Record and play back manual tests
Let Microsoft Test Manager record your keystrokes and gestures while you are testing an application. The next time you run the test, you can play back your actions quickly and accurately.
Playback is very useful for reproducing bugs. You can retrace the exact actions that the tester performed to the point where the fault was discovered.
Playback can also help when you want to run a test with different data, on multiple configurations, or where there are shared steps that are the same in many test cases. It also speeds up regression testing—that is, tests that you run from one sprint to the next to make sure that everything is still working correctly.
You can record and play back tests in a wide range of desktop applications, and also web applications that you access through a supported browser. For a detailed list, see Supported Configurations and Platforms for Coded UI Tests and Action Recordings.
To record and play back actions, you have to install Microsoft Test Manager on the machine on which you will run your tests. If you are testing a desktop application, install the latest version of the application and Microsoft Test Manager on the same machine. If you are testing a web-based application, install the application on a test server, and run Microsoft Test Manager on the machine where you will run your web browser.
To get Microsoft Test Manager, install Visual Studio Test Professional or Visual Studio Ultimate.
Run a test case
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Connect Microsoft Test Manager to your team project, and select your current test plan.
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Select a test case and run it.
In the Start Test window, select Create action recording.
Make sure you mark each step Pass or Fail as soon as you have completed it, and choose End Test when you’ve completed the last step. This makes sure the recording assigns your actions to the correct steps.
Caution
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Passwords, emails, instant messenger conversations and other sensitive data might be included in the recording. All your keystrokes and gestures may be recorded. Choose Pause if you want to interrupt your test, for example to reply to an email. |
If the parameter specifies text that you have to type as a step in the test, then it will be recognized and bound into the recording. When the recording is played back with another set of parameter values, the new value will be entered instead.
But the parameter won’t be bound if it is not directly entered as text– for example, if it’s the name of something you select. When the recording is played back, you’ll have to perform that step manually.
Select your test and run it. Don’t check the overwrite option in the Start Test dialog.
You can play the whole test, or play individual steps. Test Runner will replay the keystrokes and gestures that you recorded.
You have to verify the result of each step. The recording doesn’t verify the outputs.
Caution