FAQ

With over 20 years of experience in business automation, T-Plan is chosen by global businesses from Blue Chip to SME, charities to Government bodies to provide business process automation and GUI test automation tools for business-critical processes.

Releases

We schedule a point release every quarter, with a major release once a year. A breakdown of releases for example can be found in our T-Plan Robot Enterprise Versions document.

We also have an OTA (over the air) update mechanism, where customers can get automatic upgrades & updates to bug fixes etc. When bugs are reported we are not beaten by anyone in our speed to get these turned around. Where applicable these fixes can be released as a ‘point.point’ release; to a specific customer, or the customer base as a whole.

What are the differences between each major release project?

Each major release may contain a mixture of new features, feature updates and bug fixes. The exact list of items included in each release can be viewed in our T-Plan Robot Enterprise Versions document.

I am on the x.x version. How can I upgrade?

Please view our detailed release notes section on Migration And Upgrade.

Which version of Java is required by T-Plan Robot Enterprise?

While it is always recommended to use the latest Java versions, Robot will run on Java 6 (formerly 1.6) or higher.

If you want to take advantage of Java test scripts, you have to use the Java Development Kit (JDK) rather than Java Runtime Environment (JRE). The difference is that JDK contains compiler needed for runtime compilation of Java code. If you use just a JRE, the tool will run but it won’t allow you to compile and execute Java source code (.java files). This limitation doesn’t apply to already compiled Java test scripts (.class files).

Java requirements are documented in the Release Notes document.

Licensing & Business

What licenses are required to run T-Plan Robot Enterprise?

T-Plan Robot Enterprise uses two types of license:

Development – design, develop and debug projects using the Robot Enterprise application.
Execution – execution only licenses can be pooled to allow multiple concurrent executions across different projects and System Under Test’s (SUT’s).

All licenses are centrally managed by the T-Plan License Server.
Licenses are concurrent and can be used against any platform to automate any environment. Windows, Mac, Desktop, Web, Mobile, iOS, Android – mix and match as you please.

How do trial licenses work?

Upon commencement of a trial, you will be emailed a license URL to enter on first launch of the Robot application.

The trial license offers provision for both the development and execution of test scripts through the T-Plan Robot UI and/or CLI.
The trial licenses are fully functional and restricted only by time.

When the trial period expires, whilst you do not lose any work that you have done, you will be unable to run any aspect of T-Plan Robot. If you purchase the product the product will resume and you can continue your work.

Are production licenses the same as trial ones?

Essentially yes.

The only potential difference is when purchasing Robot, you will have the choice to use a hosted license (via a provided URL, in the same way as your trial) or to install and host your own internal License Server. The later is generally used for closed/offline networks.

Can I purchase just an Execution license?

No. You must purchase at least one Development license in order to design and develop your automation projects, prior to being able to execute them.

What does the Support and Maintenance cover?

During a valid support and maintenance contract you have full access to all product updates. Beta and minor point releases, through to major feature releases are all included.

If you have any problems or questions, or simply want some advice, you can communicate with our support team through phone, email, or web chat on any of the website pages.

What Versions of T-Plan Robot Enterprise are available?

T-Plan Robot Enterprise is provided as a paid for licensed product.
For further details of features included in the different releases please see the Versions Comparison table.

So... How Many Licenses do I need to Buy?

The Development license is not named to an individual, and not tied to a particular computer, i.e. the license is floating, not node locked.

For an example purchase of 5 Development licenses, this allows 5 users to use T-Plan Robot Enterprise at any given time, even if there are 100 computers that have T-Plan Robot Enterprise installed.
Similarly a purchase of 5 Execution licenses, only allows 5 live connections to any System Under Test (SUT) at any one time.

Further Licensing Questions?

Should you have any further questions regarding pricing, or the license, please contact our Sales department through the T-Plan Contacts page.
Please select the following links for more information on the Software License Agreement and the Product Support & Maintenance Contract.

Trials

How can I trial T-Plan Robot Enterprise?

Our software is offered as a FREE 2 week trial. Extensions to this timeframe are available on request. Please contact us for more information.

You will be provided with a download link for the Robot desktop application, along with a license URL to enter on first launch.

The only prerequisites are that you have Java installed on your workstation and an internet connection to access your license session.

Community & Projects

What do you mean when you talk about 'community'?

Many existing features and improvements were actually suggested by active users who provided feedback. The T-Plan Robot community for us means the network of our lovely customers, and those using our toolset.

We welcome any feedback whether it is a bug report, feature suggestion or general recommendation and these can be submitted using any of the contact methods. We look forward to welcoming you to our family!

How could I ask questions or provide feedback?

If you would like to provide feedback of any nature please contact us on the web (support@t-plan.com, contact details) or web chat to us on any of the website pages.

If you would like to know more about our Products or Services, then please contact us at sales@t-plan.com, leave your contact details, or contact you local representative.

Plugins

Where do I find additional feature plugins?

Check out our Plugins page. Listed here are plugins which were developed by us. We will also link plugins provided by our community.

I have downloaded a plugin JAR file. Do I have to add it to the Java class path?

No. The path to the plugin JAR file or class path gets saved to the user plugin configuration XML file. The Plugin Manager will load it dynamically upon the application start. If you however move the tool into another folder, you need to either add the plugin JAR to the Java class path or plug it in again.

Can I uninstall a built-in plugin?

No. So called “built-in plugins” represent core classes from the product JAR binaries and they cannot be uninstalled. They can be however disabled.

How do I add a new feature or replace an existing one with my own Java code?

Refer to the T-Plan Robot Plugin Framework document. It is linked to the Java code documentation.

I want to translate the software messages and publish it. How do I do it?

Follow the steps in the localization guide. If you want us to endorse your translated message file, send us an email at support@t-plan.com and we will link it after a review, to our download site.

I want to write a plugin and publish it. How do I do it?

Follow steps described in the Plugin Framework manual. If you wish to make the plugin public to the community, email us at support@t-plan.com and we will link it after a review, to our download site.

How do I install a translated message (localized) file?

Just copy it to the folder where you installed the tool to. It will pick it up after restart and make it available in the Language drop down of the Login Dialog.

Technical

What verification methods are available within T-Plan Robot?

The most commonly used verification methods are:

Image recognition [read more]
Text recognition [read more]

Advanced image detection algorithms allow Robot scripts to verify whether an item is present on the visible display, or not, within fractions of a second. Dynamic wait times mean no unnecessary delays to your execution.

Through OCR or image based text recognition T-Plan Robot can identify text displayed on the screen and make it available for you to use thereafter. This feature can be used to verify that a particular word or phrase is present or simply to log what text is being displayed.

Can I use T-Plan Robot to automate a mobile device?

Yes!

Numerous environments can be automated, including Windows, Mac, Linux, Desktop applications, Web applications, Flash, Flex, HTML5 and many more.

Mobile phones and tablets are also supported for Android, iOS and Windows Phone.

For more information please see our summary page.

Does Robot have record and playback capability?

Yes.

Our advanced recorder makes the task of scripting a quick and simple job. Simply connect to your target environment, activate the recorder and perform your desired actions. Once complete, review the generated script actions and amend them if necessary before re-executing it.

Generating scripts and actions through the recorder makes automation accessible to those with even the most modest experience.

For more information please see our Script Recorder page.

Which scripting formats are supported by T-Plan Robot?

Automation scripts can currently be created in both of the following formats:

“TPR”
Java

The TPR format is T-Plans proprietary scripting language. Following a basic principle of “<command> <parameter>” while using simple English command names, such as Click, Swipe, Type, Log, Screenshot, etc, means that this is a very intuitive and easy to follow language.

An example of a TPR script is as follows:

Click image template=Browser
Type “I love T-Plan Robot”
Click image template=Search
Screenshot “SearchResults.png”
Press Alt+f4
Log “Test Completed.”

Java formatted scripts can be generated and edited within Robot using the same features and functionality as standard TPR scripts. Alternatively Java scripts can be created and edited in 3rd party Java editors such as NetBeans and Eclipse.

Finally TPR scripts can be exported into Java format if needed however both formats can call and reference scripts of the other format.

FAQ

With over 20 years of experience in business automation, T-Plan is chosen by global businesses from Blue Chip to SME, charities to Government bodies to provide business process automation and GUI test automation tools for business-critical processes.

Releases

Licensing & Business

Trials

Community & Projects

Plugins

Technical

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