Using the latest Web Testing Tools along with the latest RadControls

Closely monitoring the customer feedback on our web testing tools, I noticed that various issues have actually been caused by outdated versions of the RadControls used along with the most recent testing tools versions. Please note that we highly recommend using the versions of RadControls and the testing tools from the exact same release. Let me explain why.

I completely understand why customers do not always upgrade their applications with the latest RadControls (at least not immediately). “If it works, do not touch it” is a common principle. Of course that’s a matter of choice. However, as a Telerik QA person I can assure you that the products get better and better with each new release. Customers can surely benefit from the new release; it’s just a matter of time to find how.

However, the WebUI Test Studio’s RadControls Translators and the new WebAii Testing Framework’s RadControls Wrappers heavily rely on the exact control’s rendering (and the client-side API of the ASP.NET AJAX controls). Although the components’ structure does not get major updates with each new release, any minor change may reflect the corresponding testing translator/wrapper. Our goal is to keep the testing tools up to date so that as soon as you upgrade both RadControls and WebUI/WebAii you can:

• Continue recording/writing the automated tests the way you did it until now.
• Run your current tests without worrying about changes in our tools.

In other words – each new release of the testing tools *wraps* any recent change made to the RadControls to help you proceed smoothly.

Unfortunately it’s not always possible to upgrade without breaking changes. Still, our goal is to cut the efforts of our customers as much as possible which is in tune with the basic idea of our test automation solutions – you might be able to cover your test cases without the tools but they will surely help you get the job done much easier. Makes sense, doesn’t it?

To get the versions recognizable we also update the testing tools assemblies’ version to match the exact RadControls release it is supposed to cover. For example take a look at the latest Q2 2009 release of WebUI Test Studio’ and WebAii Testing Framework’ assemblies:

Just to clarify, the marked indicator in the tooltip means the translators are supposed to work with the RadControls for ASP.NET AJAX released on 1^st of July, 2009. The last number (“11”) identifies the WebAii version that the assembly is built against, i.e. it’s the official WebAii v1.1. I discussed the WebAii versions of our web testing tools in my previous post.

While recording your tests with WebUI Test Studio, you can also check the exact RadControls version the translators cover. Just load the “User Settings” from the recorder toolbar Settings button:

Select the “Translators” tab to see the loaded controls translators. The list displays the version as well:

So if we can’t upgrade the RadControls right now, can we still use your latest test automation tools?

Yes, of course! The core WebAii framework and Automation Design Canvas are still fully functional.

As soon as you upgrade your Web application you will see that the latest RadControls Translators are on your services:

Have you already upgraded to the latest RadControls version? Go get the most recent web testing tools and start automating!

Yours,

Konstantin Petkov

Telerik QA