Visual Studio Team System Test Edition FAQ

Find answers to some of the most common questions about how to use Web tests and unit tests in Visual Studio Team System 2008 Test Edition.

Web and Load Test Questions

What is the difference between recording Web Tests in Team System using the Web Test Recorder vs. using Fiddler?

Web tests work at the HTTP protocol layer. The Web Test Recorder hooks into the Internet Explorer object model and listens for various navigation events. The Web test engine uses the .NET Framework System.Net HTTP-related classes to send requests and receive responses from the Web site. Web tests do not test client-side code; they do not load responses into a Web browser, nor do they run JavaScript. A better way to think of these tests are as Web Application tests, because Web tests actually test the server part of a Web site. For more information, see Tips for Recording Web Tests with Team System 2008 and Understanding Web Tests.

From the Fiddler Web site: "Fiddler is a Web Debugging Proxy which logs all HTTP(S) traffic between your computer and the Internet. Fiddler allows you to inspect all HTTP(S) traffic, set breakpoints, and "fiddle" with incoming or outgoing data. Fiddler includes a powerful event-based scripting subsystem, and can be extended using any .NET language." For more information, see Fiddler PowerToy - Part 1: HTTP Debugging and Fiddler PowerToy - Part 2: HTTP Performance. To download Fiddler, see the Fiddler Web site.

For information about how to use Fiddler with Team System, see Buck Hodge's blog post: VSTS Testing: Using Fiddler to record VSTS web tests.

Why does the Web Test Recorder Bar fail to display or is disabled when I attempt to record a Web Test?

Various reasons can cause the Web Test Recorder Bar not to display when you attempt to record a Web test. These reasons usually fall into the following categories:

  • Security settings for Internet Explorer are configured incorrectly.
  • Internet browser add-ins are disabled.
  • Security settings for the Windows operating system are configured incorrectly.

For more information about how to diagnose and resolve these issues, see the following page on the Microsoft Web site: Diagnosing and fixing Web Test recorder bar issues.

What are my options for testing InfoPath Forms Services with Visual Studio Team System 2008?

You can use the InfoPath Forms Services 2007 Web Testing Toolkit, found on the CodePlex Web site, to create Web tests in Visual Studio Team System for InfoPath Forms Services (IPFS).

Note

The InfoPath Forms Services 2007 Web Testing Toolkit is not supported by Microsoft. Use at your own risk.

Unit Test Questions

What are my options for testing Windows Communication Foundation (WCF) with Visual Studio Team System 2008?

You can use the WCF Load Test utility, found on the CodePlex Web site, to create a Visual Studio Team System 2008 unit test from a WCF trace file.

Note

The WCF Load Test utility is not supported by Microsoft. Use at your own risk.

You can also implement other unsupported workarounds for testing WCF with Team System 2008 Test Edition. For a list of workarounds, see Knowledge Base article 961404 on the Microsoft Web site: Direct Unit Testing with WCF is not supported in Visual Studio 2008 SP1 Team System Test.

Why does the Create Unit Tests wizard no longer work correctly in database, Silverlight, or Windows Installer XML projects?

If you have installed Visual Studio 2008 Service Pack 1, the Create Unit Tests wizard does not work correctly for projects in the general distribution release (GDR) of Microsoft Visual Studio Team System 2008 Database Edition, projects in Microsoft Silverlight, or projects in Windows Installer XML (WIX).

You might encounter one or more of the following issues:

  • No types are listed in the Types panel.
  • The Output project list is missing.
  • When you click the Settings button, the wizard closes immediately.
  • The OK button is unavailable.

For information about the supported fix, see KB962866 - Create Unit Tests Blank w/app contain Sept CTP GDR/ Silverlight projt on the MSDN Code Gallery Web site.

For more information about this issue, see Knowledge Base article 962866 on the Microsoft Web site: FIX: Problems occur in the Create Unit Tests wizard when you create a unit test for a method in a solution that contains a GDR project, a Silverlight project, or a WIX project in Visual Studio 2008 Service Pack 1.

Why do unit tests fail on computers with the Windows 7 operating system installed?

If you install Visual Studio 2008 Service Pack 1 (SP1) on a computer that is running Windows 7, unit tests stop running correctly. Instead, when you run a unit test, the Result field in the Test Result window displays that the test is Pending and the test cannot be completed.

A hotfix is available from Microsoft to fix this problem. For more information, see Knowledge Base article 970449 on the Microsoft Web site, FIX: When you run a unit test on a computer that is running Windows 7 together with Microsoft Visual Studio 2008 Service Pack 1 (SP1) installed, the Result field in the Test Result window always shows "Pending" and the test cannot be completed.

Additional Resources

CodePlex Downloads

Web and Load Test Plugins for Visual Studio Team Test

InfoPath Forms Services 2007 Web Testing Toolkit

WCF Load Test generator

Visual Studio Team Test (VSTT) 2008 Quick Reference Guide 1.0

Technical Articles

Techniques for Testing Web Site Performance with Team System 2008

Code Coverage Basics with Visual Studio Team System

Advanced Code Coverage Techniques with Visual Studio Team System

Videos

Team System How Do I Videos

Blogs

Ed Glas's Blog on VSTS Load Testing

Sean Lumey's Blog

Bill Barnett's Blog

Michael Taute's Blog

Amit Chatterjee's Blog

Forums

Visual Studio Team System - Testing

Visual Studio Team System - Web and Load Testing

See Also

Concepts

Visual Studio Team System 2008 Technical Articles

Other Resources

Test Edition