How to Avoid Synchronization Issues in UFT?

Hari Mahesh

Unified Functional Testing(UFT), previously known as Quick Test Professional(QTP), is a widely used test automation tool. UFT supports automating the testing process for various software applications and environments.

Synchronization in UFT ensures that the UFT test script and application under test (AUT) are in sync during test execution. So, the synchronization issues happen when there is a timing mismatch between these two. Usually, the test script runs at a consistent speed, but the application may respond with variable speed based on the network latency, server response time, dynamic content loading, etc.,

Let’s go through the root cause of synchronization issues and how to avoid them.

Root Cause for Synchronization Issues

• Slow Loading of Web Elements: Web applications often load elements asynchronously. If UFT tries to interact with an element that hasn’t fully loaded, it leads to errors. For instance, a script might try to click a button that is not yet clickable because it’s being loaded dynamically via AJAX.

  // Assuming Browser and Page are already defined
  Browser("B").Page("P").WebButton("Submit").Click
  
  //If the "Submit" button is not loaded, the script will fail.

• Dynamic Content Changes: Modern web apps frequently update content dynamically without full-page refreshes. UFT might interact with an element based on its initial state, which could change dynamically.

  // Assuming Browser and Page are already defined
  Set myElement = Browser("B").Page("P").WebElement("DynamicContent")
  myElement.Click
  
  // If "DynamicContent" changes after the script identifies it, the click action might fail.

• Client-Server Communication Delays: In client-server applications, there might be a delay in fetching data from the server. If the UFT script executes an action before processing the server response, it can lead to synchronization issues.

  // Assuming Browser and Page are already defined
  Browser("B").Page("P").WebEdit("Username").Set "user1"
  Browser("B").Page("P").WebEdit("Password").Set "pass1"
  Browser("B").Page("P").WebButton("Login").Click
  
  // If the server takes time to authenticate and the next step in the script is executed, it may cause errors.

• Variations in Application Performance: The application’s performance can vary due to multiple factors like server load, network issues, etc. This can result in elements being available during different test runs at different times.

  // Assuming Browser and Page are already defined
  Browser("B").Page("P").WebButton("LoadData").Click
  
  // The time taken for "LoadData" to fetch and display data can vary, causing the script to proceed before data is displayed.

• Resource-Intensive Operations: Operations like file uploads, downloads, or processing large amounts of data can take varying amounts of time, during which the UI might not be responsive.

  // Assuming Browser and Page are already defined
  Browser("B").Page("P").WebFile("FileUpload").Set "C:\largefile.zip"
  
  // If the file is large, the time taken to upload can lead to a delay in the UI, causing the script to fail if it moves to the next step too quickly.

Avoiding Synchronization Issues in UFT

• Using WaitProperty Method: This method is useful for waiting until a specific property of an object reaches a certain value. It’s more efficient than a static wait because it proceeds as soon as the condition is met, reducing unnecessary delays.

  // Assuming Browser and Page are already defined
  Browser("B").Page("P").WebEdit("Username").WaitProperty "visible", True, 10000
  
  // Waits up to 10 seconds for the "Username" field to become visible before proceeding.

• Implementing Sync Method for Web Pages: The Sync method is designed for web environments, ensuring the page has completed loading all its elements before proceeding with the next steps.

  Browser("B").Page("P").Sync
  
  // This will wait for the page to load completely, ensuring all elements are available for interaction.

• Utilizing Exist Method: This method checks if an object exists within a specified timeout period. It’s particularly useful when you’re not sure if an element will be present in the application’s interface.

  If Browser("B").Page("P").WebElement("OptionalElement").Exist(5) Then
    // Perform actions on the element
  End If
  
  // Checks for the existence of "OptionalElement" within 5 seconds before proceeding.

• Employing Conditional Loops: Using conditional loops with a timeout condition allows for more complex synchronization, especially when waiting for specific events or states that are not directly tied to object properties.

  Dim startTime, currentTime
  startTime = Timer
  
  Do
    currentTime = Timer
    If Browser("B").Page("P").WebElement("DynamicContent").GetROProperty("innertext") = "Expected Value" Then Exit Do
  Loop While currentTime - startTime < 10
  ' Waits up to 10 seconds for the dynamic content to change to "Expected Value".

• Setting Global Timeout Values: UFT allows you to set global timeout values that apply to all steps. This can be a quick way to ensure that UFT waits sufficiently long for objects to become available or for operations to complete.

  Setting("DefaultTimeout") = 10000
  ' Sets a default timeout of 10 seconds for all steps in the script.

Smart Ways to Avoid Synchronization Errors

UFT is one of the legacy tools in the case of automation. As time progressed, the coverage UFT provided increased, including web and desktop automation support, but it failed to become more intelligent. UFT still depends on programming languages for scripting, which causes massive maintenance effort. The tester should also be prominent in scripting languages. Otherwise, the test script may not be optimized and can fail or take longer to execute.

So, considering the current market trend where the customers require frequent updates, spending more time on maintenance efforts is impossible when companies focus on creating new scripts quickly. Here, the tools like UFT fail miserably.

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