Tosca Automation Tutorial: Step-by-Step Hands-On Guide

Here in this Tosca Automation tutorial, you will be taught the basic concepts behind it and also get to know about the six-stage process of making a simple Tosca automation test.

Tricentis Tosca is a leading automation tool with a model-based approach that helps to automate testing without the need for coding by scanning AUT components into Modules that can be used again, creating TestCase in the form of visuals and executing them via Execution List.

This tutorial is intended for both novice testers making the transition into test automation and seasoned QA professionals seeking to get to grips with Tricentis Tosca.

The tutorial takes you through the essential components of Tricentis Tosca such as Tosca Commander and Workspace, as well as through the full six steps of the automation life cycle, from Workspace to Results.

What Is Tosca Automation?

Tosca Automation is a model-based test automation product developed by Tricentis to help users automate tests for web applications, desktop applications, mobile applications, APIs, SAP systems, and enterprise applications with minimal coding effort. 

As compared to other automation products, which require a lot of scripting, Tosca Automation is based on a non-scripting and visual test creation process in which testers design test modules and test cases.

Tosca Automation supports complete software development life cycle testing, thus enabling users to enhance test coverage and increase test automation efficiency. It also supports business process testing, which makes it an ideal choice for enterprises.

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List of Tutorials in this TOSCA Series

Tutorial #1: Introduction To Tricentis TOSCA Automation Tool (This Tutorial)
Tutorial #2: Create And Manage Workspaces In Tricentis TOSCA Automation Tool
Tutorial #3: How To Create & Execute Test Cases In Tosca Testing Tool?

Follow all three parts to gain a complete understanding of Tosca automation from scratch.

In this tutorial, you will learn what exactly Tricentis Tosca Test Suite is, what the key components of the software are, and the key elements of the software, i.e., Tosca Commander, Tosca Workspace, mapping, linking, the Details tab of Tosca Commander, etc., in a step-by-step manner.

TOSCA stands for Topology and Orchestration Specification for Cloud Applications.

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What Makes Tosca Different From Other Automation Tools

One of the most significant distinctions between Tosca and other automation solutions is the implementation of Model-Based Testing (MBT). Users will no longer have to create scripts for each individual test, but will create reusable models that can then be utilized in several tests. 

This greatly diminishes the necessity of knowing how to program and makes it easier to modify tests when application changes happen.

In addition, Tosca features such capabilities as risk-based testing, test case design, API testing, and enterprise application testing, thus making it unnecessary to use several third-party software products at the same time.

Key Features of Tosca

Among the most notable features of Tricentis Tosca are the following:

• Model-driven test automation 
• Test automation that requires minimal coding 
• Cross-browser and cross-platform testing 
• Testing of web applications, desktop applications, mobile apps, APIs, and SAP systems 
• Reusable test objects 
• Risk-based testing 
• Test data management 
• Continuous testing and integration into continuous integration/continuous delivery pipeline 
• End-to-end validation of business processes 
• Automated test execution and reporting 

This technology enables companies to expand their automation activities without having to deal with maintenance expenses.

Why Enterprises Use Tosca?

The reason why many companies prefer Tosca is that they can achieve higher speeds and less maintenance of their tests when compared to those based on scripts. Many large corporations operate complex software applications, including ERP and CRM systems, APIs, and old systems.

All these complications in testing can be solved by Tosca, which provides reusable testing resources and allows the management of all the tests in one place. In addition, it also supports enterprise software, such as SAP, Salesforce, Oracle, and cloud apps.

What Is Tricentis TOSCA Testsuite™?

TOSCA Testsuite™ is a software tool for the automated execution of functional and regression software testing.

In addition to testing automation functions, TOSCA includes:

• Integrated Test Management
• Graphical User Interface (GUI)
• Command Line Interface (CLI)
• Application Programming Interface (API)

The test suite supports the entire lifecycle of the test project. It starts with transferring and synchronizing specifications from the requirements management system.

TOSCA supports its users in creating efficient test cases on a methodologically sound basis, serves as an executive assistant, and summarizes the test results in various reports.

TOSCA Testsuite™ is designed and developed by Tricentis Technology & Consulting GmbH (an Austrian software company based in Vienna)

TOSCA Testsuite™ Components

Various Components & System under Test

As displayed in the above picture, the various components of the test suite are

• TOSCA Commander
• TOSCA Wizard
• TOSCA Executor

All three of these are at the client-side; it also includes the Repository (also called “Test Repository”), which is at the server-side.

TOSCA Commander™

This is the graphical user interface of TOSCA Testsuite™. It is considered to be the core of the test suite. The commander uses a “Workspace” for the administration of test cases. This means it enables the easy creation, management, execution, and analysis of test cases.

As it is the middleware system in between the Test Repository and TOSCA Executor, it gets the test cases from the repository and forwards it to the Test Executor, which later runs them on the System Under Test (SUT).

All elements are displayed in a tree structure (sample screenshot above). The left section of the window is used for navigation, whereas the right section is the working area.

The above screenshot is a sample of the “Test Case” window; likewise, other windows (Requirement, ExecutionList, etc.) have the same layout. All elements in TOSCA Commander™ are structured underneath one another in a strictly observed hierarchical order. Each operation can only be performed by observing this object hierarchy.

It provides a Drag-and-Drop feature that is used to move the elements around within the application. It also has a docking function that allows the user to customize the window’s layout as they need it.

So TOSCA Commander™ provides these kinds of features and functionalities to the user for their convenience. It operates similarly to Windows Explorer. While creating the folder structure, one can use commands like create, copy, paste, rename, delete, etc.

TOSCA Workspace

This is your personal work area where you can create, administer, execute, and analyze test cases. It contains various objects i.e., called TOSCA Commander™ Objects, and those are,

• Modules
• ExecutionLists
• TestCases
• Requirements
• Test Case Design

You can build the relationship between these objects by mapping/linking them. This is called object mapping in TOSCA. At runtime, the control information of these objects (Modules, ExecutionLists, TestCases, and Requirements, etc.) is combined.

TOSCA Commander™ Objects – Organized in “Worlds”

TOSCA Commander™ Objects are categorized in different worlds, and each object is recognized individually by a specific color.

We have another object i.e. “Reporting” objects that are also having a world called World of Reports. This is not required for beginners; hence, I will not discuss this in detail for now.

TOSCA “Worlds” & its Workflow:

Given below is a snapshot of how the TOSCA project window looks in its colored worlds.

How Tosca Automation Works

Tosca automation involves the use of model-based testing methodology. Application components are recognized and represented as reusable models rather than being coded into the test script.  

Modules of the application components are created, joined together to form test scenarios and executed using the Tosca workspace. MBT makes testing more efficient by reducing the maintenance overheads.

Tosca’s Model-Based Testing Explained

Model Based Testing (MBT) is the basis of the Tosca automation process. Rather than writing code for each testing scenario, testers analyze the application components and build the reusable models, which are referred to as Modules. Modules include buttons, text boxes, menus, hyperlinks, and many more.

When once created, a module can be used for testing many different test cases. When there is a change in the interface of the application being tested, the tester does not need to make changes everywhere in the test script. It helps save effort and time and increases scalability in automation.

Benefits of Model-Based Testing:

• Less reliance on coding skills 
• Better test case reusability 
• Easier to maintain test scripts for applications that change 
• Helps speed up test creation and run

Tosca Architecture Overview

The workflow typically follows this sequence:

Application Scan → Module Creation → Test Case Design → Test Execution → Result Analysis

With this structure, testers can undertake big projects in automation without having issues regarding consistency or reusability.

Tosca uses a well-designed architecture structure; the following table shows its components then purpose:

Component	Purpose
Workspace	Central repository for all testing assets
Modules	Store scanned application elements
TestCases	Contain automation steps and validations
TestCase Design	Manages reusable test data and templates
Execution Lists	Organize and execute test runs
Test Data Service	Stores and manages test data
Reports	Display execution results and logs

Mapping/Linking In TOSCA

Linking, importing external data, and exporting data are possible in TOSCA. Given below is some insight into how linking is done in TOSCA.

Linking of external files: There are two ways that an external file can be linked in TOSCA i.e.

1. By drag-and-drop with basic objects in TOSCA Commander
2. By using the operation “Attach File” from the context menu

So these are the 2 ways of linking the files in TOSCA. Now we will see the different types of links available in TOSCA.

There are three types of links i.e.

• Embedded
• Linked
• LinkedManaged

Embedded: This is Embedding of a file in the TOSCA Repository

Linked: A file will be referred to, but not hosted in the repository. The link refers to the source directory for the file.

LinkedManaged: The file is copied to a specified directory that is generally accessible, and from there, it will be centrally managed.

This is how an external file or external data can be imported into TOSCA. Likewise, data from TOSCA can also be exported to other files (e.g., MS Word, MS Excel, etc.) via the clipboard by

• Selecting a line or an area in the right section of a TOSCA Window and pressing <CTRL> + ‘C’
• Using the operation “Copy table to clipboard” from the context menu

TOSCA Commander™ – Details Tab

In the above picture, you can see the “Details” tab on the right-hand side of the window of the TOSCA Commander. So each object in TOSCA has a Details view where various columns can either be added or removed as needed.

How to Add a Column:

1. Right-click on the header of a column, and select the option “Column Chooser” from the context menu. A window opens containing a list of available columns.

2. Drag the required column onto an existing column header. The new column is automatically added to the position that is marked by two arrows.

How to Remove a Column:

1. Select the header of the column that should be removed and keep the left mouse button pressed.
2. Drag the column downwards until the mouse pointer has the shape of an X, and release the mouse button.

Tricentis Tosca Automation: Step-by-Step Hands-On Tutorial

Step 1: Create & Configure the Workspace

The Tosca Workspace acts as your local or shared environment. It holds test artifacts and controls the connections to the underlying repository.

Steps to take:

 1. Open the Tosca Commander.

 2. Go to File -> New.

 3. Set up your workspace options:

Repository type: Set Single User Workspace (local development/testing) or Multi-User Workspace (team environment with SQL Server / Oracle connection).

Workspace Name: Specify a meaningful name for your workspace (such as DemoWebShop_Automation).

Workspace Template: Select this option (highly recommended for beginners) to automatically populate common subset of modules and configurations.

4. Click OK to proceed with the workspace.

Step 2: Scan the AUT

Scanning converts the raw application UI controls such as buttons, text fields, and tables into technical metadata, but not the absolute coordinates or coding.

Action Steps:

1. Open the target application on the web or desktop browser window (e.g. demo login screen of web application).

2. Then in Tosca Commander, go to Modules (Orange Section).

3. Right-click on the target folder and click on Scan -> Application (Or press Ctrl+Shift+S).

4. After that in the Tosca XScan overlay window, Select the window of the running application from the list of active processes. Then click Scan.

5. Select the UI controls (e.g. User Name Text Box, Password Text Box, Login Button) by checking the box.

6. Check for Uniqueness: See that The module element is unique indicator should be in Green color. In case of yellow or red color, add more identifying properties (e.g. Id, Name, InnerText) from the properties tab.

7. Then click Save and close XScan.

Step 3: Organize Modules

Modules serve as technical components that include the properties of locators (XPath, ID, HTML tag) of the UI controls scanned.

Action Points:

1.         Shift back to the Tosca Commander and navigate to the Modules tab.

2.         Select the module you have just scanned (say Module_Login).

3.         Organize the elements as follows:

o          Classify controls into sub-folders if required.

o          Name the controls using descriptive naming convention (txt_Username, txt_Password, btn_Login).

4.         Define cardinalities or control properties if dynamic controls are being managed.

Step 4: Creation of the TestCase

A TestCase is used to develop the test logic for functional testing using Modules with input data and different Action modes.

Action Steps:

1. Go to the TestCases tab (Blue tab).

2. Use right click on the desired folder → Go to Create TestCase (and give the name “TC_ValidLogin”).

3. Use drag-and-drop of your Module “Module_Login” from the Modules tab into your TC_ValidLogin. This would create TestSteps.

• Expand the newly created TestSteps and configure values and ActionMode settings:

TestStep Value	Input / Value	ActionMode	Purpose
txt_Username	john.doe@example.com	Input	Enters test username
txt_Password	Password123	Input	Enters password
btn_Login	{CLICK}	Input	Simulates click event
lbl_Welcome	Welcome John	Verify	Validates success message

Step 5: Setup & Execute Execution Lists

Execution Lists are used to combine TestCases in order to execute them in a set manner.

Action Steps:

1. Navigate to the Execution tab (Green tab).

2. Click right on the Execution Lists folder and choose Create ExecutionList (call it EL_Regression_Suite).

3. Copy the TC_ValidLogin TestCase from the TestCases tab and paste it to your Execution List.

4. Click right on the EL_Regression_Suite (or on the linked TestCase) and select Run.

5. Tosca Executor executes the action step-by-step in the target application.

Step 6: Analysis of Test Results

Upon the completion of execution, Tosca produces logs showing the results for each step, along with their pass or fail statuses and diagnostic information.

Action Steps:

1. Expand your Execution entry in your ExecutionList.

2. Look at your status indicators:

o          Your test has passed when there is a green checkmark.

o          If there is a red cross, it means your test failed (assertion or control not found).

3. Click on your failed TestStep in order to see more details in Detail View:

o          See the difference between your Expected value and Actual value.

o          Look at your auto-captured screenshots (only if screen logging is turned on in your Workspace settings).

4.         Generate reports or change requirement linking status if linked to continuous testing KPIs.          

Frequently Asked Questions

Conclusion

The test automation with Tricentis Tosca becomes easy because a lot of scripting is substituted with a model-based workflow. Reusable Modules can be used to create a test case that can be executed in an Execution List.

For people new to Tosca, the most effective method of learning it would be going through the entire workflow of automation process, which includes such steps as: creating a workspace, scanning an application, arranging modules, creating a TestCase, running a test, and analyzing the results.

After understanding how it works, one may start working on more complicated aspects of using Tricentis Tosca, such as test data management and reusable components. As one starts working with Tosca, the first thing to do would be to build and run an end-to-end test.

Have you tried the TOSCA Automation Tool yet?

NEXT Tutorial

Explore the tutorials below for more helpful information on Automation Testing.

• What is Automation Testing? Guide with a Simple Example
• Automation Testing Process: How to Start Automation Testing
• Test Automation Strategy and Best Practices with Example
• When To Go for Automation Testing?