Test Automation with CodedUI
Do you need to automate both browser-based and window- based applications? Not sure which tool to use? I think one of the most overlooked tools for test automation is Microsoft CodedUI.
In this episode Marcel de Vries, author of the PluralSight Course Test Automation with CodedUI, will help you discover all the reasons why CodedUI might be the perfect tool for you to use in the creation of your automation awesomeness.
Marcel de Vries
Marcel spends most of his time helping organizations build Enterprise Applications and implementing Application Lifecycle Management (ALM) practices and tooling. Marcel works for a new startup company called Xpirit that provides premium consulting services on ALM, Cloud, enterprise mobility and Security. His job title there is Chief Technical Manager (CTO).
As CTO Marcel spends most of his time looking at how new emerging technologies can help organizations build better quality software and do this is a more productive way. Marcel has a passion for learning new technologies and teaching the things he learned on the way when applying technology to solve business problems. Marcel works as a consultant in the field of Application Lifecycle Management, Cloud application architectures and Cross platform Enterprise Mobile app development.
Marcel writes for websites and magazines like: MSDN, The Architecture journal and local magazines like SDN Magazine. Marcel is a frequent speaker at industry conferences like Microsoft TechDays, Visual Studio Live!, Microsoft Tech Ed and local user group events.
Marcel also spends a lot of time teaching topics like Visual Studio ALM, Windows Workflow Foundation, Xamarin Mobile app development and Web development.
In his spare time he is also an authors of online courses at Pluralsight. Marcel is awarded by Microsoft the Microsoft ALM MVP award and is also a Microsoft Regional Director.
Quotes & Insights from this Test Talk
- TestTalks is now sponsored by Sauce Labs! Sign up for a free trial at saucelabs.com
- CodedUI is Microsoft test technology for test automation for the window platform.
- You can automate WPF, Windows PresentationFoundation add-ins, Windows Forms application, Windows 32 applications. mobile applications and of course browser based automation in IE and Chrome and Firefox with Selenium plugin.
- CodedUI is an API that you can program against using Visual Studio and languages like Visual Basic and C#
- Currently you need Visual Studio Professional 2010 and above to use CodedUi
- Use the page object pattern to create reusable test automation objects
- Page object should be part of a developers definition of done
- Once you understand the CodedUI API it is really easy to use to create automated tests
- Try to avoid UI test as much as possible
- How to handle pesky managers that insist on created all automated test as UI tests only
- When writing your test code make sure to follow the same development principles like single responsibility.
- Andย much, much more!
Resources
Connect with Marcel
- Twitter: @marcelv
- Marcel's Blog: http://fluentbytes.com/
- Marcel's Company: http://xebialabs.com/products/xl-test/
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Loved this interview!
This is awesome post !! Thank you so much Joe…
This is great really appreciate the insights!
Another great podcast Joe! Keep up the good work.
This is awesome Joe..keep going. .
Well one month Subscription to PluralSight, Not a bad deal at all :-)
There is an interesting guide regarding : Using Coded UI to test XAML-based Windows Phone apps
http://blogs.msdn.com/b/visualstudioalm/archive/2014/04/05/using-coded-ui-to-test-xaml-based-windows-phone-apps.aspx
But it is not able to automate mobile web testing using Coded UI, Is there any future plan to support mobile web testing using Coded UI?
Thanks,
Keyu Ruan
Hi Keyu – thanks for the link! I will need to dbl check with Marcel to see if there is any future plans to support mobile web testing
Thank you Joe! This is great information! I happy to hear others saying that UI tests should be limited and to focus more at Unit and Service layer(api level)!
Hi Jeanetter – I agree we need to really get the message out that the less UI test we have as test engineers the better :)
Pesky managers that want all UI… Thought I was the only one who dealt with that.
I’d love to try pluralsight too
Awesome.
Joe and Marcel are doing honors in helping people learn.
Kudos to you guys!
This sounds like an interesting mix of proprietary tech mixed with open source. Nice to have a speaker admit the shortfalls (Record and playback) while giving “best” practices options.
I enjoyed the show. If there’s a better way to do test automation, I personally think it’s good to let the IT team for the various companies know at first hand.
Great interview. A lot of good automation info from both
Joe & Marcel.
Thanks for sharing the latests us. This helps us in career growth.
Hi. Good podcast. I am wondring. Can you use CodedUI to automate all types of Desktop apps, like ones written in VB.net?
Hi Jan if its windows based (not a java app( there is a good chance that it would work.
These types of discussions are great. I always learn something new when listening to them. Keep them coming!
Hey Joe,
Looking forward for a month of plural sight.
Thanks Jinesh – actually the 10 licenses have already been claimed.
Thanks for the valuable information on CodedUI
Thanks for sharing this post. I look forward to learning more about CodedUI at pluralsight.
Thanks Syed – actually the 10 licenses have already been claimed.
Thanks for the valuable information. I was under the impression that qtp/Uft is only capable of automating Web and windows based application…
Hi Ravi – I know, I think CodedUI is a great alternative to vendor tools that many people are not aware of.
Simply Great..Felt too good to learn something new !!!
Appreciate your efforts
Thanks Joe, I really enjoyed the podcast! I also recently watched your basics of API testing with HP UFT through my employer which I found a very good primer.
Keep up the good work!
Thanks Nicholas!
greart… very instructive.
Hi Joe,
Can I get a free Pluralsight unlimted one-month subscription?
Thanks in advance,
Dmitry
Sorry Dmitry – actually the 10 licenses have already been claimed.
This is the first time I listen to TestTalks podcast. (and also CodedUI from Microsoft)
I am going to check on the past episodes too. Great content Master Joe. ^ ^
Wow! the universe of automation testing is bigger than I thought.
good info
Very Nice introduction to coded UI.infact,I was looking for something to automate WPF appliations.Thanks again.
Thank you Marcel and Joe.
I think that the core concepts mentioned in this cast (as well as
previous casts), the automated test pyramid and page objects, should be as well incorporated into the QA narrative as SOLID is for software development.
I wish there could be some elaboration about the edge CodedUI might have over Selenium in the web domain (is such exists).
Keep up the good work!
I am interested in the free Pluralsight one-month subscriptions.
Hi Nusrat – actually the 10 licenses have already been claimed.