From fairytale worlds to reality: getting started with SAP GUI test automation with TTA Cloud

TTA Cloud now enables test automation for desktop applications such as SAP GUI. Yes, we know: SAP’s front-end strategy is clearly Fiori, but the reality is often different and the SAP GUI is still in active use. Now we have reached a milestone that many of us have been looking forward to: Without drifting into fantasy, much like the world of Hayao Miyazaki, I can understand the anticipation for this update and am pleased to be able to announce it. I have tested the new functions for you, created the first test case and am here to share my experiences with you.

In this blog I would like to inform you about the latest features of TTA Cloud, including the automation of the SAP GUI, and, as last time, give you a few helpful tips.

What’s new?

User interface

Let me first discuss the changes to the tool’s user interface. You will notice that Tricentis has replaced the command line interface with a much more user-friendly interface. It now looks as follows:

Reusable test steps

Another great new feature is the reusable test steps (see below for a tip on reusing modules). This function simplifies the process of reusing modules and makes test automation even more efficient.

The documentation contains clear instructions on how to easily create the reusable test steps.

One useful point that should be mentioned here is the reusable modules. Make sure that you make the necessary changes to the identification value.

To give you an example. Suppose you have scanned the “Title” field in a user story in SAP Cloud ALM and want to reuse this module for features because it has the same HTML element. When reusing the module, it is important to change the identification value accordingly. Those of you who know Tosca can simply put an asterisk under Identification Value where the tab title is identified as “User Story”. However, this does not work with TTA Cloud. The REGEX command is required here (for this example: {REGEX[Benutzergeschichte|Aufgaben]}). Those of you who have no experience with reusing modules: The reason why it does not work in TTA Cloud is that the name of the tab changes when the system searches for the “User Story” tab in our example.

There it is, the “Windows application”

Yes, there it is, the “Windows application”. As soon as you start scanning, you have the option of scanning a Windows application or a web browser. Please note that although applications other than SAP GUI can be scanned, the modules do not work. To be able to use these modules, you would have to change your subscription. If you have any questions, just get in touch with us.

SAP GUI – no prior configuration required!

Now we come to the highlight: SAP GUI Automation. My experience has been positive: the process is simple and intuitive. For me, the coolest feature here is that, unlike Tosca, you don’t need any prior configuration to get started, which saves time. A real kick-start into the world of test automation! This aspect is particularly interesting for those who – like me – prefer simplicity when it comes to technical tools. Another good feature is the ready-to-use standard modules, which can be found in the left-hand menu.

The SAP modules are designed to be user-friendly. I had more problems installing the SAP GUI on my virtual machine than getting the automation to work. (See the note below) 🤣. Everything I have had to scan has gone without a hitch so far. That’s why I didn’t need the “Scan by image” function, which is actually a function that I really like and have grown fond of.

Note for those who have just installed SAP GUI: For my first test I had to install SAP GUI. On the first run, I got the following error message in TTA Cloud ” Retrieving the COM class factory for component with CLSID {632F45 …. REGDB _E_CLASSNOTREG)).” Although I did not get the error in SAP GUI when I repeated the steps manually, I got it with TTA Cloud. Please follow this documentation to solve the problem.

Tricentis offers comprehensive documentation on the use of the SAP modules. As you can see in the image above, there are enough modules to get started quickly with an initial test…without having to scan anything at all. To give you a first impression, I have made some screenshots and an example of some of the modules below. (Video below)

SAP logon module. Very simple. To get the link path, right-click on the SAP logon icon on your desktop and select “Copy path”. If you want to log in with a user ID and password, leave the “Bypass SSO” option set to False, which is the default.

SAP registration. In the example below, I skipped the language and the client because I only had one client and did not want to change the language so that the system would use the default settings.

SAP Toolbar. As you can see below, these settings contain all the toolbar options. I only used the command “Transaction” and “Enter”.

Video: TTA Cloud and SAP GUI

In my initial experience, this update of TTA Cloud is proving to be a game changer for customers who are still working with the SAP GUI. TTA Cloud is intuitive and simple and improves the efficiency of test automation. I will continue to look into these functions and look forward to providing further insights and tips. To get an insight into future developments, I recommend you take a look at the SAP roadmap – a good source for planned new functions…even if a feature slips back a little.