A.: Unlike TestComplete 4 and 5, in version 6 this plug-in is not included in TestComplete’s installation package. You can download this plug-in for free from our web site:

After downloading and unpacking the plug-in, you can install it like any other plug-in:

• Launch TestComplete and select the File | Install Extension from the main menu.
• In the Extensions dialog, click Add.
• Browse for the plug-in file (tc3Compatibility.pls) and click Open.
• Press OK to close the Entensions dialog and complete the plug-in installation.

A.: If you are new to TestComplete, read the Getting Started section of the TestComplete help file. It contains basic information on using the product and provides links to other help topics describing TestComplete features.

The .doc version of the Getting Started section is shipped with the product. You can find it here:
The .pdf version of this file can be downloaded from our web site:
You can find many useful articles containing sample scripts and hints about working with TestComplete, along with TestComplete screencasts and webinar recordings on our community site:
Specific problems and features are discussed in our newsgroups:
TestComplete is also discussed on forums devoted to testing and quality assurance, for instance:
You can also take part in TestComplete training seminars offered by AutomatedQA. To learn more about training services, please follow this link:

A.: Please, visit http://www.automatedqa.com/downloads/plugins.asp.

A.: Yes, by using the Options object. This object provides a scripting interface to options and project properties that take effect during a script run. Some options are read-only and some are read-write. For more information, please see TestComplete’s help. The following code snippet demonstrates how you can change the project’s web tree model (the Tree model option) from a script --

[VBScript]

Options.Web.TreeModel = "DOM"    ' Sets the DOM model
Options.Web.TreeModel = "Tag"    ' Sets the Tag model
Options.Web.TreeModel = "Tree"   ' Sets the Tree model (TestComplete 6 only)
Options.Web.TreeModel = "Hybrid" ' Sets the Hybrid model (TestComplete 6 only)

[JScript]

Options.Web.TreeModel = "DOM";    // Sets the DOM model
Options.Web.TreeModel = "Tag";    // Sets the Tag model
Options.Web.TreeModel = "Tree";   // Sets the Tree model (TestComplete 6 only)
Options.Web.TreeModel = "Hybrid"; // Sets the Hybrid model (TestComplete 6 only)

[DelphiScript]

Options.Web.TreeModel := 'DOM'     // Sets the DOM model
Options.Web.TreeModel := 'Tag'     // Sets the Tag model
Options.Web.TreeModel := 'Tree';   // Sets the Tree model (TestComplete 6 only)
Options.Web.TreeModel := 'Hybrid'; // Sets the Hybrid model (TestComplete 6 only)

[C++Script, C#Script]

Options["Web"]["TreeModel"] = "DOM"     // Sets the DOM model
Options["Web"]["TreeModel"] = "Tag"     // Sets the Tag model
Options["Web"]["TreeModel"] = "Tree";   // Sets the Tree model (TestComplete 6 only)
Options["Web"]["TreeModel"] = "Hybrid"; // Sets the Hybrid model (TestComplete 6 only)

Note that if the TestComplete 3 Compatibility plug-in is installed, the Options object contains the same methods and properties that it contained in TestComplete 3. Also, the object provides the same access to properties which it provides in TestComplete 3. That is, options, which were read-write in TestComplete 3 and became read-only in TestComplete 4 and later, become read-write if the plug-in is installed.

A.: Yes, this functionality has been introduced in TestComplete ver.6. You can store your current settings to a separate file and restore them later on. Read the "Exporting and Importing Custom User Settings" help topic for details.

A.: Choose Panel Options from the Code Editor context menu to open the Code Editor Options dialog. Switch to the Display options group. Select the desired character set from the Font character set box.

A.: The Object Browser can display the object hierarchy using a Tree or Flat model. The model is specified by the project’s General | Object tree model property. The Object Browser uses the tree model of the project, whose item is currently selected in the Project Explorer panel. If your project suite contains several projects and the Object tree model properties of these projects differ from each other, then a simple change to the project node in the Project Explorer may cause the the tree model in the Object Browser to change.

If the node that is currently selected in the Project Explorer panel does not belong to any project (for instance, this is a log or project suite node), TestComplete uses the object tree model that is specified by the the Project | General | Object tree model option that can be set in the Tools | Default Project Properties dialog. If this property’s value differs from the project property’s value, then the Object Browser will change the object hierarchy when you switch nodes in the Project Explorer.

A.: By default, TestComplete stores script files in the Unicode format. Some source control systems treat Unicode files as binary rather than text. To learn how you can work with Unicode files stored in your source control system, please refer to its documentation.

In TestComplete 5 and later, you can choose which format is used to store the script unit files - ANSI, UTF-8 or UTF-16 (Unicode). So, you can resolve the problem by changing the script unit format to ANSI or UTF-8:

• Double-click the project node in the Project Explorer.
• In the Project Editor, switch to the Properties page.
• Select the General options group.
• Specify the desired format in the Character encoding property.
• Select the File | Save in TestComplete’s main menu to save the changes.

For more information, please see the “Character Encoding” topic in TestComplete’s help.

Note: TestComplete does not immediately re-convert script units after you changed their encoding. The units are converted the next time you change and save them.

A.: TestComplete can only work with those version control systems that support Microsoft Source Code Control API (SCC API). Microsoft Team Foundation Version Control does not support Microsoft SCC API by default. In order to use this version control system, you need to install Visual Studio Team Foundation Server MSSCCI Provider. You can download it from Microsoft’s web site:

Follow these steps:

1. Unpack TestComplete’s (or TestExecute’s) installation package using WinRAR (http://www.rarlab.com/).
2. Run the Setup.exe executable with the -r command-line argument:

   Setup.exe -r

3. Install the tool with the desired settings. The installation program will create a <Windows>\setup.iss file that will keep the information entered by you during the installation process.
4. Copy this file to the folder where the Setup.exe file resides.
5. Now, to run the installation in silent mode on another computer, you just need to run the Setup.exe file with the -s command-line argument:

   Setup.exe -s

   The installation will be performed with the settings made by you when recording the iss file.

Note that the described scenario will only work for computers that have similar configurations. For instance, if one of your computers have the .NET Framework installed and the other does not, the silent installation will fail (this happens because the installation procedure and, thus, user answers will change).

A.: The tcWPFHelpers.dll module is used by TestComplete’s WPF Controls Support plug-in. This error means that the tcWPFHelpers.dll assembly cannot be copied to the Global Assembly Cash (GAC) on your computer. Possible causes of the error are as follows --

• Your user account does not have permissions to write files to the GAC. In this case, you can either modify the account permissions to meet the installation requirements or install the tool under an account that is a member of the Administrators group.
• The .NET Framework installation is corrupted. Reinstalling the framework should help.

Note that you can install the product without the WPF Controls Support plug-in if you do not need it. To skip the plug-in installation, clear the Extensions | Open Applications Support | WPF Controls Support check box during the installation when choosing which features to install.

A.: Most likely the file that is included in your TestComplete project and that was changed outside of TestComplete, is not open for editing in the Workspace panel. TestComplete displays notifications only if the file is open for editing.

Also, note that TestComplete displays notifications only when you are working in any of TestComplete's panels or dialogs. If you are out of TestComplete's window (for instance, you are working in a text editor and TestComplete's window is minimized), you will not see the notification.

Another possible cause of the problem is that you may be using the project in the network mode or your project contains files that reside on other workstations. The number of network files that can be monitored depends on the operating system version and is limited by certain Registry settings. If the number of changed files exceeds this limit, TestComplete will not be able to trace all of the changes. See http://support.microsoft.com/kb/810886.

A.: This error occurs because of strict connection parameters. The following information is stored in the MDS and PJS files when you add them to Perforce:

Among the parameters used to describe the workspace are Host and Root. If you specify the Host parameter for your workspace when adding a project / project suite to Perforce, other users will not be able to open the project / project suite, since the workspace can only be used on the computer specified in its Host parameter. To avoid the problem, clear the Host parameter for the workspace that you are using to add TestComplete projects to Perforce. Also, pay attention to the Root parameter - the project suite must be located in the same folder on different computers.