What is LeanFT (Lean Functional Testing)?

LeanFT is the new functional testing tool set from HP. As the name suggests it’s the leaner functional testing tool, Why Leaner? Because it’s not built on the heavier UFT/QTP platform.

Basically, when you will install LeanFT in your machine, what you will get is the set of API’s (Application programming interface) just like selenium used for so many year’s. These set of API’s will help, you in writing the tests within Visual studio and eclipse.

How To Install LeanFT?

LeanFT will be part of UFT 12.5 and can be installed as a plugin

The Major benefits will be

• Better Error Handling
• Choose programming language of your choice(C# or Java)
• Create meaningful testing classes with Polymorphism, Inheritance and utilize other OOPS Concepts.
• Updated capabilities with each new .Net or java framework updates.
• Better memory management
• Integrate tests with Junit and NUnit, testNG or any other unit testing frameworks tests.
• Integration available with any Version control system.
• TDD or BDD framework integration
• Better integration with DevOps and Dev teams. Developers can now write small tests within Unit tests to check set of important functionalities.
• you can mix and match the calls between UFT and LeanFT, this will help in executing the already developed UFT scripts with LeanFT Scripts
• Better integration with Continuous integration tools like Jenkins.
• Better Integration with COM objects, not me createobject issues

 However grass is not all green, there are some draw backs of using LeanFT

• Web Services testing is not Part of LeanFT
• BPT integration is not available
• You cannot use record and playback(that’s obvious)
• Can only be used for Mobile, Windows, WEB, .Net, SeibelUI, WPF and Insight Image recognition.

Now, I have saved the best for the last, If you have ever developed programs in any of the languages like C#, then you will know, that only the IDE will cost you money, once the program is developed then, you can distribute as many copies you want. Basically, you don’t have to pay for the execution of the tests.

But with UFT/QTP, you not only have to use the IDE for the development of the tests, but for the execution of the tests also and this was very annoying because you cannot execute tests in 10 machines if you don’t have 10 free licenses. This is about to change with LeanFT.

First you don’t have to use UFT for the development of the tests and for executions LeanFT is having a runtime engine, which will enable you to distribute and execute UFT test scripts across different machines without the need of full UFT license or installation. I doubt, if this will work for the non-supported add-ins.

Object Recognition Center

One of the issues with using the selenium is that, we miss the ability to use the object spy. To resolve this issues LeanFT will install the tool right into the visual studio called object recognition center and will provide the same Object Spy capabilities like UFT.

Best of Both Worlds

If you are using LeanFT, that does not mean that you will have to forget the UFT functions, when you include the LeanFT namespaces/packages, then you will be able to retain some of the functions which are used in UFT.

Will LeanFT replace UFT?

No, it will not replace UFT, they both are addressing very different issues, UFT is used for writing tests cases which will fit into testing ecosystem, but LeanUFT will be used for creating tests which can easily fit into the Dev Ecosystem/Agile.

LeanFT is perfect for  

• If you are developer looking for automating something more than Unit tests.
• Testers testing the Windows, .Net, Mobile or SeibelUI apps.
• Test engineers working with Continuous Integration, Agile or DevOps teams. (Only if the supported add-ins is used).

Lastly, I want to discuss about a very important thing, as UFT developers, we were never able to explore possibilities of new testing techniques like testing with BDD or TDD. But because we are going to use the core programming languages, we can now use these concepts as the part of the automation testing.

I am excited, because the possibilities are endless – e.g., if you have all selenium tests and you want to include some of the windows based testing, which is not available in selenium, you can quickly include the LeanFT API’s to automate the windows based actions and then switch back to selenium.

Thanks,
Sumeet Singh Kushwah