TestComplete 10.X cross-browser playback problems

No debug mode in TextExecute that I'm aware of. It doesn't have an editor window so wouldn't make sense really. You need the full TestComplete IDE for that.



And for cross-browser compatibility, you need to have a good look at how it capturing and mapping objects. Different browsers report different properties so you need to make sure you're using something that is consistent between all the browsers you plan to use.



I've also found that the same site reports itself differently to TestComplete. My current project has to be run using both Chrome & IE. IE reports duplicate objects inside containers which are not reported by Chrome.



Your best bet is to be VERY careful and thorough when first mapping object you plan to use in your tests and be 100% sure you are capturing and storing them in such a way that they'll work in both before you write any code round them. One thing I've learned about using object/GUI maps is it's a bit like decorating your house .... it's all in the prep. If your map is good, writing code that uses it without problems is way, way, easier ...



Have you tried having a look at some of the problem objects using the object spy to see what the differences are in how they're reported?

Thanks for the detailed reply. Considering that TestComplete can be run to record, with a small widget in the corner, it wouldn't be a stretch to ask for a mode of running a script step by step, until we hit a problem, so we can see what it's doing.



I get the questions, but I'm not sure what I'm supposed to be doing differently. I record as I perform tests, then edit them as needed if they can't be played back properly. I'm told that cross browser testing should be as simple as choosing another browser to point to, and go.



I mean, that's basically what it says on the tin, right?



What am I supposed to be doing to carefully identify objects? What is the object spy?



I did take a peek in name mapping editor, but don't notice anything special.



Sorry for the noob questions, but this was supposed to be simple to use and work with. I expect some editing to be needed, of course.



I mean, this is what's on the site:



"

Cross-Browser Testing

After you create tests, you can run them with minimal or no changes in all the supported web browsers. Cross-browser support includes not only the test object names and hierarchy, but also a unified approach for working with browser messages and dialogs and objects' data. With browser independent tests, it is easy to create test suites that repeat the same test under different browsers registered on the test machine. To test different combinations of web site versions, browsers and operating system versions you can take advantage of the support for distributed testing and additional TestExecute licenses. "

Not seeming to be the case.



Thanks,



Peter

Interestingly enough, when I recorded that particular step in IE to append to that position, it made it a singular step. Seems that it handles it very differently in IE.



I'm working through my steps and analysing the differences, but it's not boding well for easy cross-browser testing. I've also noticed that it has issues with property checkpoints in IE, even when I've done a new recording of it.



Seems this will be a little tricker than I thought. I figure I'll fix it for IE, if I can, then try to run those against Firefox, and see if they work.

Heh.



Yeah. The instructions say it should work cross-browser out of the box, but I tend to find it's never that simple. I usually end up checking and tweaking the object identification properties as I find it uses a lot of things like index numbers which are not a good thing to rely on for future identification. Static values are far more reliable.



You can never tell until you try it out and see how a site/application looks to TestComplete. Some are easier to work with than others ...