News

Ranorex Studio Automates Testing Tasks

• By Michael Desmond
• September 16, 2008

Ranorex version 1.5 boasts an integrated test environment that includes a code editor, test script debugger, test script recorder, and SpyPro and WebSpy plug-ins for capturing application UI information.

The new version supports C#, VB.NET, Python and C++ programming languages, and lets developers test and capture feedback on the behavior of their apps. Ranorex Senior Developer Ronald Keele says the tool appeals to a broad segment of developers who have yet to deploy automated testing or can't afford the cost of solutions like HP TestDirector.

Keele says Quest Software Inc. uses it for testing internal accounting software, and for line-of-business apps. The company is considering it for its commercial product testing as well, says Keele, who notes that the product is popular with testing consultants. "Most of the consultants I talk with, their primary customers are corporate, internal, line-of-business applications," he says.

The included Recorder module lets testers build automated tests by conducting the required operations on screen. The Recorder facility captures the steps and then renders them in a variety of languages, including VB.NET, C#, Python and XML. From there, the code can be dropped into whatever tool is needed, Keele says.

Keele says one of the most requested new features in version 1.5 is validation, which allows developers to use a single line of code to validate that an element has a defined property or attribute. Ranorex 1.5 also supports Web development, exercising all user-facing aspects of a site to assess its behavior.

"Most tools on the market only focus on Windows applications or Web applications, but not both," Keele says.

Ranorex Roadmap
Jessy Cavazos, industry manager with research house Frost & Sullivan, says Ranorex 1.5 is an attractive option for dev shops that currently employ manual testing.

"Version 1.5 is fairly significant because it offers developers a fully integrated development environment. Users don't have to have their own tool to write code," Cavazos says. "They perform a small installation and they're ready to go. In the past, they had to have something like VisualStudio, some sort of developing environment they could write code in."

Ranorex is already talking about the forthcoming 2.0 version of its automated test suite, expected at the end of 2008 or early 2009. Ranorex 2.0 will integrate support for the .NET-based IronPython programming language and add an automation designer for visually building test projects. It will also fully integrate the WebSpy and SpyPro modules, which today run as standalone applets.

Ranorex is available in two versions. Ranorex Premium is the complete suite and Ranorex Professional lacks the integrated Recorder and Web-testing features. Both are available for purchase and download at ranorex.com.