SAFS Win Release Notes

2014.02.28

Definitions, Critical Reminders, SAFS Tools, Install Instructions, Setup Notes, New Stuff


Definitions:

SAFS Software Automation Framework Support
SAFS Driver The tool that initializes, opens, parses, and routes SAFS test records to available SAFS Engines.
SAFS Engine A keyword-driven automation tool capable of interpreting and executing SAFS test records.
SAFS/DriverCommands A SAFS Engine for tool-independent Driver Commands
SAFS IBT A patented SAFS Engine for Image-Based Testing.
JSAFS Java API for embedding SAFS in custom frameworks or your own Advanced Runtime.
SAFS/RobotJ (RFT) A SAFS Engine for testing using Functional Tester by IBM Rational.
SAFS/TC (TCAFS) A SAFS Engine for testing using TestComplete by SmartBear.
SAFS/DROID (DRD) A SAFS Engine for testing with the Android SDK using Remote Control.
SAFS/IOS (IOS) A SAFS Engine for testing with the Apple XCode SDK using Remote Control. (Mac Only)
SAFS/SELENIUM (Se) A SAFS Engine for testing using Selenium.
SeleniumPlus (Se+) Enhanced Eclipse for using a custom JSAFS framework with a Selenium WebDriver Advanced Runtime.

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CRITICAL REMINDERS

This release supports installing SAFS on 32-Bit and 64-Bit Windows Operating Systems.

This release, along with all future releases, provides a simplified install process that includes STAF 3.4.11 and our own private Java 7 JRE.  All the latest functionality of SAFS on Windows--including JSAFS, and supported tools like IBM Rational Functional Tester, SmartBear TestComplete, Android SDK, Selenium, and Image-Based Testing are included in this release.

This release does NOT support installing SAFS on the Apple Mac for IOS testing, or installing and testing on Linux or Unix.  For SAFS Mac and IOS Support please download SAFS Mac support and consult the SAFS Mac Release Notes.

Affected customizations from previous releases:

If you have taken advantage of any of the customization capabilities of this framework, then you must take some simple precautions prior to installing this new release. Installing a new version of the framework will install new, default versions of customizable files.

SAFSTID.INI
If you have a modified SAFSTID.INI in your install directory, you should make a back-up, then evaluate how and if you want to merge with the new file.

SAFS Batch Files
If you have previously installed the SAFS Framework then you may have manually modified batch files or VBS scripts to handle custom project paths. You will need to backup modified files and evaluate how and if you want to merge such changes with the new files.

In addition, some of the Batch files have been modified to show support for 64-bit Windows systems where Java is being invoked.  These batch files should be edited to launch the new private JRE.

SAFS Project Files
If you have previously installed and edited any of the INI or BAT files in the SAFS\Project or SAFS\samples directories then you will need to backup these modified files and evaluate how and if you want to merge such changes with the new files.

SAFS Object Mapping Files
If you have previously installed and edited any of the following files then you will need to backup the modified files and evaluate how and if you want to merge your edits with the new (default) versions of these files:

Failure to perform any of these prescribed backups may erase your prior customizations. Hopefully, you have backed them up somewhere already as part of your normal backup activities... Right?!


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Installation Instructions

If you have not done so, review the Critical Reminders above concerning backups of locally modified or customized files from previous releases.

Short-N-Sweet install instructions:

  1. Extract the SAFSRelease ZIP file into ANY directory.
    Extract all files of the ZIP file into ANY temporary directory.  A good choice might be something like C:\TEMP, C:\SAFS, or C:\Downloads\SAFS.

    Enable "OVERWRITE Existing Files" if you are overwriting a previous release of SAFS.

  2. Run the extracted  Setup.BAT  script.

    The installation will prompt to confirm the installation of SAFS.  The user has the option to skip the installation by pressing "No" or "Cancel" when prompted.

    On a new installation with no previous STAF on the system the install process can take several minutes.
    It may look like nothing is happening, but it is.  Be patient.

  3. Verifying a successful SAFS install:

      Following a successful standard install, you should be able to double-click or otherwise execute the program:

          C:\SAFS\Project\runTIDTest.BAT
      

      This should run a simple SAFS Test and generate logs in:

          C:\SAFS\Project\Datapool\Logs
      

The installation will not install any program that will appear in Control Panel's "Add/Remove Program" application. However, depending upon the STAF install scenario, STAF might install "STAF" into the Control Panel's "Add/Remove Program" or "Programs and Features" application.


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Default Installation Destination Directories on Windows:

    SAFS  -  C:\SAFS
    STAF  -  C:\STAF

Windows System Environment Variables

Environment variables may be modified or created by the installation.

The affected environment variables and their backups are listed below:

    VARIABLE          PURPOSE
    ============      ==================================
    STAFDIR           Root install directory for STAF
    SAFSDIR           Root install directory for SAFS
    PATH              Search path for SAFS and STAF executables
    CLASSPATH         Search path for SAFS and STAF Java classes
    GOCRDATA_DIR      SAFS GOCR data directory
    ROBOTIUMRC_HOME   SAFS Android support directory
    TESSDATA_PREFIX   Tesseract OCR support directory
    TESTCOMPLETE_EXE  TestComplete or TestExecute EXE filename
    TESTCOMPLETE_HOME TestComplete or TestExecute install directory

Additional Setup Notes and Information

Additional notes and instructions for this release can be found via the links below. These are generally reviewed in the listed order.  The files can be found in the C:\SAFS\install directory following a successful install. (The links to these will work once unzipped locally.)

SetupRobotJ IBM Rational Functional Tester Setup for SAFS Testing.
SetupTCAFS AQA TestComplete Setup for SAFS Testing.
SetupAndroid Android Setup for SAFS Testing.
SetupSelenium Selenium Quick Start for SAFS Testing.


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SAFS COM Tools

SAFS comes with many useful tools and trinkets.  Review the SAFS\bin directory for items that are platform-specific scripts instead of Java classes.

STAFWrap.DLL, ComponentFunctions.DLL, DDVariableStore.DLL and associated scripts for registering DVariableStore.DLL are included in the SAFS\bin directory.  The install process does handle the registration of DDVariableStore.DLL automatically.  DDVariableStore should already be enabled to run in either 32-bit or 64-bit processes.

COM classes supporting COM Automation access to STAF for use in TestComplete, VBScript, and other COM-related features exist in the latest version of DDVariableStore.DLL.

These COM classes include:

Consult the sourcecode in CVS or any VBA or COM object browser until more proper documentation is made available. A very rudimentary "RUTHere" test script for this COM STAF interface can be found in SAFS\bin\DDVariableStoreTest.VBS.


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New, Fixed, or Enhanced Stuff


Back2Top, Definitions, Critical Reminders, SAFS Tools, Install Instructions, Setup Notes
Carl Nagle, SAS
Project Manager, SAFSDEV
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