Working With the Manual Test Editor

Applies to TestComplete 15.70, last modified on December 17, 2024
The manual testing functionality is deprecated. Do not use it for creating new tests. It will be removed in a future TestComplete release.

This topic provides information on tasks that can be accomplished with the Manual Test editor.

Adding New Steps

  • Click on the toolbar located above the step list.

-- or --

  • Right-click the step list and choose New Step from the context menu.

TestComplete will create a step on the same level as the currently selected step. If the selected node corresponds to the manual test, TestComplete will create a top-level step.

Adding Substeps to Steps

  • Right-click the desired step in the step list and choose New Substep from the context menu.

After you created a new step or substep, you can modify its data using appropriate edit boxes located in the right part of the editor.

Changing Steps Order

  • Select the desired step in the step list.
  • Click the , , and buttons on the toolbar or use appropriate context menu items to move the step to the desired location.

Previewing Step Descriptions

  • Right-click the desired step in the step list and choose Preview Step Dialog from the context menu.

TestComplete will show the Preview Step dialog for the selected step.

Note: You can preview the step description only for steps that contain instructions in the HTML or XML format. The Preview Step Dialog item is unavailable in the context menu of test steps of the Keyword Test content type.

Renaming Steps

  • Select the desired step in the step list.
  • Do one of the following:
    • Type the desired step name in the Step caption edit box to the right of the editor.

    -- or --

    • Click the step name in the step list, type the desired name using the ensuing in-place editor and press Enter to confirm the change.

Changing Steps Icons

You can also change the step icon. To do this, double-click the icon shown in the top left corner of the editor or right-click this icon and select the Select Step Icon command from the context menu (see the image below). In the subsequent Open File dialog, you choose the desired image.

The maximum size of the step icon is 41x41. If the image size exceeds these bounds, TestComplete will shrink the image when showing it in the panels and dialogs.

To restore the original step icon, right-click the step icon in the editor and choose Reset Step Icon from the context menu.

Deleting Steps and Substeps

  • Select the desired step in the step list and click the button.

-- or --

  • Right-click the desired step in the step list and choose Delete from the context menu.

Exporting Test Data to Files

To export the manual test contents to a Microsoft Word or HTML file, right-click the step list and select Export to Microsoft Word or Export to HTML from the context menu. See Exporting Manual Tests for more information.

Converting Steps to Keyword Tests

You can convert a test step that contains instructions in the HTML or XML+XSL format to a keyword test.

  • Select the needed step in the steps list and click the Convert Current Step to Keyword Test button on the toolbar located above the list.

-- or --

  • Right-click the needed step in the step list and select Convert Step to Keyword Test from the context menu.

After that, the Step Recording dialog will appear and display the test step’s instructions. Recording of a new keyword test will begin automatically, and you will need to manually perform actions that are described in the test step’s instructions.

Converting Manual Tests to Collections of Keyword Tests

You can also convert the entire manual test that contains instructions in the HTML or XML+XSL format to a collection of keyword tests that will perform these instructions.

  • Select a test step in the steps list and click the Convert Manual Test to Keyword Test button on the toolbar located above the list.

-- or --

  • Right-click somewhere in the steps list and select Convert Test to Keyword Test from the context menu.

After that, TestComplete will suggest recording keyword tests for each of the steps that contain instructions in the HTML or XML+XSL format and are included in the manual test run (that is, the test steps with the selected check boxes shown by each step in the steps list). For each step, you will see its instructions in the Step Recording dialog, and you will need to perform the described actions manually while an appropriate keyword test is being recorded. If you do not want to record a keyword test for a test step, you can click the Skip Step button in the Step Recording dialog, and TestComplete will start recording a keyword test for the next step. When you click Complete in the dialog, TestComplete saves the recorded actions as a keyword test that corresponds to the current manual test step and starts recording another keyword test displaying the Step Recording dialog for the next test step.

After converting steps of the manual test, TestComplete suggests creating a common keyword test that will combine all of the test steps of the Keyword Test content type and run them one by one.

Saving Changes

To save changes made to the manual test, select File | Save from the TestComplete main menu.

To close the editor and discard any changes, close the editor and click No when TestComplete asks if you want to save the changes.

See Also

Manual Testing
About Manual Test Editor

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