2. Prepare Visual Studio Test Projects for Running TestComplete Tests (Run TestComplete Tests as Part of Release Pipeline)

Why Preparing Projects Is Needed

Requirements

1. Add TestComplete Test to Visual Studio Test Project

2. Create Custom Build Steps

3. Configure TestComplete Test Item Properties

4. Add Test Project to Source Control System

5. Add TestComplete Project to Source Control System

Visual Studio test projects store a relative path to TestComplete projects or project suites to be run.

When you build your project on a build computer, TestComplete Test item files (.tctest) will be copied to the build output folder. However, TestComplete project files (.pjs, .mds and etc.) will not be copied to the output folder because they do not belong to the Visual Studio test project:

Click the image to enlarge it.

The path to the TestComplete project that the TestComplete Test item stores may become invalid. During the test run, your Visual Studio test project will not be able to find the needed TestComplete project or project suite and the tests will fail.

To avoid this issue, make sure that the path, which the Visual Studio test projects store, corresponds to the actual location of your TestComplete projects.

You can create custom build steps to copy your TestComplete project suite files to a proper folder and keep the path valid. In this topic, we will describe how to create such build steps.

To create and configure a Visual Studio test project and include your TestComplete tests in it, you must have the following software installed:

• One of the following Microsoft Visual Studio versions with Team Explorer component:

  • Microsoft Visual Studio 2015–2019 (Community, Enterprise or Professional edition).

  • Microsoft Visual Studio 2013 (Community, Ultimate, Premium, or Professional edition).

  • Microsoft Visual Studio 2010–2012 (Ultimate, Premium, or Professional edition).

• TestComplete 14.

• TestComplete 14 Visual Studio Integration Package.

  The Integration Package installer is shipped along with TestComplete. You can find it in the TestComplete folder after installing the product:

  <TestComplete 14>\VS Integration\VSIntegration.exe

  Run this installer after installing TestComplete on the computer, where you create and configure your test project. In the installation wizard, select the Visual Studio Integration feature appropriate for your Visual Studio version.

1. In Visual Studio, open your Visual Studio test project or create a new one:

   

   Note: You cannot add TestComplete tests to Visual C++ unmanaged (native) test projects. As a workaround, we suggest that you use a test project of any other type (for example, a Visual C++ Managed Test project).

2. In Solution Explorer, add a new folder to your Visual Studio test project. This is the folder where your TestComplete Test item will be stored:

   

3. Right-click the created folder and select Open Folder in Windows Explorer from the context menu. This will open the created folder in Windows Explorer:

   Place your TestComplete project suite with all its files in the folder:

   

4. In Visual Studio Solution Explorer, add a new TestComplete Test item to the created folder:

   

   Visual Studio will create a new TestComplete test, add it to the test project and display the test in the project item tree of Solution Explorer:

   

5. Configure the added TestComplete Test item to run the needed TestComplete tests:

   

   For detailed instructions on how to do it, see Add TestComplete Tests to Visual Studio Test Projects.

6. If you use Visual Studio 2010, add your TestComplete Test item to a test list:

   

1. In Visual Studio Solution Explorer, select your test project and choose Properties from the Project menu.

2. In the ensuing Project Designer panel, depending on your test project’s language:

   Switch to the Compile tabbed page and click Build Events.

   – or –

   Switch to the Build Events tabbed page.

3. In Pre-build event command line, enter commands that will clear the TCSuiteFolderName folder in the project’s output folder:

   rd /S /Q "$(TargetDir)TCSuiteFolderName"

   TCSuiteFolderName - The name of the folder in your Visual Studio test project that stores your TestComplete Test item (.tctest) and TestComplete test files. It is the folder you created earlier.

   

   The TargetDir variable specifies the path to the project’s output folder.

4. In Post-build event command line, enter commands that will copy your TestComplete project suite files to the project’s output folder:

   md "$(TargetDir)TCSuiteFolderName"
   xcopy "$(ProjectDir)TCSuiteFolderName" "$(TargetDir)TCSuiteFolderName" /Y /E

   The ProjectDir variable specifies the project’s source directory.

1. In Visual Studio Solution Explorer, right-click the TestComplete Test item and then click Properties.

2. In the Properties panel, set the Copy to Output Directory property of the TestComplete Test item to Do not copy:

   

Azure DevOps and Team Foundation Server work only with files stored in source control. Connect to your team project and add your Visual Studio test project to your team repository:

Git (For Visual Studio 2013–2019)

Team Foundation Version Control

Add your TestComplete project suite to the source control you use for your team project:

We recommend that you do this directly from within the TestComplete IDE (for more information, see Integration With Source Control Systems). This way, only necessary files will be added.