Should I use Connected Applications?
I'm in the very early stages of automating testing for a .NET application written in C# and am still feeling my way around. I am pretty sure that scripted tests rather than keyword tests are the right...
Forum Discussion
Hello Mat,
The connected application feature was introduced in earlier versions of TestComplete in order to give access to the tested applications' internals. TestComplete has significantly improved since then, and now, you can get access to the applications' internals from TestComplete directly. For example, TestComplete recognizes UI elements in tested .NET applications and gives access to their native properties and methods. It also allows accessing libraries and classes of your tested .NET applications.
Generally, the connected applications are used if –
1. You want to create tests in your favorite IDE using its editor and debugger.
2. You are creating tests for a third-party company and want to ship only the compiled executable file to protect your tests from unauthorized access/change.
3. You want to implement a complex test that cannot be implemented by standard means of TestComplete, or you want to access to your tested application’s classes and objects that cannot be accessed from TestComplete.
When creating your tests in Visual Studio, you cannot use TestComplete’s Code Completion. If you are a novice at TestComplete, writing script tests in TestComplete IDE using the Code completion can be easier.
Unfortunately, we do not give information on the connected application other than the information from the “Connected and Self-Testing Applications” section of our Help system.
Could you please specify what information you need? What language reference and what kind of advanced examples would you like to get? We will consider enhancing our Help topics.
I failed to reproduce the behavior you describe. Could you please post your entire code here?
Thanks in advance.
1. When should/shouldn't one use connected applications?
The connected application feature was introduced in earlier versions of TestComplete in order to give access to the tested applications' internals. TestComplete has significantly improved since then, and now, you can get access to the applications' internals from TestComplete directly. For example, TestComplete recognizes UI elements in tested .NET applications and gives access to their native properties and methods. It also allows accessing libraries and classes of your tested .NET applications.
Generally, the connected applications are used if –
1. You want to create tests in your favorite IDE using its editor and debugger.
2. You are creating tests for a third-party company and want to ship only the compiled executable file to protect your tests from unauthorized access/change.
3. You want to implement a complex test that cannot be implemented by standard means of TestComplete, or you want to access to your tested application’s classes and objects that cannot be accessed from TestComplete.
I read somewhere that it is expected that one would port existing scripts from TestComplete rather than write test code from scratch for connected applications. Does that mean writing test code from scratch in Visual Studio is not a good idea for some reason?
When creating your tests in Visual Studio, you cannot use TestComplete’s Code Completion. If you are a novice at TestComplete, writing script tests in TestComplete IDE using the Code completion can be easier.
2. What resources are there available for helping new users get started with connected applications?
Unfortunately, we do not give information on the connected application other than the information from the “Connected and Self-Testing Applications” section of our Help system.
Could you please specify what information you need? What language reference and what kind of advanced examples would you like to get? We will consider enhancing our Help topics.
3. I'm struggling to get to grips with the var type, any help/advice?
I failed to reproduce the behavior you describe. Could you please post your entire code here?
Thanks in advance.
