Flex support

IBM Rational Functional Tester supports testing functional aspects of Adobe® Flex applications. You can record and playback scripts against Flex-based user interfaces inside a Web browser and verify that the application functions correctly.

Rational Functional Tester supports testing Flex applications that are built using Flex SDK 2.0.1 or 3.0.

The testing process is based on the tasks that Flex developers and testers perform. The process for automating functional tests of Flex applications differs, depending on the way developers create the application under test.

Automated testing of Flex applications requires you to load supporting files. These supporting files can be loaded in two different stages:

Prerequisites

To test Flex applications, verify that the following software is installed:

Development environment
  • Adobe Flex SDK 2.0.1 or 3.0 and Adobe Flex automation framework
  • Adobe Flex Builder
Test environment
  • IBM® Rational Functional Tester
  • One of the following browsers:
    • Mozilla Firefox 1.5 or 2.0
    • Microsoft Internet Explorer 6.0 or 7.0
  • Adobe Flash Player ActiveX control version 9.0.28.0 or later

Assumptions

These topics include the following assumptions regarding the testing of Flex applications:
  • Testers are not skilled in developing Flex applications.
  • Testers cannot access Flex source code, the Flex compiler, or Flex documentation.
  • Flex developers do not know how to use Rational Functional Tester.

The following diagram shows the typical flow of testing Flex applications:

Testing Flex applications flow chart

Testing Flex applications

The tasks that you perform in testing Flex applications depend on the application and whether you are a developer or a tester.

You can test applications that are enabled for Rational Functional Tester or test applications that are not enabled for Rational Functional Tester.

Testing Functional Tester enabled Flex applications

Developers can enable the Flex applications for testing by compiling the Flex application with Rational Functional Tester agent (rft.swc for Flex 2.0, rftFlex3.0.swc and rftProp_Flex3.0.swc for Flex 3.0) and Flex automation framework libraries. After compilation, the developer must create an HTML wrapper that embeds the enabled Flex application and provide the application on a Web server or on a local test computer for testing.

Advantages and limitations of testing Functional Tester enabled Flex applications

Three advantages encourage enabling Flex applications for functional testing:
  • Efficiency: Multiple enabled Flex applications can be embedded in a single HTML page and can be tested simultaneously.
  • Ease: Testing is simplified when different Flex applications communicate with each other. All the related enabled Flex applications can be embedded in a single page and can be tested based on a single scenario.
  • Location: Enabled Flex applications can be tested locally.

One limitation in testing enabled Flex applications is that only the developer can enable the Flex application for testing.

Testing nonenabled Flex applications

Developers can enable the runtime loader component for Flex applications and deploy the application on a Web server for testing.

Advantages and limitations of testing non-enabled Flex applications

Testers have one major advantage in testing Flex applications that are not enabled for functional testing: Ease. Testers benefit because many technical complexities are hidden.

Review the following limitations regarding nonenabled Flex applications:
  • Deployment option: The Flex application can be deployed in a test or production environment.
  • Efficiency: Only one Flex application can be tested at a time.
  • Location: The runtime loader cannot be run locally; you must deploy the runtime loader to a Web server.

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