Selecting the Scripting Language

Which language to choose?

Should the scripting language match the language of my tested application?

Will my project be limited in functionality if I select this or that language?

Scripting languages have a different set of predefined functions. Why do you say the project will not be limited in functionality?

What are the specifics of the supported scripting languages that may affect my tests?

Why are some languages marked as legacy? Can I use them?

The supported languages are quite different, so you may ask “Which one should I choose for my project?” The answer is simple: choose the language you know better and that is closer to your development experience. This will decrease the test creation time, since you will not have to learn a new language.

However, we highly recommend that you use JavaScript or Python to create script tests. These languages use the modern scripting engines - V8 engine v. 5.8 and Python 3.8.10 correspondingly. They are stable and reliable making it less likely for you to face issues you may face when using other more outdated scripting languages. In addition, you can easily find any needed references on these languages online.

No, a project’s scripting language does not depend on your tested application’s programming language. For instance, you can use JavaScript to test Visual C++ applications, or VBScript to test Delphi programs.

There is only one recommendation: if you plan to create a connected or a self-testing Application, select the scripting language that matches the development tool where you will create that application. That is, if you use Visual C++ or C++Builder, you should select C++Script; if you use Visual Basic, select VBScript; if you use C#, use C#Script, and if you use Delphi, select DelphiScript. This will make it easier to import recorded scripts to connected and self-testing applications.

No, it will not. The vast majority of TestComplete features is equally oriented on each of the supported languages. So, you can choose the language that is closer to your developer skills.

Note however that the syntax of C#Script and C++Script differs from that of C# and C++. So, selecting these scripting languages makes sense only if you plan to create a connected or self-testing C++ or C# application. If you want to select C#Script or C++Script only due to that the C# or C++ syntax is closer to your skills, we recommend that you rather use JavaScript as its syntax is more similar to C# and C++ than the C#Script and C++Script syntax is.

Yes, each scripting language provides a number of built-in functions that help you perform some routine actions, such as converting numerical values to strings and vice versa (C#Script and C++Script have the same functions as JScript, since these languages are based on JScript). Normally, the sets of predefined functions of different scripting languages are similar to each other, with few exceptions (for instance, DelphiScript does not have an analogue of VBScript’s split function). However, the difference in predefined functions is negligible, since most of predefined functions are simple and you can easily create their analogues in another language. Also, TestComplete provides an extensive set of scripting objects whose functionality covers the functionality of predefined functions. They can be used in any project, regardless of its scripting language.

As we have said above, you will not be limited in functionality if you prefer one language to another - you will be able to use all TestComplete features regardless of which language you choose. However, because languages have different syntax and work via different engines, there are few exceptions:

• JavaScript and Python do not support functions that obtain parameters by reference. The same applies to JScript, and C#Script and C++Script since these languages work via the JScript engine.

• Any of the supported scripting languages let you call routines and variables defined in another unit. However, circular references between units are supported in JavaScript, Python, VBScript and DelphiScript only and are not supported in JScript, C#Script and C++Script.

• Some users consider that exception handling in JavaScript, JScript, Python, DelphiScript, C#Script or C++Script may be more convenient than exception handling in VBScript.

• The format of arrays in JavaScript, JScript, Python, C#Script and C++Script differs from the DelphiScript and VBScript (see Supported Scripting Languages - Specifics of Usage). This affects the usage of some routines (for example, the AddNamedChild method) in JScript, C#Script and C++Script code. For more information, see documentation for the specific method.

For more information on usage specifics of supported scripting languages, see Supported Scripting Languages - Specifics of Usage.

Currently, Python and JavaScript are among the most commonly used languages, and that is why we recommend that you use them to create script tests. Their engines are updated regularly, and you can easily find any information on these languages online.

The other languages that TestComplete supports, JScript, DelphiScript, C++Script, and C#Script, are now outdated and rarely used. We do not recommend that you use them to create new projects. That is why these languages are not available in the Create New Project wizard.

If you already have projects that use these languages, they will remain intact. You can run your existing tests without any limitations.

If you still want to use one of these languages to create new tests, you can do any of the following:

• Use the Create Project dialog to add projects to an existing project suite. In this dialog, you can select any scripting languages that TestComplete supports including the legacy languages.

– or –

• (For JScript and DelphiScript only) Configure TestComplete to use one of the legacy languages as a default language for new projects. You can do this in the Tools > Options > Project dialog.