13.08.2024
With update 24.1, ALM is introducing not only a new naming convention, but also further useful features. In this article, we'll take a closer look at the Web Client.
With update 24.1, ALM is introducing not only a new naming convention, but also further useful features. In this article, we'll take a closer look at the Web Client.
Since the update 15.0.6, OpenText has been providing a simplified web version of ALM, called Web Runner. This allows the software to be used independently of Internet Explorer and ActiveX. Since the discontinuation of the browser, it has only been possible to access the tool via a standalone client. The major advantage of the web client is that installations on the user's system are no longer required. Users only need a pre-installed browser of their choice and a corresponding account for ALM. Access is via the website and the sub-item Web Client.
Initially, with only a few tools and options, the web client received many new features with version 17.01, meaning that the most important functions are now supported, which will be examined in more detail in the following sections.
Reports, representations, and graphs can now be displayed in the web client via the dashboard (Figure 1). This allows users to access and share statistics more easily. The creation of such will still require the desktop client.
The web client allows the creation of new releases, just like the desktop client. New folders can also be created. Using the cut and paste option, individual releases or folders can be moved within the web client. New release cycles can also be created and customized (see Figure 2). A new feature in Update 24.1 is that folders and all other objects in the system support attachments. Requirements, tests, and bugs now have the option to be supplemented by further documents. Nearly all objects can be explained in detail with a description, including folders.
The creation and movement of folders and individual requirements also works in the requirements menu. Furthermore, individual components can be assigned to the cycle and the release (see Figure 3).
With the exception of business models, all other components can be copied, pasted, deleted, and cut. If a specific requirement is sought, it can be searched for using the „Requirement ID“. „Test coverage“ and „Linked entities“ can be adjusted in the requirement details within the web client.
With the new update 24.1, the filter function and the associated favourites option for saving filters, columns, groups, and sorting settings have been added. Favourites and filters are managed the same way as in the desktop client, but without the copy/paste option for filtering.
Additionally, the „Grid View“ setting has been added. The comparison between the two options is shown in the lower two figures, 4 and 5:
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.
The Test Plan menu includes the same creation, filtering, and deletion functions as for requirements, but only for manual testing. Automated tests cannot be edited or created. Copying, cutting, and pasting folders only works for manual tests, as shown in the image below.
The new version 24.1 also introduced filter and favourite functionalities to this menu item. Furthermore, individual components can be searched for here using a „Test ID“. Linking individual tests to errors, however, is possible for all tests and is done using an ID, as shown in the image below.
Test series and folders can be created in the web client and can be copied and pasted. Filters and favourites can also be used in this menu. Similar to the test plan, defects can be linked to individual test runs. Test series can be adjusted in the web client by adding or removing already created tests, see Figure 9.
When executing manual tests, the new test runner is executed within the same browser window in a new user interface (see Figure 10). The previously known shortcuts for manual test runs are also present in the Web Client. The test configuration can no longer be changed before the manual test run. On the one hand, this simplifies the start-up process if the test configuration remains the same, but on the other hand, the configuration can only be changed in the details menu. Overall, the new „Manual Testrunner“ offers a clear and modern interface. The same language setting is also used here as in the Web Client.
As with the other menu items, objects can be created, filtered, and deleted in test runs and errors. The associated columns can be adjusted as needed, as with all column views in the Web Client.
Using an error ID, the corresponding object can be found with a search function, as already with the test plan and the test lab (see Figure 11 below).
The Test Runs menu item is one of the major features in update 24.1. This allows for a quick overview of the status of 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.
The new update builds on this path. A significant advantage of the new web client compared to the desktop version is the adjustment of the language within the client. Previously, the language of ALM was dependent on the server configuration, but now 7 different options are available (see Figure 13). The switch is only for the respective client user and can be changed at any time in any window pane (Dashboard, Releases, etc.). Previous systems that used two instances due to language options can be simplified in this way. However, the system fields still refer to the original system, so with an English system default, „Author“ will still be displayed instead of „Autor“.
The last major change concerns the administration of the web client. Access management is now done via site administration, instead of the web runner admin. This allows SaaS admins to also manage web client permissions.
The web client currently serves as a supplement to the ALM desktop client. Therefore, not all usual functions of the desktop version are included in the new tool. The following is a list of features that are currently not yet available in the web client:
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 effect on the web client, as these are two different systems. Instead of Visual Basic, JavaScript is used in the new scripts. With update 24.1, the range of possible scripts in the web client is expanded. Supplementary project scripts are now also available. All workflow scripts can only be adapted if you possess the corresponding rights. The associated editor also receives a graphical update, see Figure 14. The additional enhancement 24.1 P1 enables further events for the workflow scripts.
Another disadvantage is the complex filtering. While input fields for each filtering criterion were always visible within tables in the desktop client, in the web client this is done behind an option, thus complicating the process.
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 simplified installation/usage are a major advantage over the previous software. With the new version, the Web Client now includes the most important functions, meaning that in some cases, the Web Client is already sufficient. However, the functional limitations are a major disadvantage. Existing workflow scripts not only have to be re-created but also translated into JavaScript. Nevertheless, the new update brings many advantages with it and thus shows the way for the further development of the tool.
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