Efficient test automation for Windows applications

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Testing Windows Applications

In a software landscape where classic desktop applications continue to play a central role, QF-Test enables reliable, efficient and maintainable testing of Windows applications. Whether Win32, .NET (WinForms/WPF), UWP or modern C++/Qt applications – QF-Test automatically detects the underlying technology, controls the interface object-based via the Windows Automation API and delivers reproducible results in less time. With minimal setup effort and maximum stability in operation, QF-Test is your solution for professional GUI test automation under Windows.

Supported native Windows technologies

  • Classic Win32 applications
  • .NET applications (often developed in C#) based on Windows Presentation Foundation (WPF) or Windows Forms
  • Windows Apps / Universal Windows Platform (UWP) applications using XAML controls
  • Modern C++ applications (for example Qt applications)
Approach on GUI testing Windows applications

Our approach on GUI testing Windows applications

  • Testing Windows desktop applications works the way you are already used to with QF‑Test on Windows. You connect QF‑Test with your SUT and QF‑Test recognizes the technology used automatically.
  • QF-Test can control your applictaion via the Windows Automation API.
  • You can use all QF-Test functionalities – Capture, Replay, Checks, Scripting, Resolvers etc.

QF-Test Version 5.0 – Testing Windows applications

There are no changes to the familiar QF-Test workflow in testing Windows desktop applications and you can connect to your application using window titles.

Win32 GUI test automation

Win32 applications have already been existing since Window 95 – that’s why we use the expression „classic Win32 applications“. This technology was called Win32 c with „c“ for compatibility at the beginning. It is the 32-Bit-API for modern Windows applications

.NET GUI test automation

The often used languages C#, Visual Basic .NET, F# and C+++/CLI (Managed C++) are adapted to the .NET framework.

Windows Forms (WinForms) GUI Tests

Von den .NET Anwendungen (.NET Framework) unterstützt QF-Test u.a. das GUI-Framework Windows Forms, das ein GUI-Toolkit für die Erstellung graphischer Oberflächen für Windows Desktop Anwendungen ist. Es ist ein .NET wrapper über Windows User Interface Bibliotheken, wie User32 und GDI+.

Windows Presentation Foundation (WPF) GUI test automation

The second UI framework of .NET to build Windows desktop application that is supported by QF-Test is Windows Presentation Foundation (WPF), also know as „Avalon“. The windows system of Microsoft is based on this graphical framework. It has existed since Windows Vista. WPF uses the Extensible Application Markup Language (XAML) for providing a declarative model for programming. Windows Presentation Foundation apps based on a vector graphic architecture are scalable that’s why they don’t look pixelated on high DPI monitors.

Windows Apps UI test automation

Windows apps are all based on the programming interface Windows Runtime and were released with Windows 8. They are already optimized for touch screens, but their developing model is relatively rigid in comparison to its success.

Universal Windows Platform (UWP) GUI test automation

The successor is the Universal Platform (UWP) created with Windows 10, a runtime platform for a common apps platform. These apps not only run on desktop computers and notebooks, but also on other devices like tablets and smartphones (cross-device), since UWP is the central API on all Windows devices.

C++ UI test automation

Modern Windows applications are programmed with the language C++. Qt applications are an example of those and are created with the Qt library. It is a framework and UI toolkit for programming graphical user interfaces.

“The QF-Test Windows version offers a high quality like for Java Swing and Web as usual.”
Inan Bozkurt, QA Test Strategies Automatization and Tool,
Scheidt & Bachmann GmbH, Mönchengladbach, Germany
“With the new QF-Test version 5.0 we can now automate Windows applications in the well-known QF-Test environment as well. The integration of new projects was easy, uncomplicated and fast as usual. We have also made only good experiences with tests that use programs with different programming languages at the same time.”
Judith Völk, Quality assurance,
SHD Einzelhandelssoftware GmbH, Andernach

QF-Test in comparison

Compared to the competing product Tosca, QF-Test offers various advantages as a mature tool for test automation.

Interested in QF-Test?

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