in the same folder where the .rqms file is located.
      With Engineering Test Management Excel Importer version 7.0.3, the 2007 Excel format is used to generate the Microsoft Excel file (.xlsx).
      The Microsoft Excel file (.xlsx) is protected by default to restrict users from editing unexpected fields.
      The Engineering Test Management rich-text editor allows the creation of tables. However, Microsoft Excel does not support inline tables. As a result of this limitation, tables in test script steps are not formatted properly in the generated Microsoft Excel file (.xlsx).
   5. The Microsoft Excel files that are generated are different for each type of execution.
   6. The generated Microsoft Excel file (.xlsx) contains two more sheets that are named as Tables and Images. These sheets must not be modified or removed. For each type of execution, there is only one Images sheet and a Tables sheet.
   7. The file has three different types of cells. Each cell has its own property and color. The cells that are colored purple are used for headings. The cells that are colored gray are non-editable, and the cells that are not colored (white cells) are editable. For more information, see Import for offline.
   Note: Manual step attributes are editable in the Microsoft Excel file (.xlsx) if they were selected as editable in result at the time of creation. All the other manual step attributes are non-editable.
6. Run the test and edit the Microsoft Excel file (.xlsx).
   1. As you perform each step in the application under test, assign it a verdict in the Step Result column by clicking the arrow next to the cell. You can choose from a set of allowed values:
      • PermFailed
      • Inconclusive
      • Deferred
      • Failed
      • Error
      • Blocked
   2. Optional: Enter text in the Actual Result and Comments cells.
   3. You can also add images to the Actual Result column. Unprotect the Excel sheet so that you can add images. To add images to the Actual Result column, click Insert > Picture > From File from the menu.
      Tip: Large images that are exported from the repository to Microsoft Excel display as thumbnails. Click the image to toggle between the thumbnail and the full size.
   4. Select the picture and click Insert.
      Important: When inserting images into a cell, you must ensure that the upper-right of the image is within the cell. For multiple images in a single cell, stack the images, ensuring that the upper-right of each image is within the cell. The images display in a single, vertical line in the test result after being imported into the repository. The order of appearance is based on the order in which you add the images to the cell.

      
   5. Modify the configuration file .cfg to use the image() modifier. For example: executionresult.er:stepResults.er:actualResult=G&image(G). Rich text is not supported with images.
   6. For the overall result, click the arrow next to the cell, and select a verdict.
      • Passed
      • PermFailed
      • Incomplete
      • Inconclusive
      • Partially Blocked
      • Deferred
      • Failed
      • Error
      • Blocked
   7. Optional: If you are not completing the whole process at one time, save the file.
   Note: The states for step result, overall result, and weight distribution names in the generated Microsoft Excel file (. x) by using the Import for offline option are same as on the server under Execution States section in the Manage Project Properties page.
   Limitation: The Skipped execution state is not supported for an offline execution.
   Note: If you customize the names under Execution States section in the Manage Project Properties Page, names for the Execution states change on the web user interface and generated Microsoft Excel sheet.
7. Export the results back into same repository:
   1. Select the ETM > Export to Repository option from the Add-in menu, the following dialog box is shown:
      
   2. Complete the repository information:
      • Enter the server URL, such as https://localhost:9443/qm, where localhost is the hostname of your server, and 9443 is the port number.
      • Select one of the following authentication types. For more information, see Authentication types:
        • Username and Password
        • SSL certificate (version 6.0.4 and later)
        • Smart card (version 6.0.4 and later
        • Kerberos (version 7.0.1 and later)
      • Enter the user authentication details.
      • Click Validate. A dialog box displays the message Credentials Valid after you enter valid information for the server and credentials.
      • After successful validation, the project list is populated with the available Engineering Test Management projects from Engineering Test Management server.
      • Select the project name and the configuration URI for the configuration management enabled projects.
      Note: The project name and the configuration URI areas are auto-selected from the 7.0.2 version.
   3. Select the appropriate mapping file.
      The mapping file (.cfg) is in the same local file directory as the .rqms file that was generated earlier.
   4. Click Export. For more information, see Export to repository.
      Note: You must export the execution results back to the same repository.
   5. After the Exporting completed successfully message is shown, click Done.