Query API for Testing of Dynamic Scenarios
The testing of some scenarios cannot be automated by the regular approach that is based on components.
Like most applications, the Web applications that SAP delivers display their content in Microsoft Internet Explorer as HTML pages. The HTML content can be very complex and dynamic. It is generated on the server by the presentation layer, which can differ depending on the UI technology used to develop the application.
Main UI technologies at SAP
WebCUIF
Layer that generates the HTML content for SAP CRM Web UI applications.
Unified Rendering Light Speed (LS)
Layer that generates the HTML content for SAP Applications such as:
Web Dynpro Application (ABAP)
Web Dynpro Applications (Java – recent versions)
Web GUI – SAP GUI content displayed in MS Internet Explorer
BSP
Applications based on Business Server Pages.
Java Web Dynpro
Layer formerly used by Java Web Dynpro applications.
Non-SAP UI technologies
Plain HTML pages (supported in CBTA)
Content generated with regular HTML tags (with no, or few, scripting capabilities).
Adobe Flash (not supported in CBTA)
Layer used by Adobe Flash applications, and generated using the Adobe Flex software development kit.
Java Applets (not supported in CBTA)
Application written in Java. Java applets can appear in a frame of the Web page, or in a new application window.
Each UI technology has its own logic and generates HTML content that can be completely different from others. This is challenging for test automation, and can require custom functions. In custom functions, the test engineer can search the HTML content displayed by the application for UI element, using native COM interfaces (from Microsoft) that the MS Internet Explorer object exposes. However, this approach is complex and error-prone. The alternative to the native COM interfaces is using queries via an API.