Scan web and desktop applications

Your application has various controls, which are elements that Tosca Cloud interacts with when you run your tests. To make this possible, you must first scan your application. This gets the necessary technical data into Tosca Cloud.

This topic explains how to scan with Tosca XScan.

Before you start

To scan your application, it must be open on your machine. This is also true for elements such as confirmation or pop-up dialogs, and child menus or tab bars. So, make sure they're open before you start the scan. The only exception to this rule are PDF documents.

Be careful about duplicate windows that might cause issues with your controls. For example, in Salesforce Lightning Experience, you can have more than one editor open at the same time: the Inline edit and the New/Edit layout. To make sure that controls are unique and stable, we recommend that you have only one editor open when you scan.

Start the scan

To start the scan, follow these steps:

  1. Open the test case building area by selecting Create test case in the menu bar on the left.

  2. Select Modules and then + Create module.

  3. Select Web application or Desktop application from the dropdown menu.

  1. This opens the Select Application window, where you choose the application you want to scan. 

    • To create modules for UIA tests, right-click your application's tile and select UIA from the context menu.

    • To create modules for Windows UI API tests, right-click your application's tile and select WinX from the context menu.

    • To remove an application from future scans, right-click your application's tile and select Ignore Application from the context menu. This adds your application to the Ignore list, which you can manage from the settings menu.

Scan web browsers

To scan a web browser, install the Tricentis Automation Extension to your browser. The Tricentis Automation Extension allows Tosca Cloud to read webpage elements during scanning and interact with them during execution. If you don't have the extension, Tosca XScan directs you to install it when you select to scan a browser.

After you install the extension, you can lock the disappearing elements in place on the web page that you want Tosca XScan to read. To do so, take the following steps:

  1. Select the disappearing element in your web page to make it appear.

  2. Left-click on your web page and select Freeze Page.

  3. When you get your scan results, select Unfreeze page to return to regular operation.

To start Tosca XScan, go to Inventory > Modules and select Scan Application. Then, select the application you want to scan.

Alternatively, you can start the scan directly in a test case:

  • Select next to Modules or > Scan application in the test case editor.

  • Choose the applicable scan option from the dropdown menu: Web browser Tosca XScan or Windows application Tosca XScan.

  • Select the application you want to scan.

Choose your controls

To add controls to your module, follow these steps:

  1. Modify your view, if necessary. By default, you're in the Advanced View of Tosca XScan. You can choose from the following options: 

    • Move the Filtered items slider to change the degree of detail. For example, if you don't see a control on the list that you should be seeing.

    • Switch to Basic View or Condensed View, if you'd like a smaller scan window. Please note that you have fewer options in these views.

  2. Select the controls that you want to add to your module:

    • In Advanced View, select the respective checkboxes in the scan window. Alternatively, you can use the Advanced View's ribbon menu to switch to Select on screen, which allows you to pick controls by selecting them in your application.

    • In Basic or Condensed View, select controls in your application to add them to the module.

  3. By default, Tosca Cloud identifies controls by their technical properties in the code. To learn about important considerations, tips, and tricks, check out Identify controls by properties.

  4. If properties don't make a control uniquely identifiable, Tosca Cloud gives a warning. Use the additional options in Basic or Advanced View to fine-tune your identification:

    • Let Tosca Cloud figure out a good combination of properties to make the control uniquely identifiable. Or manually select a combination.

    • Change property values to make a control's identification more stable.

    If you can't make properties work for a control, choose a different identification method: index, images, or anchors.

  5. Once you've selected all controls you want to add to the module, select Finish screen. This saves the module to your workspace.

  6. To start a new module, go to the next page in your application and select Start Scan. Then repeat this process.

And when you have all the modules you need, close the scan.

Edit, delete, or rescan modules

You can always adapt your modules or delete them altogether. For detailed information, check out Edit, delete, or rescan modules.

What's next

Now that you have your modules, you can start creating your tests. Check out the test cases section to learn about creating test cases for various applications.