Test Design Studio identifies syntax errors in real time as you type! All errors are underlined in the editor so that you can quickly identify the problem and fix it. QuickTest® Professional performs syntax checking when you save a file or think to kick it off manually, but Test Design Studio is constantly analyzing your syntax for immediate feedback.

Syntax checking is only half the story, and only ensures you follow the basic syntax of the language. Other errors are typically not revealed by QuickTest® Professional until you try to execute your tests because they are syntactically correct. These are the most time-consuming errors to fix because it is only during execution that you discover many silly mistakes. Oversights like declaring the same variable more than once because you copied/pasted code, forgetting to declare variables when 'Option Explicit' is used, or mistyping the name of a function/variable. When these issues are discovered at run-time, it usually means a significant loss of productivity. Tests have to be re-executed and application state must be restored.

Test Design Studio analyzes your code for many common errors and warns you about other potential logical errors. These issues are identified during design at the time of creation, not later when the code is actually executed and potential time has passed since the developer's mind was fresh.

Watch our Code Analysis Video to see this feature in action.

Test Design Studio offers a feature-rich and complete IntelliSense experience to bring more of the information you need right to the screen.

Watch our IntelliSense Video to see this feature in action.

Code Metrics are a useful tool implemented by Test Design Studio to provide an objective analysis of the complexity of your code. Higher code complexity typically leads to higher defect rates and decreased maintainability. The following metric values are calculated for major language elements including entire tests, class declarations, functions, and properties:

• Cyclomatic Complexity - measures the number of paths through your code. Inclusion of branch and loop statements (like 'If' and 'For') increases the number of paths.
• Lines of Code - counts the number of executable lines (ignores whitespace and comments).
• Halstead Metrics - (calculated behind the scenes) measures the vocabulary of your code by counting unique and total instances of operators and operands.
• Maintainability Index - all of the above metrics are used to calculate a maintainability index between 0 and 100. Values of 0-9 indicate high maintenance, 10-19 moderate maintenance, and 20-100 are low maintenance.

Test engineers can quickly locate code that might be hard to maintain or overly complex. Taking time to refactor the code can result in fewer errors and improved maintainability.

All the errors and warnings generated by syntax checking and language analysis are aggregated into a single view for your entire project. The Error List tool window allows you to quickly see which errors or warnings need to be addressed.

The Documenter is one of the most exciting features of Test Design Studio. With it, you can build detailed HTML Help Files or web-based documentation for your projects. Specifically, this tool is an excellent resource for defining the contents of publicly available function libraries used in typical automation projects. With documentation in-hand, your users have access to the information they need to be fast and efficient when working with the libraries.

You can view our on-line sample generated for the Mercury CSO WinRunner® Libraries, or download the compiled HTML Help File (Note: must save and open HTML Help file from local hard drive and may need to un-block the file).

Watch our Documenter Video to see this feature in action.

Test Design Studio is a supplement to QuickTest® Professional, so do you have to have it? The answer, of course, is "No". You do not have to use Test Design Studio to be successful with test automation. In the same regard, people do not have to have cars to get where they need to go. We could walk or ride a bike, but most of use choose to use cars because they are convenient and get us to our destination faster.

Test Design Studio serves a similar purpose in test automation, it is more convenient and will get us to our goal faster! Below are some of the key benefits to using Test Design Studio:

• Increased Productivity - Many of the features in Test Design Studio directly translate to increased productivity. We make it easier and faster to do what needs to get done, so the result is that you either get your job done faster or get more work done in the same amount of time. Check out our ROI Calculator to see how your increased productivity can translate into a huge return on your investment.
• Project Management - Test Design Studio offers a clear and easy way to manage all of the testing assets for your project. We have published a white paper on project management for QuickTest® that highlights how you can manage your projects both with and without Test Design Studio. I think you will see that not using Test Design Studio is much more difficult.
• Feature-rich IntelliSense - Typing code is cumbersome, so almost every IDE makes use of IntelliSense features like autocomplete. Just because most IDE's have this feature, they are not all created equal! Test Design Studio does more than provide a list of which methods are available. You get detailed information about how to use the method and the different parameters it expects. You also get full IntelliSense for user-defined classes! Compare the IntelliSense in Test Design Studio to what you get from just QuickTest®, and you will realize how much more information is presented from our tool. The more information you have, the less time you waste looking up documentation.
• Real-time Error Reporting - Since you see errors in your code as you create them, you are ability to quickly identify and resolve the issue. Without this real-time feedback, you may have moved on to other tasks before you ever learn about the problem. When that happens, you will have to waste time re-familiarizing yourself with the code before you can isolate and resolve the issue.
• Document Generator - Creating documentation for your automated framework is time-consuming and difficult to keep up-to-date. Test Design Studio allows you to write your documentation using special XML-based comments directly embedded with the relevant code, so it is easy to keep your documentation current. The same comments that drive IntelliSense will also drive your documentation, so you get multiple benefits from the same comments! Without a clearly documented framework, it can be very difficult for consumers of your framework to know about the functionality you have exposed and how to consume it. Test Design Studio brings well-organized and detailed documentation just a few clicks away!
• Code Quality Features - Studies have shown that we spend more time maintaining our code that we spend writing it, so the quality of the code we right has a direct impact on our ability to effectively maintain that code in the future. Through features like static code analysis and code metrics, Test Design Studio empowers you to create high-quality code. Follow this link to learn more about these powerful features or download our data sheet.
• First-Class Support - We pride ourselves on our product support. You do not have to fight you way past tier 1 support to get the answers you need. All our support tickets are serviced by individuals who not only know about the product, they also wrote the code! We are happy to say that many of our customers are amazed at the amount of information they get from their initial response, and many of those responses happen with a hour! Go ahead and ask your questions about our product to test-drive the support you will get.

You do not have to take our word for it. Read some of our reviews to hear what others are saying about Test Design Studio! Many well-regarded companies have already taken their automation to the next level with Test Design Studio, and you should too!

The following additional resources are available to help you learn more about our product:

• QuickTest® Feature Comparison - See what you gain by adding Test Design Studio to your automation tool suite
• Data Sheet - Code Quality - Learn how Test Design Studio can elevate the quality of your code
• White Paper - QuickTest® Project Management - Learn about project management techniques to use with QuickTest® and how Test Design Studio can help
• Feature Tour - Take a guided tour of the many features available with Test Design Studio
• Product Videos - Sit back and watch videos that demonstrate some key features
• ROI Calculator - Calculate just how much money you can save by incorporating Test Design Studio
• Online Documentation - Get all the details with the online documentation