Topic: Manual Tester's features

As you can see in Figure 1, Manual Tester's well-formatted script-editing screen minimizes the need for scrolling. Multiple scripts can be opened and accessed via tabs at the top of the window. A toolbar provides icon shortcuts to major functions.

Figure 1: The Manual Tester user interface

The Manual Tester user interface also makes it easy to group and reuse script steps, and to track the results of executing scripts. And Manual Tester's wizards make it easy to import and export test scripts. We'll take a look at each of these features.

Grouping script steps

Grouping of script steps is accomplished via an Outline panel (think Windows Explorer) that allows intuitive dragging and dropping onto folder icons that represent groups (note the Logon folder in Figure 2).

Figure 2: Grouping script steps in the Outline panel

Reusing script steps

Reuse of script steps is also accomplished in Manual Tester via drag-and-drop functionality. First the tester drags the script step or group (folder) of steps from the Outline panel to the Reuse panel (see Figure 3 for an example of dragging the Logon folder to the Reuse panel).

Figure 3: Dragging a folder designated for reuse to the Reuse panel

Then the tester drags the script step or group of steps from the Reuse panel to the desired location in the same or in a different script. The reused script steps are automatically referenced (see Figure 4 for an example of the Logon folder being referenced in a different script).

Figure 4: Dragging reusable script steps from Reuse to another script

Although the reused steps are displayed in the new script as though they were a physical part of the script, these script lines are actually only references to a single (true) base instance of the steps. This fact endows Manual Tester with the nifty ability to automatically refresh all referenced script lines whenever the base script lines are modified. Thus, reuse of automatically generated and maintained script steps is a workable reality in Manual Tester that has the potential to save significant amounts of usually scarce test department resources.

Tracking script execution

Manual Tester executes scripts by displaying a user interface for each step in succession (see Figure 5). The tester selects standard results (for example, "pass," "fail," "error," "inconclusive") from a drop-down list. Custom result types can also be added to the list in order to enforce existing organization standards. Comparison values and any related attachments are displayed on the same screen in the Properties panel. The Properties panel also allows the tester to annotate the execution step with free-form comments. The execution window can be made translucent so that the application under test can be seen behind it.

Figure 5: The execution window

Exporting and importing scripts

The Manual Tester Export Wizard makes it easy to export scripts from Manual Tester (see Figure 6), in case an organization still needs to rely on in-house reporting or other management of test scripts.

Figure 6: Exporting Manual Tester scripts to other applications

The Import Wizard makes it easy to migrate from legacy manual scripting environments, such as Excel or Word, to Manual Tester (see Figure 7). Importing such legacy scripts benefits individuals outside of the test department, such as end users, use case analysts, or project managers who have the need to create manual test scripts for validation or communication purposes. The tester can choose from either Excel or Word and then bring these scripts into Manual Tester format. The tester can select whether to keep imported scripts in their original files or merge them into a single Manual Tester script.

Figure 7: Importing a legacy script

The next dialog window allows the tester to select which formatter Manual Tester should use when importing the legacy script. (There's currently only one, for Excel -- see Figure 8.)

Figure 8: Selecting an import formatter