[BUG] Columns in the datatable with the same name

Well, according to one of the QTP premises, you cannot include two columns with the same name in the DataTable. Make sense since you can't have two parameters with the same name. But I've found a crack in this wall.

Start a new test. Rename the column A to other name (say 'test'). Click the column 'test' to select it, right click and select Edit --> Insert. QTP will insert a column named 'A', Right click the column 'A', Edit --> Insert and you will get ANOTHER column 'A'.

Just out my curiosity, debugging what happens when asking for column 'A', QTP returns the value from the first column found.

[BUG] QTP 11 has a bug fix... OH WAIT!

Human beings are capable of adapting to the environment it lives in.

Bringing this sentence to the IT world, it's funny sometimes after countless hours working with the same software we end up getting used to its bugs and issues it has.

QTP is a very good example. Most of the issues I've found (but not all) and posted in this blog have a way to workaround it. And even sometimes we find the somehow useful.

Well, turns out that the ONLY useful bug present in QTP 10 was fixed (so to speak) in QTP 11.

When you open a test in read-only mode, you can't do much to it except (1) run and (2) delete values from the DataTable (this last one is the bug). And this is the point, several times it's useful to open a test and delete a few cells in the DataTable resting assured that they will be intact when you re-open the test. In our tests, we usually have several rows (which represents the test scenarios) in the DataTable and a column called EXECUTE, which indicates if that row must be executed or not. Anything different from "Y" and the row is skipped.

But now, QTP 11 tells you you can't edit the DataTable in read-only mode. Sad.

[BUG] Datatable with no memory (fixed in QTP11)

Can you tell me how many typing mistakes you made in your live? Probably, countless times a day, right?

Well, don't feel bad! It's absolutely normal, every human being makes mistakes. What differentiate us from other animals and machines (and QTP, I might add), is the fact that we learn with our mistakes and evolve towards excellence.

I know you saw that coming, and you are correct in your expectations: the datatable pane DOES NOT allow you to undo editing. No Ctrl+Z, no right-click menu option, no nothing. Bear with me, you must have a copy of your precious datatable (if that's the case), cause if you accidentally type anything over a filled cell, I'm sorry for you!

Workaround: (1) be very careful to not mistype inside the datatable, (2) have periodical backups of your script, or (3) enable version control (in Quality Center or any sort) for your script. Other than that: I'm sorry for you!

[BUG] QTP 10 to 11 migration issues

Yeah folks... moving from QTP 10..0 to 11.0 is not as smooth and seamless as it's supposed to (well, at least HP didn't alarmed it would be).

We have to "test the testing tool" (which answers back my first post - yes, the answer is "us, the users") and make sure that, at least, the basic functionalities we had in the past are still in place (yes, regression test applies for QTP too).

And we found a few features to be out of place. Obviously, unfortunately. After all, it's QTP for someone's sake.

The migration issue example for this post refers to the Datatable, which does not allows you to edit the column titles from QTP 10.0 tests. We opened our tests up, check them out from Quality Center, double clicked the column titles and... nothing happens! Frustrating.

- Why's that? - you ask.
- Who knows! It's QTP! - I answer back.

Workaround: very quick way to fix this is by exporting and re-importing the excel shit sheet into your test.

1. Right click on the Datatable, choose File --> Export... and then Yes button.
2. Save wherever you want in your PC, edit it if required (but don't mess it up!), save, close.
3. Now, go back to QTP and right click the Datatable, choose File --> Import From File and choose the file you saved previously.
4. Click OK on whatever message QTP shows you.

Done. The Datatable column names are editable again. Duh.