# Desktop Testing Tutorial

# Create your own repository

1. Open TestArchitect IDE
2. Right click on the root node and select New Repository Connection
3. Type in MyDesktopTest as the new name for your repository

4. Log into the newly created repository

Now you have a brand new repository of your own. To learn more about TestArchitect repositories, check out this article.

# Create your first test project

1. Right click on the MyDesktopTest repository and select New Project
2. Fill in the name of your project, e.g. FirstDesktopProject
3. Fill in the 3-char abbreviation for your project, e.g. DES
4. Click Create

This project will be the central database to store all of your test assets later on.

# Create a test module

1. With TestArchitect IDE opened, log into the MyDesktopTest repository that you've created
2. Expand the FirstDesktopProject project
3. Right click on the Tests node > Select New Test Module > Name your test module as MyFirstTest

MyFirstTest test module will be our main test module of interest from now on.

# Start the sample desktop app

1. Open the MyFirstTest test module you have just created
2. Use the start program action to open the Car Rental desktop app like below

3. Press F9 or click the Execute button on the Execute dialog to run the test module
4. You'll see that the Car Rental program, specifically its Login dialog will popup

That's good! Now you can keep this Car Rental app running and return to TestArchitect IDE.

# Capture the GUI controls

To start automating the GUI of Car Rental, you must first tell TestArchitect how to find those GUI controls on the screen. To do so, follow the steps below:

1. Create a new interface entity and name it as LoginScreen like below

2. Once the new interface entity is created, open the Interface Viewer tool from the toolbar
3. Click the Hand toolbar button on Interface Viewer then click on the User name textbox to inspect its properties
4. Double click on the User name node to capture it

5. After you click the Save button on Viewer's toolbar, the locator for this User name textbox will be stored in the LoginScreen interface entity as below

6. Feel free to save this LoginScreen interface entity by pressing Ctrl+S
7. Repeat step 3, 4 and 5 for the Password textbox and the Login button
8. At this point, you should have 3 interface elements captured and stored in LoginScreen interface entity as below

9. Check in the entity into Repository Server by pressing F11

Now you have created your first interface entity.

# Write a test

We'll now create a test for the Login dialog of Car Rental desktop app. The goal of this test is to verify that a user with a wrong username/password pair cannot log into the system.

1. After you check in the LoginScreen interface entity into Repository Server, you'll see the interface elements (UI controls) you previously captured on Explorer tree
2. Make sure that MyFirstTest test module is currently open
3. Drag and drop the user name interface element on to Column A of the spreadsheet
4. TestArchitect automatically recommends that the most commonly used action for this textbox control is enter
5. Select enter action then type invalid into the value argument

6. Do the same for the password interface element
7. Now drag and drop the login interface element on to Column A of the spreadsheet and select click action

All precondition steps are in place. Now we need to add a checkpoint or assertion to verify the expected behavior.

# Create a checkpoint (assertion)

1. Although we haven't added any checkpoint (assertion) yet, let's run the test to see what happens

2. As you might notice, the Car Rental app displays an error message saying Invalid Username or Password and an OK button. This is an expected behavior

3. To make sure that Car Rental always displays this correct message, we must capture the GUI controls on this dialog using Interface Viewer

   3.1. Create a new interface entity and name it MessageDialog

   3.2. Open Viewer and capture the GUI controls on the Message dialog (the error message and OK button)

   3.3. Save the interface entity MessageDialog

   

   3.4. Check in by pressing F11

4. Go back to MyFirstTest test module, and do the following:

   4.1. Drag-drop the error-message (TAClass=label) into Column A of the spreadsheet

   4.2. Select check control property action

   4.3. Type caption into the property argument

   4.4. Type Invalid Username or Password. into the expected argument.

5. Drag-drop the OK button from Explorer tree to Column A of the spreadsheet and select check control exists action
6. At this point, you'll have a test module similar to the script below

A	B	C	D	E
	program
start program	C:\Program Files\LogiGear\TestArchitect\samples\CarRental\CarRental.exe
	window	control	value
enter	LoginScreen	user name	invalid
enter	LoginScreen	password	invalid
	window	control
click	LoginScreen	login
	window	control	property	expected
check control property	MessageDialog	invalid username or password	caption	Invalid Username or Password.
	window	control
check control exists	MessageDialog	ok

Now we've added the checkpoints and made the test more meaningful. Let's run the test.

# Execute the test

1. Click the Execute button on TestArchitect IDE's toolbar.
2. Make sure that the Screenshot Recording feature is turned on.
3. Click the Execute button on the Execute dialog and watch the test runs.

Once the test finishes, you'll see the test result automatically opened up.

# Review the test result

1. If you've followed the steps above precisely, you should see that the test has just passed.
2. Click on View detailed results per test line to open the result details in a browser
3. Expand the tree nodes to view the screenshots attached to each step.

Congratulations! You've completed the Desktop Testing Tutorial. Start applying what you have learned so far to automate more desktop apps. If you encounter any troubles or this guide is out-dated, please send us an email at support@logigear.com.