QTP: How to post back to the Quality Center Execution Grid during test execution

One of the issues we face is that when our QTP tests fail is that we need to load up the QTP results to see what's happened. If a group of tests have all failed at the same point then usually it's due to the same reasons (typically environmental or a data error). If we can post some of this information back to the QC Exeuction Grid then it potentially saves us time from opening all of the results.

The code below will show you how to do this from within QTP. There are a few things to bear in mind:

1. Our framework uses a custom reporting function through which all pass, fails, warnings etc are passed. Therefore it allows us to single out errors and post them back to QC.
2. The QC field has a limitation of 255 chars, so we use this only to post the last error. Our QC field is called "Error Details".
3. It's used to give us a quick snapshot as to the cause of the failure so we can determine to rerun or investigate the result further. This isn't intended to replace results analysis - we don't "pass" tests until we've fully investigated the results.

The code:

Sub WriteToQCExecutionGrid(strValue)
 Const QCFieldName = "Error Details" 'change this to match your QC field name
 Dim strThisTestName
 Dim objTSTestFactory
 Dim objField
 Dim objTestList, objTest
 Dim blnTestFound : blnTestFound = false
 Dim strInternalFieldName 
 Dim objQCTestInstance

 'setup default values
 strInternalFieldName = ""

 'See if we're connected to QC 
 If not qcutil.IsConnected Then 
  exit sub
 End if

 'See it we're connected to a test lab test set
 If (qcutil.CurrentTestSet is nothing) Then 
  exit sub
 end if

 'Connect to the ts test factory - this represents the execution grid
 Set objTSTestFactory = qcutil.CurrentTestSet.TSTestFactory
 'Now search through the fields to see if we can find one called Error Details"
 For each objField in objTSTestFactory.Fields
  If (objField.Property.UserLabel = QCFieldName) then 
   strInternalFieldName = objField.Name
   Exit for
  End if
 Next

 'If we didn't find the field name, exit
 If strInternalFieldName = "" Then exit sub

 strThisTestName = qcutil.CurrentTestSetTest.Name

 'Now find this test in the execution grid
 Set objTestList = objTSTestFactory.NewList("")
 For Each objTest In objTestList   
  If (objTest.Name = strThisTestName) Then
   'Test was found, so update flag and exit
   Set objQCTestInstance = objTest
   blnTestFound = true
   Exit for
  End If
 Next 

 If not blnTestFound Then 
  exit sub
 End If

 'objQCTestInstance will now hold the test that we need to update
 objQCTestInstance.Field(gstrInternalFieldName) = strValue
 objQCTestInstance.post
End Sub

Example:

Call WriteToQCExecutionGrid("Failed to Load Webpage")