HP QuickTest Professional

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HP QuickTest Professional
Developer(s) HP/HP Software Division
Stable release 11.0
Development status Active
Operating system Microsoft Windows
Type test automation tools
License Proprietary
Website HP Functional Testing

HP QuickTest Professional software provides functional and regression test automation

for software applications and environments.[1] Part of the HP Quality Center tool suite,
HP QuickTest Professional can be used for enterprise quality assurance.[2]

HP QuickTest Professional supports keyword and scripting interfaces and features a

graphical user interface.[3] It uses the Visual Basic Scripting Edition (VBScript) scripting
language to specify a test procedure, and to manipulate the objects and controls of the
application under test.[3]

HP QuickTest Professional was originally written by Mercury Interactive.[4] Mercury

Interactive was subsequently acquired by Hewlett Packard (HP) in 2006.[5] HP QuickTest
Professional 11 is currently available from HP Software Division.[6]

Contents
 1 Description
o 1.1 Verification
o 1.2 Exception handling
o 1.3 Data-driven testing
o 1.4 Automating custom and complex UI objects
o 1.5 Extensibility
 2 User interface
o 2.1 Keyword view
o 2.2 Expert view
o 2.3 Languages
o 2.4 Drawbacks
 3 Supported Technologies
 4 Versions
 5 License models
 6 HP Quality Center Integration
 7 See also
  8 References

 9 External links

Description
HP Professional is automated testing software designed for testing various software
applications and environments. It performs functional and regression testing through a
user interface such as a native GUI or web interface.[7] It works by identifying the objects
in the application user interface or a web page and performing desired operations (such as
mouse clicks or keyboard events); it can also capture object properties like name or
handler ID. HP QuickTest Professional uses a VBScript scripting language to specify the
test procedure and to manipulate the objects and controls of the application under test. To
perform more sophisticated actions, users may need to manipulate the underlying
VBScript.[8]

Although HP QuickTest Professional is usually used for "UI Based" Test Case
Automation, it also can automate some "Non-UI" based Test Cases such as file system
operations, database testing or Web services testing.

Verification

Checkpoints verify that an application under test functions as expected. Users can add a
checkpoint to check if a particular object, text or a bitmap is present in the automation
run. Checkpoints verify that during the course of test execution, the actual application
behavior or state is consistent with the expected application behavior or state.[9] HP
QuickTest Professional offers 9 types of checkpoints, enabling users to verify various
aspects of an application under test, such as: the properties of an object, data within a
table, records within a database, a bitmap image, or the text on an application screen. The
types of checkpoints are standard, image, table, page, text, text area, bitmap, database,
accessibility and XML checkpoints. Users can also create user-defined checkpoints.[10]

Exception handling

HP QuickTest Professional manages exception handling using recovery scenarios; the

goal is to continue running tests if an unexpected failure occurs.[11] Because HP QuickTest
Professional hooks into the memory space of the applications being tested, some
exceptions may cause HP QuickTest Professional to terminate and be unrecoverable.

Data-driven testing

HP QuickTest Professional supports data-driven testing. For example, data can be output
to a data table for reuse elsewhere. Data-driven testing is implemented as a Microsoft
Excel workbook that can be accessed from HP QuickTest Professional. HP QuickTest
Professional has two types of data tables: the Global data sheet and Action (local) data
sheets. The test steps can read data from these data tables in order to drive variable data
into the application under test, and verify the expected result.[12]

Automating custom and complex UI objects

HP QuickTest Professional may not recognize customized user interface objects and other
complex objects. Users can define these types of objects as virtual objects. HP QuickTest
Professional support virtual objects for analog recording or recording in low-level mode.
[13]

Extensibility

HP QuickTest Professional can be extended with separate add-ins for a number of

development environments that are not supported out-of-the-box. HP QuickTest
Professional add-ins include support for Web, .NET, Java, and Delphi.[10] HP QuickTest
Professional and the HP QuickTest Professional add-ins are packaged together in HP
Functional Testing software. [14]

User interface
HP QuickTest Professional provides two views—and ways to modify—a test script:
Keyword View and Expert View. These views enable HP QuickTest Professional to act as
an Integrated Development Environment (IDE) for the test, and HP QuickTest
Professional includes many standard IDE features, such as breakpoints to pause a test at
predetermined places.

Keyword view

Keyword View lets users create and view the steps of a test in a modular, table format.
Each row in the table represents a step that can be modified. The Keyword View can also
contain any of the following columns: Item, Operation, Value, Assignment, Comment,
and Documentation. For every step in the Keyword View, HP QuickTest Professional
displays a corresponding line of script based on the row and column value. Users can
add, delete or modify steps at any point.

In Keyword View, users can also view properties for items such as checkpoints, output
values, and actions, use conditional and loop statements, and insert breakpoints to assist
in debugging a test.[15]

Expert view
VBScript code in Expert View

In Expert View, HP QuickTest Professional lets users display and edit a test's source code
using VBScript. Designed for more advanced users, users can edit all test actions except
for the root Global action, and changes are synchronized with the Keyword View.[16]

Languages

HP QuickTest Professional uses VBScript as its scripting language. VBScript supports

classes but not polymorphism and inheritance. Compared with Visual Basic for
Applications (VBA), VBScript lacks the ability to use some Visual Basic keywords, does
not come with an integrated debugger, lacks an event handler, and does not have a forms
editor. HP has added a debugger, but the functionality is more limited when compared
with testing tools that integrate a full-featured IDE, such as those provided with VBA,
Java, or VB.NET.[17]

Drawbacks

HP QuickTest Professional runs only in Windows environments. It relies on largely

obsolete Windows-only technologies such as ActiveX and VBScript which is not an
Object Oriented Language.[18]

QTP cannot test with all browser types and versions. In particular it does not support
Safari, or Opera.[19]

High licensing costs often mean that the tool is not widely used in an organization, but
instead is limited to a smaller testing team. This encourages a siloed approach to
QA/testing where testing is performed as a separate phase rather than a collaborative
approach where QA/testers work closely with the business and development teams (as is
advocated by newer agile approaches to software development.)[20]

Supported Technologies
The supported technologies, depending on the QTP version, are available for Web, Java
(Core and Advanced), .Net, WPF, SAP, Oracle, Siebel, PeopleSoft, Delphi, Power
Builder, Stingray 1, Terminal Emulator, Flex, Web Services, Windows Mobile, VisualAge
Smalltalk, Silverlight and mainframe terminal emulators.[21]
Versions
 11.0 - Released in 2010
 10.0 - Released in 2009
 9.5 - Released in 2008
 9.2 - Released in 2007
 9.1 - Released in 2007
 9.0 - Released in 2006
 8.2 - Released in 2005
 8.0 - Released in 2004
 7.0 - Never released.
 6.5 - Released in 2003
 6.0 - Released in 2002
 5.5 - First release. Released in 2001

License models
HP QuickTest Professional is available through single-seat licenses, as well as floating or
concurrent licenses.[22] A trial version of the software is also available.[23]

HP Quality Center Integration

HP QuickTest Professional and HP Quality Center work together for additional testing
capabilities. Users can use HP Quality Center with HP QuickTest assets, such as tests,
shared object repositories, libraries, recovery scenarios and external data tables.[24]

See also
Software Testing portal
 HP Quality Center
 Test automation
 GUI software testing

References
1. ^ HP QuickTest Professional software data sheet
2. ^ "A complete guide to working on Quality Center with QTP". Learn
QTP. Retrieved 2011-01-27.
3. ^ a b "HP Release QTP 10.0". Automatedtestinginstitute.com. 2009-03-07.
Retrieved 2011-01-27.
4. ^ "Mercury QuickTest Professional (QTP) Evaluation". Devbistro.com.
2006-11-08. Retrieved 2011-01-27.
5. ^ "HP Press Release: HP Closes Landmark Mercury Acquisition;
Companies Unite to Lead in Business Technology Optimization Software".
Hp.com. Retrieved 2011-01-27.
6. ^ "HP QuickTest Professional - Free software downloads and software
reviews - CNET Download.com". Download.cnet.com. 2009-09-29. Retrieved
2011-01-27.
7. ^ "Software Testing FAQ: GUI Test Drivers". Testingfaqs.org. Retrieved
2011-01-27.
8. ^ "QTP with Descriptive programming". Slideshare.net. Retrieved 2011-
01-27.
9. ^ "QTP Tutorials & Interview Questions: Checkpoints in (QuickTest
Professional)". Qtp.blogspot.com. 2004-02-27. Retrieved 2011-01-27.