What is Smart Identification?

When the recorded definition for an object does not enable QuickTest to identify an option, QuickTest uses the Smart Identification definition (if defined and enabled) to identify the object.

When QuickTest uses the recorded description to identify an object, it searches for an object that matches every one of the property values in the description. In most cases, this description is the simplest way to identify the object and unless the main properties of the object change, this method will work.

If QuickTest is unable to find any object that matches the recorded object description, or if it finds more than one object that fits the description, then QuickTest ignores the recorded description, and uses the Smart Identification mechanism to try to identify the object.

While the Smart Identification mechanism is more complex, it is more flexible, and thus, if configured logically, a Smart Identification definition can probably help QuickTest identify an object, if it is present, even when the recorded description fails.

The Smart Identification mechanism uses two types of properties:

Base filter properties:
The most fundamental properties of a particular test object class; those whose values cannot be changed without changing the essence of the original object. For example, if a Web link’s tag was changed from <A> to any other value, you could no longer call it the same object.

Optional filter properties:
Other properties that can help identify objects of a particular class as they are unlikely to change on a regular basis, but which can be ignored if they are no longer applicable.

If QuickTest activates the Smart Identification mechanism during a test run (because it was unable to identify an object based on its recorded description), it follows the following process to identify the object:

1. QuickTest forgets the recorded test object description and creates a new object candidate list containing the objects (within the object’s parent object) that match all of the properties defined in the base filter property list.

2. From that list of objects, QuickTest filters out any object that does not match the first property listed in the Optional Filter Properties list. The remaining objects become the new object candidate list.

3. QuickTest evaluates the new object candidate list:
If the new object candidate list still has more than one object, QuickTest uses the new (smaller) object candidate list to repeat step 2 for the next optional filter property in the list.

If the new object candidate list is empty, QuickTest ignores this optional filter property, returns to the previous object candidate list, and repeats step 2 for the next optional filter property in the list.

If the object candidate list contains exactly one object, then QuickTest concludes that it has identified the object and performs the statement containing the object.

4. QuickTest continues the process described in steps 2 and 3 until it either identifies one object or runs out of optional filter properties to use.
If, after completing the Smart Identification elimination process, QuickTest still cannot identify the object, then QuickTest uses the recorded description plus the ordinal identifier to identify the object.

If the combined recorded description and ordinal identifier are not sufficient to identify the object, then QuickTest stops the test run and displays a Run Error message.

QuickTest Automation Object Model

You can use the QuickTest Professional Automation Object Model to write programs that automate your QuickTest operations. The QuickTest Automation Object Model provides objects, methods, and properties that enable you to control QuickTest from another application.The new QuickTest Professional Automation Object Model enables you to automate test management.

You can now control virtually every QuickTest feature and capability using the objects, methods and properties included in the QuickTest Professional Automation Object Model. Automation scripts make it easy to perform any QuickTest operation multiple times in multiple tests without having to open the QuickTest application, for example,

• You can write a script that modifies the test object description properties in the Object Identification dialog box and performs an update run on all tests in a specified file folder.
• After installing a new add-in, an automation script can associate this add-in to all relevant tests.
• You can write an automation script to run a selected batch of tests. For each test, you can retrieve the associated add-ins list. Then, if the necessary add-ins are not already loaded, you can close QuickTest, load the necessary add-ins, reopen QuickTest, and run the test.
• You can define your settings for a test in QuickTest, then click “Generate Script” in the Generate tab of the Test Settings dialog box to generate an automation script based on the current test settings. You can then apply those same settings automatically to multiple tests using the whole automation script or excerpts from the generated file.

Example:
You can create and run an automation program from Microsoft Visual Basic that loads the required add-ins for a test, starts QuickTest in visible or minimized mode, opens the test, configures settings that correspond to those in the Options, Test Settings, and Record and Run Settings dialog boxes, runs the test, and saves the test.
Creating automation programs:
The Properties tab of the Test Settings dialog box, the General tab of the Options dialog box, and the Object Identification dialog box each contain a “Generate Script” button. Clicking this button generates a automation script file (.vbs) containing the current settings from the corresponding dialog box.

You can run the generated script as is to open QuickTest with the exact configuration of the QuickTest application that generated the script, or you can copy and paste selected lines from the generated files into your own automation script.

Generating an automation script for QuickTest Professional options:
1. Go to Tools -> Options.
2. Select the General tab.
3. Click <Generate Script>.
4. Save the script to the desired location.
5. Click <OK> to close the Options dialog.

Generating an automation script for test settings:
1. Go to Test -> Settings.
2. Select the Properties tab.
3. Click <Generate Script>.
4. Save the script to the desired location.
5. Click <OK> to close the Test Settings dialog.

Generating an automation script for object identification settings:
1. Go to Tools -> Object Identification.
2. Click <Generate Script>.
3. Save the script to the desired location.
4. Click <OK> to close the Object Identification dialog.
The QuickTest Automation Object Model Reference file is a help file that provides detailed descriptions, syntax information, and examples for the objects, methods, and properties in the QuickTest Automation Object Model.