Variables Unbound On Upgrade

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costamesakid
Posts: 94
Joined: Tue Jun 16, 2009 10:27 pm

Variables Unbound On Upgrade

Post by costamesakid » Tue Jan 07, 2014 11:23 am

I recently upgraded from Ranorex 4.0.2 to Version 4.1.4. This upgrade resulted in all my variables becoming unbound. This is 5000+ variables I need to bind again. Is there any work around for this issue? Thanks

MarkusT

Re: Variables Unbound On Upgrade

Post by MarkusT » Tue Jan 07, 2014 4:11 pm

Hello,

This should not happen if you only update your Ranorex version.
Did you perform any action on your data source (e.g. rename column name in Excel file)?
Please provide more information about your Test Suite structure and your data bindings.

Do you use any kind of source control tool (e.g. TFS or SVN)?
In this case, you could go back to an earlier version of you solution.

Regards,
Markus (T)

costamesakid
Posts: 94
Joined: Tue Jun 16, 2009 10:27 pm

Re: Variables Unbound On Upgrade

Post by costamesakid » Thu Jan 09, 2014 8:19 am

Maybe this will help diagnose the problem?

Please look at the 2 screen shots below. Each are using the same exact solution from SVN.

The 1st is using Ranorex Version 4.0.2. – Notice there are 10 bound variables.

The 2nd is using Ranorex 4.0.6 – Notice there are still 10 bound variables, but also hundreds of unbound variables. So Where did these ‘mystery variables’ come from is the question? Thanks for the help.
4.0.2.jpg
4.0.6.jpg
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craig77
Posts: 7
Joined: Fri Sep 13, 2013 1:52 pm

Re: Variables Unbound On Upgrade

Post by craig77 » Fri Jan 10, 2014 12:32 pm

Hi,

This same problem has now happened to me twice - the first time, following an upgrade from 4.1.1 to 4.1.2 and then again today following an upgrade yesterday from 4.1.2 to 4.1.4. I have several hundred variables that I now need to re-bind.

I can't identify any pattern for this other than to say that on both occasions the loss of bindings did not happen straight away - this particular time the upgrade was yesterday and the bindings have just disappeared today. All I did prior to this today was create a new project within my solution, added a reference in the new project to my existing test suite, then deleted that reference as I realised I didn't need it, then bosh, variables gone! :evil:

As per the suggestion earlier in this thread, I do not have my scripts under version control and therefore do not have a previous version that I can roll back to. I do have a backup but it's not right up to date and will involve me repeating some of the work I have already done.

Not happy.

krstcs
Posts: 2683
Joined: Tue Feb 07, 2012 4:14 pm
Location: Austin, Texas, USA

Re: Variables Unbound On Upgrade

Post by krstcs » Fri Jan 10, 2014 2:58 pm

First, I would suggest that you immediately look into getting on a version control system of some kind. Most of them are free. We use GitHub, but it does not directly integrate with Ranorex, so there are extra steps. You can also look into Subversion, which is also free and integrated into Ranorex.

Remember that software test automation is a software development project, just like any other, with all the same logistical needs.


As for the loss of bindings, have you notice whether you are having the same issue as costamesakid? It may be that your suite is SHOWING unbound variables, while the reality is that the actual variables are bound, but the unbound marker is displaying when it shouldn't.
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craig77
Posts: 7
Joined: Fri Sep 13, 2013 1:52 pm

Re: Variables Unbound On Upgrade

Post by craig77 » Sun Jan 12, 2014 5:02 pm

Thanks krstcs, I will look into implementing Subversion this week.

Unfortunately, I can confirm that the variable bindings are definitely all completely gone. I'd be interested to see if the Support Team could offer a suggestion as to why this might have happened, especially since this has now happened twice, both times very soon after upgrades.

costamesakid
Posts: 94
Joined: Tue Jun 16, 2009 10:27 pm

Re: Variables Unbound On Upgrade

Post by costamesakid » Mon Jan 13, 2014 10:30 pm

Hopefully this will help shed some light on the problem as this really holding our testing efforts back.

The screenshot below was taken using a solution built in Ranorex 4.0.3. Notice the 7 variables 'In Use From Repository'. Using the SAME solution in 4.0.2 these 7 variables were not present in this list. These variables are taken from xPaths in the repo 'toolname' is one such variable. For some reason between 4.0.2 and 4.0.3 Ranorex added all my xPath variables as recording variables and thus they displayed as unbound.
ScreenHunter_544 Jan. 13 15.19.jpg
ScreenHunter_545 Jan. 13 15.20.jpg
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BernhardS
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Joined: Tue Dec 17, 2013 6:35 pm

Re: Variables Unbound On Upgrade

Post by BernhardS » Tue Jan 14, 2014 2:11 pm

Hello costamesakid,

I have already heard about a similar issue, but we were not able to reproduce it until now. We would like to analyze the issue in more detail.
Is it possible to send us your project to [email protected]?
Thank you!

Regards
Bernhard

krstcs
Posts: 2683
Joined: Tue Feb 07, 2012 4:14 pm
Location: Austin, Texas, USA

Re: Variables Unbound On Upgrade

Post by krstcs » Wed Jan 15, 2014 3:16 pm

Are you using those repo objects (such as "MenuItemToolbar_Name") in your user code? If you are, then those variables SHOULD be in the module's list since the object is being used in the recording module.

I had issues with 4.0.1/2 not listing variables that were only used in user code, could that be the issue here?
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