What's new in Release 6.1

 

Locator-Free Element Identification

Release 6.1 brings comprehensive support for Locator-free element identification for the web applications. Two Locator options for Elements are now consistently supported across all workflows within ACCELQ.

• Locator-free
• Smart-Locators (traditional attribute-based approach)

ACCELQ's advanced AI-based approach to Element identification eliminates Locators in most cases, while still supporting smart Locators for exceptional situations where required.

ACCELQ Recorder intelligently defaults to one of the two options based on the element being interacted with, providing a powerful tool for optimizing element-related change management and reducing overhead.

The Locator-free approach is very robust and effectively handles false positives, enabling confident utilization for verification and synchronization requirements in addition to the interaction-related commands.

Please note that Conventional Smart Locators in ACCELQ still utilize our proprietary AI-based algorithms to detect the optimal combination of element attributes for accurate identification.

The default behavior for Element ID can be configured from Resources > Project Preferences.

PDF Recorder

PDF testing capability now extends to complex verifications, form filling, table operations, etc using the all-new PDF Recorder capability. Here is the full article.

Recorder Full-Screen Mode

You can now open the Recorder in full-screen mode, providing a more elegant way to work with large and busy application screens. To do this, simply press the letter "z" in the Logic Editor (when not editing any statement). This innovative approach, which utilizes overlapped windows, maximizes the workspace for both the Editor and the Recorder. To return the Recorder to its normal size, press Esc.

Element Toolbar at Statement Level

In the Logic Editor, you can now click on an Element name in a statement and open an inline toolbar. This opens up action items relevant to the Element. 

• Open/Edit Element
• Change Element Selection
• Convert to Locator-free Element

Note: Currently, the Element toolbar is supported only for Smart-Locator elements.

Ability to convert a Smart-Locator to a Locator-Free element

Locator-free elements bring enhanced AI capabilities to identify elements simply with readable English specifications. There is no need to manage elements in the Repository or to manage their associated Views.

You may convert an existing Smart-locator element to a Locator-free from the Element toolbar. The step-by-step guided process takes you through the conversion as well as the validation of the conversion.

 

Enhanced Project Merge Performance

In this release, Project Merge has undergone a significant revamp, with a primary focus on enhancing overall performance. These improvements result in substantial reductions in processing time across various use cases, with notable speed gains ranging from 5x to 10x. Furthermore, the updated architecture establishes a robust foundation for forthcoming enhancements, including advanced Project branching capabilities. These changes reflect our commitment to evolving Project Merge, ensuring a seamless and efficient experience for all users.

Project Merge based on Role

A new privilege has been added to the User Role definition, to control whether a user can perform Project Merge or not., A Project Admin can assign any user in the Project a role that permits Project Merge. This eliminates the need to wait for the Tenant Admin to initiate the Project merge operation. Regardless of the assigned Role, a Project Admin will always have the ability to pull changes to their Project.

You can initiate a Project merge from two places:

1. The Project Info sidebar within the application, provided the user's role allows for Project Merge.
2. The Project Admin portal, under General Information > Branching Information.

Here is the updated article about Project Merge.

Unified Help Center Search

Searching in the Help Center now provides results across the Knowledge Base, Command Listings, and Learning Videos. This enhancement allows for quick access to available Action logic commands, grouped functionally by the associated Library. You may click the Library name directly to bring the help page for all related commands in one place.

User Extensions in Tenant Pool

In Release 6.1, ACCELQ has introduced significant enhancements to the management of User Extensions to provide you with an even more seamless and efficient experience. The following changes have been implemented:

Tenant Pool: Centralized Extension Management

With the introduction of the Tenant Pool, all imported Extensions are now conveniently stored at the Tenant level. This means that any Project within your Tenant can access and utilize these Extensions without the need for duplication. This central repository simplifies Extension sharing, streamlines updates, and reduces administrative overhead.

Improved User Interface (UI) and User Experience (UX)

ACCELQ has thoroughly revamped the front-end UI and UX for the Extension listing, to enhance usability and productivity. The new design includes the following capabilities:

• Command Help Review: Easily review Command help for all Commands within a given Extension. This feature allows you to quickly access relevant information and understand Command functionalities better.
• Extension References: Identify all references to a specific Extension across your Project. This capability helps you understand how the Extension is being utilized and its impact on various components.
• Project Subscriptions: Now, you can effortlessly check which Projects have subscribed to an Extension imported by your Project. This visibility ensures better collaboration and streamlined Extension sharing among teams.

 

Inline Element Troubleshooting

In ACCELQ, while working with Locator-free Elements, we've introduced support for inline Element troubleshooting. As you playback an Action or a Scenario, if there are any issues with element identification, you'll be prompted to address them. ACCELQ provides tools to update the locator strategy with real-time feedback as you make changes.

Once confirmed, the logic/statement is automatically updated with the new label information, and the test seamlessly continues from where it paused. This enhancement streamlines the process, allowing you to address all element identification issues in one go, without the need for iterative update-rerun cycles.

Resources Display Re-engineering

The Resources grid display is re-engineered to streamline access and allow future extensions for additional features and settings. A new item is added under the Resources for setting Project Preferences. This section includes the ability to set the default Locator preference when writing logic in Action Editor, or when recording from the Recorder/View.

Playback toolbar for Ease of Management

Playback toolbar in the Console log area now allows easy access to all important features of Playback, and related settings. You can also conveniently review the current Playback request queue, and abort the execution if necessary.

Ability to turn on/off passcode for external report access

In the security settings, the Tenant Admin can now enable or disable the passcode for accessing test reports shared externally. The existing feature always mandated a passcode requirement for external report access. This control can now be managed by the Tenant Admin.

Under Tenant Admin: Security & Authentication > Other Settings

It is important to note that external reports have limited cross-functional navigation capabilities and do not allow access to your test assets until logged in with your ACCELQ user id.

Working with multiple mobile devices in a single Scenario

Release 6.1 brings the capability to automate test cases that involve multiple mobile devices within a single test case flow. Examples include testing workflows that require multiple roles logging in from various devices to complete a transaction or capturing interactions between multiple users in a chatting application simultaneously.

Each device in the flow operates independently, and you have the flexibility to choose different devices or operating systems for each of them. You may also switch back and forth between these devices during the flow.

Here is more about this feature.

Revamped JSON automation libraries

JSON automation library is thoroughly revamped to bring powerful new automation capabilities and options. All the commands now consistently accept 4 different sources of JSON inputs.

• Direct JSON content
• File path (relative or absolute) on the Agent system
• Response from the most recent REST call
• Response from a given REST call

Here is the detailed help article.

Self-Managed Action Destination Context

When working in Scenario Designer, the Destination Context is now automatically kept up to date as you progress with Scenario development. There is no need to manually set or manage this property.

Relaxed Action-calling restrictions

An Action can now call any other Action within the Project. Suggested Actions are listed at the top; however, you are free to call any Action without worrying about matching the Origin/Destination. This capability allows you to build Actions that can potentially cross application page boundaries and represent a mini-reusable flow of steps.

"Unspecified" Option Removed from Action Destination List

When creating a new Action or modifying its Applicability, the "unspecified" option for setting the Destination Context has been eliminated. If any existing Actions in your current Projects previously used this value, it has been automatically replaced with a list of all Contexts that are relevant for the Scenarios within the Project.

Support for the index in Locator-Free label

If there are multiple instances of matching Label and anchor text, you can choose a specific instance of the matching elements using an index. This can be passed with a "#" separator in the label. For example, "First Name#2" looks for the second available "First Name" field on the screen. You may pass negative values to match the index from the bottom of the page.

Container Element support for Mobile

Release 6.1 supports Container-based elements for Mobile applications. You can identify elements based on a container which can be targeted based on its index, textual content, or existence of a child element. Simply type 'mobile container' in the logic editor for relevant commands.

New Filters in Action Grid

New filters are added in the Action grid to filter and display Live and Cross-Project Actions. For Cross-Project Actions, you can also filter by the Owner Project Name.

Custom URL Protocol for Agent Command Center

You can easily access the Agent Command Center by typing acc:\\ directly into the Chrome browser. No need to search for it in the Windows Start menu or the installed program list on Mac anymore.

Revamp of Element Repository and Parameters sidebar

Action Logic editor's sidebar for Element Repository and Parameters is thoroughly revamped for a consistent look & feel and enhanced usability.

Integration with Spira Test

Release 6.1 brings integration with Spira Test for both Requirements and Defects traceability. Here is an article with complete details.

Scenario Draft Indication and Filter

In the Scenario grid, a Scenario in the draft-edit state in the Design Studio is marked with an orange asterisk. These are the Scenarios that are currently in the edit state in the Design Studio and have not yet been finalized. You can also apply a filter in the Scenario grid to display only the Scenarios in the draft state.

Destination Context in Action Creation is Optional

When creating an Action, Destination Context is now optional. If left unassigned, the system will assign appropriate value and keep up with changes as you build Scenarios. Accordingly, "Unspecified" is not a user-selectable value for Destination Context now.

Honoring Environment selection from Subscriber Project for Global Properties in Published Actions

Global Properties used in the published Actions now resolve the value based on the Application Environment used in the subscriber project for a specific test execution. In the earlier versions, only the default value was always used. With this enhancement, the subscriber can indicate which Environment data to pick while running a subscribed Action.

If there is no matching environment in the published Project for the environment passed by the subscribing Project, then the default value is used for the Global property.

Note that the Global property is still used as defined in the Published Project, and not consumed from the Subscriber Project even if there is a matching one available. 

Other Changes

• Display of a subscribed Action (which is published by an external Project) is improved to clearly convey important information about the Action.
• Exporting various entities from the Navigator grid now includes the column for "tags".
• System-defined Initialization Actions for Browser Invoke and Mobile app Invoke are now visible in the Actions grid as you start using them. You may rename these Actions, or change the parameter names as suitable for your environment.
• Significant performance improvements in Job kick-off time with new incremental compilation in the backend.
• Universe rendering and styling are refreshed to get consistent with the application's look & feel.
• Excel command library consistently supports xlsm files now!
• Web Accessibility validation updated to the latest standards as per WCAG 2.1 AA.
• New commands introduced in the Action logic editor related to the handling of Browser Alerts.
• Real-time Sync between the real and virtual devices lists from Sause labs