Testing D2009 application with Test Complete 7.0

Question

We are trying to use Test Complete 7 to test an application compiled in Delphi 2009 (recently ported from D2006). In theory this should be really easy - you compile your app with debug information, then user a stripper utility to strip the debug info out into a separate *.tds file. TC should then have access to all the properties and methods it needs. In practice we are finding that: a) it can be quite hard to get many properties and methods to appear at all b) if they do appear and they have parameters/indices then the indicated parameter/index list may bear no relation to the actual list in our code c) methods and properties that appear to be shipshape do not work/return anything other than complete rubbish.

Does anyone else have any experience of this scenario, did you experience any problems, and if you were able to solve them, what did you do?

Automated QA are looking into this problem for us, but we don't seem to be making much headway, and it is looking like the only way they will solve this is if we send them the source for our application which is something we are reluctant to do for various reasons ranging from practical to legal.

btw, on a small test app, we do not experience the same problems.

Answer 1

If the problem does not appear in a small test application, you could do a 'binary search':

Add more units (and calls to methods in these units) of the big app to the test application, and check if the problem appears.

If yes, remove some units until the problem goes away.

If no, add more units and test again until the problem appears.

After some iterations, you should find units/operations which cause the problem.

Answer 2

Just suggestions:

In your big project, are you using anything that might alter or otherwise 'invalidate' the debug info? Madexcept perhaps (doesn't Madexcept bundle the debug info into the exe itself, which might render any other generated debug info incorrect?)

Are you using the same compiler settings for your test app as you are for the main app? Perhaps you are using a third party component in the main app that naturally doesn't feature in your test app?

Answer 3

I'm answering my own question, as we have found the problem. Adding Generics to the executable seems to create debug information, Test Complete can't handle. Not sure yet if it is Delphi messing up the debug information, or Test Complete not reading it properly.