Each step in a visual test performs a specific action, whether executing an action against a control in a test application, evaluating complex conditions, or simply book-marking a place in the visual test. The Steps column of the Test Steps pane describes the action that the corresponding step performs.
General test steps are test steps that do not perform an action against a control in a test application. The general test step types that are available for visual tests are shown in the following table:
| Beginning Step Text | Description |
|---|---|
| <<Start>> and <<End>> | The first and last steps of any visual test. The properties of any passed in variable to be used in the visual test are displayed in the <<Start>>step properties. |
| Verify | Validates the condition stated in the Condition property for the step. |
| If / Else / Else If / End If |
Performs decision logic that evaluates a user-defined condition, and then runs a sequence of test steps depending on the return value of the condition. When an If test step is inserted into a visual test, the corresponding End If test step is also inserted. |
| Playback visual test | Plays back the named visual test using the Playback settings property associated with the step. |
| Playback .NET Script | Plays back the named script using the Playback settings property associated with the step. |
| Run program | Starts an external program based on Command property settings for the step. |
| Expression | Executes and evaluates an expression in a formula and sets its result to a variable. |
| Result Comment | Creates the specified comment and sends it to the result when the visual test is played back. Comments can be either text, the value of an expression, an ActiveData file, or the result of an expression, and display in the Command Details column of the test Results Details tab. |
| Label [label name] |
Sets a step as a label. The text of the step is the name of the label as set in the step's Label property. Use labels to bookmark specific areas or steps in a test to control test flow and playback. |
| On Error | Executes error handling. The Action to Take property for the step determines how the test behaves if an error occurs while the error handling is in effect. The Asset property for the step can be used to playback another test if an error occurs while the error handling is in effect. |
| Message box | Displays a message box to the tester during playback. Message box content is determined by the property values set for the step. |
| Set Playback Setting | Changes a playback setting from the run environment to a specific value. The value is set in the Playback Setting property for the test step. The value is only in effect for the visual test playback or until it is reset. |
| Get Playback Setting | Retrieves a playback setting from the run environment and allows the setting to be set to a variable. |
| Get the "" property of the control | Inserts an empty step that can be used to capture a property from control in the test application and set the property to a variable. In the Properties pane, use the Identify buttons to capture the control and select a specific property of the control. |
| Go to label | Jumps to the specified label step for playback. |
| Wait for | Monitors for the existence or disappearance of a control. The control to monitor can be represented as a literal, variable, expression, or ActiveData. The Timeout property determines the wait duration. |
| Stop | Completely halts playback. Stop is normally used in conditional logic, such as "If" steps. |
| Delay for | Pauses playback for the duration specified by the Delay Amount property for the step. The Delay Type property for the step determines whether the duration amount is seconds or milliseconds. |
| Start timer number |
Creates a timer and starts it. Use timers to learn how long it takes to playback all or part of a visual test. Multiple timers can be used throughout a visual test. |
| Stop timer number |
Stops the timer specified by the Timer Number property for the step. Use timers to learn how long it takes to playback all or part of a visual test. Multiple timers can be used throughout a visual test. |
| Resume Timer | Resumes the stopped timer named by the Timer Number property for the step. |
| Get eCATT argument |
Retrieves an argument value from an SAP eCATT argument container. The value is passed from an eCATT script to the visual test. The step connects a variable to a predefined import argument that is passed from a SAP eCATT script. An eCATT argument value can be retrieved when SAP eCATT is installed on a computer that has Silk Test Workbench installed. |
| Set eCATT argument |
Sets an argument value to pass to an SAP eCATT script. The step connects a variable to a predefined export argument that can be passed to an SAP eCATT script. An eCATT argument value can be set when SAP eCATT is installed on a computer that has Silk Test Workbench installed. |
| Save values immediately to ActiveData file | Saves any associated data that has been updated for the specified ActiveData asset when the step executes. |
| Do not save values to ActiveData file | Prevents any data that has been updated from the specified ActiveData file to be saved back to the file up to the point the step executes. If a Save values immediately to ActiveData file step is executed after this step for the same ActiveData file, and data for the file that has been updated since this step executes will be saved back to the file. |
| Set global variable | Defines a global variable by naming it and initializing its value. |
| Get contents of global variable | Retrieves the value of a global variable and sets it to a local variable for use in a visual test. |