With the 24.1 update, ALM not only brings a new naming scheme, but also other useful features. In this article, we take a closer look at the Web Client.

Since the 15.0.6 update, OpenText has provided a simplified web version of ALM, called Web Runner. This makes it possible to use the software independently of Internet Explorer and ActiveX. Since the abolition of the browser, it was only possible to access the tool using a standalone client. The great advantage of the web client is that there is no need for installations on the user’s system. All users need is a pre-installed browser of their choice and a corresponding account for ALM. Access is via the website and the Web Client sub-item.

Initially with only a few tools and options, the Web Client received many new features with version 17.01, so that the most important functions are now supported, which are examined in more detail in the following sections.

Reports, presentations and graphs can now be displayed in the dashboard in the web client (Figure 1). This makes it easier for users to access and share statistics. The creation of these still requires the desktop client.

Figure 1: Dashboard menu in the Web Client

As with the desktop client, the web client enables the creation of new releases. New folders can also be created. Individual releases or folders can be moved in the web client using the cut and paste option. New release cycles can also be created and customized (see Figure 2). A new feature in update 24.1 is that the folders and all other objects in the system support attachments. Requirements, tests and errors can now be supplemented with additional documents. Almost all objects can be explained in detail by means of a description, including folders.

Figure 2: Options in the release menu

Folders and individual requirements can also be created and moved in the requirements menu. The individual components can also be assigned to the cycle and release (see Figure 3).

Figure 3: Options in the request menu

With the exception of business models, all other components can be copied, pasted, deleted and cut. If you are looking for a specific requirement, you can search for it using the “Requirement ID”. The “Test coverage” and the “Linked entities” can be adjusted in the requirement details in the Web Client.

With the new update 24.1, the filter function and the associated favorites option for saving filters, columns, groups and sorting settings have been added. Favorites and filters are managed in the same way as in the desktop client, but without the copy/paste option for filters.

The “Grid View” setting has also been added. The comparison between the two options is shown in Figures 4 and 5 below:

Figure 4: Tree view of the request menu

Figure 5: Grid view of the request menu

In the latter view, additional information can be added using further columns. As an example, “Creation Date” and “Priority” have been added in Figure 6 below.

Figure 6: Grid view with individually added columns

The Test plan menu contains the same creation, filtering and deletion functions as for the requirements, but only for manual tests. Automated tests cannot be edited or created. Copying, cutting and pasting folders only works for manual tests, as can be seen in the image below.

Figure 7: Options for manual testing in the test plan

The new version 24.1 also added filters and favorites functionalities to this menu item. It is also possible to search for individual components here using a “Test ID”. The linking of individual tests to errors, on the other hand, is possible for all tests and is done using an ID, as can be seen in the image below.

Figure 8: Linking errors for tests

Test series and folders can be created in the Web Client and can be copied and pasted. Filters and favorites can also be used in this menu. Similar to the test plan, errors can be linked to the individual test runs. The test series can be customized in the Web Client by adding previously created tests or removing them, see Figure 9.

Figure 9: Test lab menu

When executing manual tests, the new test runner is executed within the same browser window in a new user interface (see Figure 10). The already familiar shortcuts for manual test runs are also available in the web client. The test configuration can no longer be changed before the manual test run. On the one hand, it simplifies the start process if the test configuration always remains the same, on the other hand, the configuration can only be changed in the details menu. The same language setting is also used here as in the Web Client.

Figure 10: Executing a manual test with the new test runner

As with the other menu items, objects can be created, filtered and deleted in test runs and errors. As with all column views in the Web Client, the associated columns can be customized as required.

Using an error ID, the appropriate object can be found using a search function, as with the test plan and Test Lab (see Figure 11 below).

Figure 11: Searching for a component using the ID

The Test runs menu item is one of the major features in the 24.1 update. It provides a quick overview of the status of the test runs. After selecting a run, the associated test instance and details can be displayed, as with the desktop client. Manual test runs can be continued from this menu, as shown in Figure 12.

Figure 12: Test run menu in the Web Client

The new update now follows on from this path. A significant advantage of the new web client compared to the desktop version is the customization of the language in the client. Whereas previously the language of ALM was still dependent on the server configuration, there are now 7 different options available (see Figure 13). The change is only made for the respective client user and can be changed at any time in any window item (Dashboard, Releases …). Previous systems, which used two instances due to the language options, can be simplified in this way. However, the system fields refer to the original system, so that “Author” is still displayed instead of “Author” if the system is preset to English.

The last major change concerns the administration of the web client. Access is now managed using the Site Administration instead of the Web Runner Admin. This means that SaaS admins can also manage the authorizations for the Web Client.

Figure 13: Test Lab in the Web Client with German language selection

The Web Client currently serves as a supplement to the ALM Desktop Client. This means that not all the usual functions of the desktop version are included in the new tool. Below is a list of features that are not yet available in the web client:

• The Web Client has no analysis tools and the Analysis View is also missing.
• Management of libraries is not possible.
• The release scope, master plan scorecard and status for releases are not available.
• Milestones are also not available
• Progress and Quality are missing for Cycles.
• The Business Models menu item is missing so that these cannot be viewed or configured. None of the objects have any business options.
• It is not possible to pin, mark or alert objects.
• It is not possible to send emails with attachments from ALM in the Web Client.
• For projects with version control, the Requirement and Test Plan areas have read-only access.
• The menu items and functions of Requirement Trancibility and Risk Assesment in the requirements are missing.
• Accordingly, the Coverage Analysis and Traceability Matrix views are missing.
• Test Resources and Business Components are not available.
• Parameters, Test Configurations and Dependencies are not available for tests.
• Generation of tests based on external test reports is not possible.
• The Test Board is missing for the cycles in the Test Lab.
• Execution flow and automation option is missing for tests in the test lab.
• The option to remove multiple test runs (Purge Tests Run) is not available.
• The search for similar defects is not available

Depending on the user’s role and their own needs, the web client is not a complete replacement. The previous workflow scripts from the desktop version cannot be used in the Web Client and have no influence on the Web Client, as these are two different systems. JavaScript is used in the new scripts instead of Visual Basic. Update 24.1 extends the range of possible scripts in the Web Client. Supplementary project scripts are now also available. All workflow scripts can only be adapted if you have the corresponding rights. The associated editor also receives the graphical update, see Figure 14. The additional extension 24.1 P1 enables even more events for the workflow scripts.

Figure 14: New workflow editor for the Web Client with the new extended project scripts

Another disadvantage is the complex filtering. While input fields for each criterion for filtering within the table were always visible in the desktop client, this is done behind an option in the web client, making the process more difficult.

The new name change from Web Runner to Web Client shows that OpenText now sees the software as more than just an execution tool. The language settings and the simplified installation and use represent a major advantage over the previous software. With the new version, the Web Client now contains the most important functions, so that in some cases the Web Client is already sufficient. However, the functional limitation is a major disadvantage. Existing workflow scripts not only have to be recreated, but also translated into JavaScript. Nevertheless, the new update brings many advantages and shows the way for the further development of the tool.