Debug Mode Parameters

Applies to TestComplete 14.40, last modified on April 22, 2021

When a tested application is launched in the Debug mode, TestComplete traces the application run and reports information about debug strings, exceptions and other events that occur in the application’s process. See Tracing Events and Exceptions With Debug Services.

You can view and change Debug mode parameters in the TestedApps editor. The parameters are organized into two sections - Basic Parameters and Run-Mode Parameters.

Basic Parameters

Basic parameters include the following:

Parameter Description
Name The unique name of the tested application in the Tested Applications collection. This name is used to refer to the application in tests, for example, in the Run TestedApp keyword test operation.
Run Mode The mode in which TestComplete will launch the application:
  • Simple - The application will be launched using the command-line and the working folder specified in the Run-Mode Parameters section, under the same user account that TestComplete is running under. This is similar to how a user would launch the application directly via its executable or using the Start menu or desktop shortcut.

  • RunAs - The application will be launched under a specific user account. See Testing Applications Running Under Another User Account.

  • Debug - Similar to the Simple mode, but TestComplete additionally traces and logs all exceptions and events (debug strings, module loading and so on) that occur in the application’s process. See Tracing Events and Exceptions With Debug Services.

  • Profile - The application will be launched under the AQtime profiler. AQtime will analyze the application performance, memory leaks, resource usage or other characteristics. In other words, the application will be tested by TestComplete and profiled by AQtime at the same time. See Integration With AQtime for more information.

Count This parameter is ignored.
Autorun application on recording Select this option to have the application launched automatically when you start test recording.
Launch application from tests Uncheck this option to prevent the application from being launched by the Run TestedApp keyword test operation and the TestedApps.AppName.Run scripting method.

For example, you can define several instances of the tested application with different configurations and “disable” those not needed at the moment.

Run-Mode Parameters

The following parameters are specific to the Debug run mode:

Parameter Description
Application The name and path of the application executable file (.exe, .com, .bat or .cmd). You can enter the path manually or click the button and browse for the needed file.

The path can be fully-qualified or relative to the project folder. To switch between the fully-qualified and relative path representations, click the drop-down button and select the desired path in the drop-down list.

You can use environment variables, such as %PROGRAMFILES%, as well as project and project suite variables in the format $(VarName) in the file path. For more information, see Using Variables in Tested Application Paths.

If the application resides in a folder that is in the PATH environment variable, you can omit the application path and specify the file name only. For example, you can specify notepad.exe instead of C:\Windows\notepad.exe.

Note: The application path can be different on different computers. If you move the test project to other computers, the specified path may point to a non-existing location on those computers. To avoid the problem, it is recommended to install the application to a folder that is common to all test computers. You can also use environment, project or project suite variables in place of computer-specific path components. See Avoiding Computer-Specific Settings for more information.
Command-line parameters The command-line arguments that will be used to launch the application.
Working folder The working folder for the application run. You can enter the folder path manually or click the button and browse for the needed folder.

The folder path can include environment variables, such as %PROGRAMFILES%, as well as project and project suite variables in the format $(VarName). For more information, see Using Variables in Tested Application Paths.

See Also

About Tested Applications
Tracing Events and Exceptions With Debug Services
About TestedApps Editor
Run Modes and Parameters
Using Variables in Tested Application Paths
Working With Tested Applications in Tests

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