Setting up a SysNat workbench - iks-gmbh-tools/SysNat GitHub Wiki
How to set up SysNat initially?
When you setup SysNat for your team, you have to make the initial decision whether your non-technical colleagues will work with an IDE or with a "simple" text editor (e.g. Notepad++). In the last case SysNat is started as a Java application from a batch file, in the first case by a launch configuration of your IDE (e.g. Eclipse or IntelliJ).
Setup with IDE
For Eclipse, follow the instructions of readme.md. For IntelliJ, follow this readme.md. If you wish to setup your own workspace with Eclipse or your own project in IntelliJ then make sure to define all settings and launch configurations mentioned in the readme files.
Especially take care to configure the Domain User View which provides an easy use for non-technical team members. This is done by hiding all modules except sysnat.natural.language.executable.examples. In this module, the domain user only needs the directories ExecutableExample, reports, help, TestData as well as the config-files.
The Domain User View is very important for your non-technical collegues which will likely refuse to work with a developer IDE. In the prepared workspace of Eclipse the Domain User View is a customer Windows Working Set of the Package Explorer predefined. The same is true in prepared IntelliJ workspace where as a custom Scope within the Project View exists. In case the Sysnat User View is empty make sure to add the folders and files shown above.
Furthermore, it is helpful to hide development tools in the toolbar and the pop down menus of the project editor. Useful non-development tools in the toolbar that are valuable for non-technicians are for instance "Save", "Save All", "Run", "Search", "Last edit location", "Back", "Forward". Non-useful tools are typical for development such as "Debug", "New Java Class", "New Java Package". Having technical tools hidden, your IDE looks like a simple text editor and this increases the motivation for non-developers to use it. In Eclipse, you can even use a different perspective (e.g. the Debug perspective) to keep a technical look used only by deverlopers and the Java Perspective for the SysNat User View.
When your IDE is closed and the SysNat directory zipped, you have a portable SysNat workbench fully configurated that you may ship to your non-technical colleges who apply SysNat as non-technical user. The zip may be up to 2 GB large, but it really contains all needed to execute SysNat and its Executable Examples. Since many paths are defined relatively, you only have to adapt few paths for a new location of the portable SysNat workbench at the system of your collegues.
Setup with Notepad++
A) Setup an IDE but ignore the SysNat User View.
B) Make sure that the IDE has compiled and build all projects.
C) Close your IDE and start Notepad++ by the batch file SysNat_Notepad++.bat in the repository's root directory. It starts a Portable Notepad++ with several SysNat settings predefined.
D) Make sure that Notepad++ shows on the left the SysNat directory with its subfolders and files (Explorer Plugin).
E) Make sure that *.nlxx and *.nls files have syntax highlighting. Otherwise you can import the customized language from file "./SysNat/Notepad++/SysNatSyntaxHighlightingNotepadPP.xml" and associate this SysNat language with nlxx- and nls-files.
F) Make sure that the following Run configurations are available:
- Run SysNatTesting
- Delete test reports
- Delete PDF files in Download directory
Now a user without technical skills can start working on natural language instruction files with Notepad++. For executing SysNat the Run configuration "Run SysNatTesting" is available in the Run menu. This configurations starts the batch file "./SysNat/Notepad++/StartSysNatTesting.bat".
Setup of Firefox
The execution.properties defines two properties to tell SysNat where to find Firefox. One property uses a relative path for Firefox versions that are located in the webdriver directory. You may put the Firefox version you want to use for SysNat tests there. Alternatively, you use the Firefox version already installed on your system. In that case use the absolute path property (absolute.path.to.firefox.root.dir). Typically Firefox is installed in C://Program Files//Mozilla Firefox, but check this and adapt the property so that SysNat can start Firefox. Also check that your Firefox is updated to at least verion 65 (in this case you do not need to adapt any driver setting).
The experience has been made that Firefox is the browser in which web application run most stable during automated GUI tests. SysNat uses Selenium 3.13.0 in combination with geckodriver in order to control web applications running on Firefox. The Selenium version can handle Firefox form at least version 45 up to at least 68. However, depending on the Firefox version, a suitable geckodriver must be used. Any time in future it will be necessary to download a new geckodriver version. Put it in the webdriver directory mentioned above and configure SysNat to use it in the execution.properties mentioned above.