What is Capture and Replay?

Capture and Replay – record and automate test procedures

Many applications today are too comprehensive to be tested manually with reasonable effort. Capture and Replay tools automate test procedures by interacting with the graphical user interface of the application under test. A Capture and Replay tool is a type of test execution tool that records entries during a manual test with the goal of creating automated test scripts that can then be used repeatedly. Capture and Replay – sometimes referred to as Capture and Playback – is often used to support automated regression testing.

The Capture and Replay procedure

Capture and Replay defines four essential steps:

• Capture mode records user interactions with user interface elements. Capture and Replay is a script that documents both the test process and the test parameters.
• The scripts, which are usually defined and editable in XML formats, can be used to describe simple test scenarios or complex test suites.
• During test evaluation, it must be verified whether previously defined events occur or errors occur. Output formats, database contents or GUI states are checked and the results documented accordingly.
• Test scenarios can be easily reproduced by repeatedly replaying (mode) the previously recorded scripts. Individual elements of the user interface are also recognised if their position or shape has changed. This works because the user input in capture mode, for example, not only saves the behavior of the mouse pointer, but also records the corresponding object ID at the same time.

Capture and Replay were developed to test the applications against graphical user interfaces. With a capture and replay tool, an application can be tested in which an interactive session can be repeated any number of times without human intervention. This saves time and effort while providing valuable insights for further application development.

Notes:

Here you will find an overview of tools for test automation.

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