Using the Basic Workflow

Table of Contents
Overview of the Basic Workflow...................................................................................................................... 2

Creating a SilkTest Project.............................................................................................................................. 3

Enabling and Testing Extension Settings........................................................................................................ 4

Configuring the Recovery System................................................................................................................... 6

Recording a Testcase ..................................................................................................................................... 7

Running a Testcase .......................................................................................................................................10

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 Overview of the Basic Workflow
The Basic Workflow bar guides you through the process of creating a testcase. Using this Workflow bar,
you create a project, automatically enable and test extension settings, configure the recovery system,
and record and run a testcase.
Using the Basic Workflow, SilkTest can automatically enable extensions for:
• browser applications and applets running in Internet Explorer 5.x, 6, Netscape 4.7, and AOL 7.0
• standalone Java 1 (JDK 1.1.8) and Java 2 (JDK 1.2 through 1.4.1) applications
• Visual Basic 5 and 6 applications
• Client/Server applications
You can manually enable additional extensions; see Enabling extensions manually in the online Help and
the Release Notes for more information.

This Workflow is on by default; you can turn it on and off by clicking Workflows/Basic. It contains the
following:
Icon What it does

Displays the New Project dialog.

Displays a series of dialogs, beginning with the Enable

Extensions dialog, that guide you through selecting,
enabling, and testing your extension settings.

Displays the Set Recovery System dialog.

Displays the Record Testcase dialog.

Displays the Save As dialog and then the Run Testcase

dialog.

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 Creating a SilkTest Project
You can use the Basic Workflow bar to create a new project or open an existing project. Only one project
can be open at a time. In this tutorial, we’ll create a new project for use with the GMO Web application. The
examples in this tutorial use Internet Explorer 6 and the GMO Web application, available at
[Link]
1 Open SilkTest and make sure the Basic Workflow bar is visible. If it is not, click Workflows/Basic to
enable it.

2 On the Basic Workflow bar, click Open Project\New Project.

3 On the New Project dialog, double click Create Project.
4 On the Create Project dialog, type GMO_Test in the Project Name field and create GMO testcase
using Basic Workflow bar in the Description field.

5 Click OK to save your project in the default location, <SilkTest installation directory>/Projects. When
you click OK, SilkTest:
• creates a projectname folder, in this case, GMO_Test, within the <SilkTest installation
directory>/Projects directory
• writes the project file, GMO_Test.vtp, and GMO_Test.ini to this location
• copies the SilkTest extension .ini files ([Link], [Link], [Link], and [Link]) to
<SilkTest installation directory>/Projects/GMO_Test/extend subdirectory.
If you do not want to save your project in the default location, click Browse and specify the folder in
which you want to save your project.
A yellow status area appears in the lower right corner as SilkTest processes the files, creates your
project, GMO_Test, and displays folders on the Files and Globals tabs for the files and resources
associated with this project.

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For example, the Files tab for the GMO_Test project is shown below:

For more information about SilkTest Projects, see Overview of SilkTest Projects in the online Help or click
SilkTest/Documentation/Tutorials and complete the Working with Projects tutorial.

You are now ready to complete the next step on the Workflow bar, Enabling Extensions.
Enabling and Testing Extension Settings
Now that you have created the GMO_Test project, you’re ready to use the Basic Workflow bar to enable the
appropriate extensions to test the GMO Web application.

An extension is a file that serves to extend the capabilities of, or data available to, a more basic program.
SilkTest provides extensions for testing applications that use non-standard controls in specific development
and browser environments. SilkTest provides extensions for browser environments such as Internet Explorer
4.0, 5.x, 6 and Netscape 4, 6, as well as AOL 7.0, Blue Express and Java development environments. (For a
list of currently supported extensions, see the Release Notes.)

The Basic Workflow bar will assess the test application to determine which SilkTest extension needs to be
enabled, enable the extension, and then test the extension settings to make sure that SilkTest is properly
configured to test the application.
1 Start the application or applet for which you want to enable extensions, in this case
[Link] Make sure the application is not minimized.
2 Click Enable Extensions on the Basic Workflow bar.

Using the Basic Workflow 4

 3 Click Welcome to Green Mountain Outpost from the list on the Enable Extensions dialog, and then
click Select. If the application does not appear in the list, make sure it is not minimized, and then
click Refresh.

4 SilkTest assesses the application to determine which SilkTest extension is required, in this case, the
Internet Explorer 6 DOM extension. Click OK on the Extension Settings dialog.

5 When the Test Extension Settings dialog appears, close the GMO Web application, and then restart
it in the same way in which you opened it; for example, by opening Internet Explorer and typing the
URL: [Link]

Using the Basic Workflow 5

 6 After you restart the GMO Web application, the Test button is enabled. Make sure the application
has finished loading, and then click Test.
When the test is finished, a dialog displays indicating that the extension has been successfully
enabled and tested; click OK.

If you are configuring a different application and the test fails, be sure to click Help on the message
box that appears and view the troubleshooting information, or if you are enabling extensions for a
Java application or applet, see Configuring SilkTest to Test Java Applications and Applets.

You are now ready to configure the recovery system, ensuring that tests will continue to run unattended,
even if an application error occurs.
Configuring the Recovery System
SilkTest’s recovery system allows you to run tests unattended. When your application fails, the recovery
system restores the application to a stable state, known as the BaseState, so that the rest of your tests can
continue to run unattended.

Using the Basic Workflow bar, you can identify the starting point of the application you are testing, the
BaseState, and configure SilkTest’s recovery system to return your application to this BaseState: before
running a testcase; during a testcase, if an error occurs; and after a testcase completes. For more
information about the recovery system, see Overview of the recovery system in the online Help.
1 Make sure the GMO Web application is running.
2 Click Set Recovery System on the Basic Workflow bar.
3 Click Welcome to Green Mountain Outpost on the Set Recovery System dialog. Notice that the
Frame file name, [Link], the URL on which to begin testing, [Link] and the
window name, WelcomeToGreenMountainOutp, appear. Click OK.

Using the Basic Workflow 6

 4 Click OK when the message indicating that the recovery system is configured appears.

5 A new 4Test include file, [Link], opens in the SilkTest Editor; click the plus sign in the file to see
the contents of the frame file.

You are now ready to record a testcase for the GMO Web application.
Recording a Testcase
Now that you’ve configured the recovery system, you are ready to record a testcase.
1 On the Basic Workflow bar, click Record Testcase.
2 On the Record Testcase – Open 4Test Script dialog, specify the name of the testcase, gmo_test,
and the location in which you want to save it, SilkTest/Projects/GMO_Test, and then click Open.

3 Click Yes to have SilkTest create the 4Test script, gmo_test.t.

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 4 On the Record Testcase dialog, type PlaceOrder in the Testcase name field, and then click Start
Recording. (Since you configured DefaultBaseState when setting up the recovery system, you do
not need to modify the Application state. When you click Start Recording, SilkTest closes the Record
Testcase dialog, starts the GMO Web application, if it was not already running, and displays the
Record Status window.)

5 When Recording flashes on the Record Status window, begin recording your testcase by clicking the
Enter GMO OnLine button on the GMO home page. You may notice a rectangle flashing on the
OnLine Catalog page as you move your cursor over objects. This is SilkTest’s way of letting you
know that it has recognized the objects.
6 In the Order Quantity column, type 1 in the first row to order a 3 Person Dome Tent.
7 Click the Glacier Sun Glasses link. Review the description, and then click the Back button in
Internet Explorer 6. If you make any typos or extra clicks while recording, you can always remove
them later.
8 Type 1 in the third row of the Order Quantity column to order 1 pair of sunglasses, type 2 in the next
row to order two pairs of padded socks, and then click Place An Order
9 Click Done on the Record Status dialog. The actions you recorded appear in the Record Testcase
dialog. If you captured additional cursor movements or clicks the text may be different.

10 On the Record Testcase dialog, click Paste to Editor.

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 11 On the Update Files dialog, click OK to paste the testcase to the Editor and update the window
declarations in the frame file SilkTest created when setting up the recovery system.

12 Click the plus sign in the Editor to see the testcase you created. Notice that the testcase has been
added to the GMO_Test project, in the Script folder. If you prefer, you can hide the Project Explorer
by clicking Project/View Explorer. Your recording may differ slightly from the one shown below; for
example, you may have captured additional cursor movements or clicks.

You are now ready to run your testcase.

Using the Basic Workflow 9

 Running a Testcase
1 On the Basic Workflow bar, click Run Testcase.
2 On the Run Testcase dialog, click PlaceOrder, and then click Run. SilkTest executes the test on
your machine – you can see it replicating the clicks and cursor movements that you recorded. It then
displays the results; the PlaceOrder testcase passed:

You’ve completed the Basic Workflow tutorial and successfully created a project, enabled and tested
extension settings, configured the recovery system, and recorded and ran a testcase. For more information
about working with SilkTest, see the online Help, or access additional tutorials by clicking
SilkTest/Documentation/Tutorials.

Using the Basic Workflow 10