What is Katalon Studio - Complete Tutorial Guide

Undeniably, Katalon Studio is one of the most well-recognized tools for automated testing. With time, more and more testing engineers are opting for this specific tool over others. The platform streamlines the running of automated tests for APIs, web interfaces, Windows desktops, and mobile apps.
Along with that, it also helps with test recording and lets you create up-to-the-mark analysis reports. For those who aren’t well-averse to Katalon Studio, this post sheds light on this tool. Let’s find out how this tool is going to be beneficial for you. 

Table of Content - Katalon Studio Tutorial

➤ What is Katalon Studio? ➤ Key Features of Katalon Studio  ➤ Katalon Studio Installation  ➤ Katalon Studio Workflow ➤ Web Testing Project with Katalon Studio ➤ Why Choosing Katalon Studio Over Selenium? ➤ Why Choosing Katalon Studio Over QTP/UFT or Test Complete?

What is Katalon Studio?

Katalon Studio is one comprehensive toolset that is designed for mobile app and web automation testing. It comprises a complete package of robust features that assist in overcoming regular challenges faced during web UI test automation, such as wait-time, iFrame pop-up, and more.

This one is a versatile and user-friendly solution that helps testers work faster, test better, and launch qualitative software. The intelligence of this tool makes the entire test automation process seamless. 

Key Features of Katalon Studio

Some of the key features of Katalon Studio are:

Simple and Easy Deployment

A cohesive, single deployment package of Katalon Studio has almost everything required to deploy this powerful and significant test automation tool. 

Easy and Quick Set-Up

Along with simple installation, this tool also makes it easier for you to set it up in its environment. Being a tester, you can run the first script quickly with the help of pre-built test scripts and templated, like keyword libraries and object repositories.

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Quick and Better Results

The inbuilt templates come with succinct tutorials that further help tests build and run the automation test scripts quickly. Be it the setup of a project, creation of a test, execution, generating reports, or maintenance, you can perfect every step with efficiency and speed. 

Flexible Modes

The tool offers a variety of flexible modes as well. You can use the recordings and use keywords to build automation tests if you are a new tester. However, if you are an expert in this domain, you get to access a complete IDE to develop advanced scripts.

Ease of Use

One of the best things about this tool is that it is easier to use. Even if you have minimum programming experience, you can still make the most out of it effortlessly.

Multiple OS Applications

Katalon Studio easily supports a variety of platforms, such as OS X 10.5+ and Windows 32 and 64 (7, 8, and 10).

Katalon Studio Installation

When it comes to installation, the process supports a variety of resources and is easy enough. For Katalon Studio installation, the prerequisites are:

• A valid email ID to activate the Katalon account
• Active internet connection to download the tool

Apart from this, the system requirements are:

• Operating System: Windows (7, 8, and 10) and macOS 10.11+
• Hard Drive: A minimum of 1GB of hard disk space
• CPU: 1 GHz or faster 32-bit (x86) or 64-bit (x64) processor
• Memory: 1 GB RAM (32-bit) or 2 GB RAM (64-bit)

For Katalon Studio installation, jotted down below are some easy steps:

• Visit the Katalon Studio official website
• Click Download
• Give in the asked information, such as your name, valid email ID, password
• Read and agree to the privacy policy
• Click Download
• Select the needed download version 
• Click Accept and Download
• Once the download has been completed, visit the folder where the Katalon Studio tool was downloaded
• To install it, run Katalon.exe
• Enter the account credentials that you used when signing up
• Once Katalon is launched, you are ready to automate

Katalon Studio Workflow

To understand how this tool works better, let’s find out more about Katalon Studio workflow:

INITIATE

• Integral Project Templates: Katalon Studio makes the testing process easier by providing inbuilt templates for organizing test cases, keywords, and object repositories.
• Multiple Capabilities: The tool completely supports web, android, iOS, and API testing on every operating system.
• Hassle-Free Tool Integration: It is easy to integrate with GIT, Jenkins, and JIRA with native plugins.

CREATE

• Automatic Test Generation: It records actions and creates scripts automatically through inbuilt keywords.
• Hi-end Scripting: It allows the building of advanced test scripts or customizable keywords with utmost efficiency and ease.
• Smart Object Capturing: Through an advanced recorder, it has become possible to detect object properties to maximize recognition.

OPERATE

• Powerful Test Execution: It helps run test suites or test cases through varying configurations and data sets.
• Versatile Execution: The CI integration console has an array of parameters for remote execution. It also runs tests on several browsers and operating systems locally or with Sauce Labs and BrowserStack.
• Flexible Handling of Failure and Auto Re-Execution: It also comprises run-time rules to automatically look after complicated execution flows.

Related Article: Difference Between Katalon vs Cypress

REPORT

• Reports Available in Varying Formats: In this tool, you can create reports in a variety of formats, such as screenshots, debug data, and advanced logging.
• Customized Execution Reports: The bespoke reports can be integrated easily with the notification workflow.
• Improved Appium and Selenium Logs: You get enhanced analysis features to improve the automation strategy.

MAINTAIN

• Intelligent Maintenance of Test Object: You get to automatically update all of your associated test suites and cases when objects get changed.
• Effective Test Organization: It allows you to manage and maintain tests, keywords, and data with ease. 
• Effortless Team Collaboration: You can integrate the tool with GIT to enable team members to effortlessly share workload and artifacts.

Web Testing Project with Katalon Studio

Here is a quick guide that will help you in web testing projects with Katalon Studio. Let’s have a look:

Creating Test Cases Using Record and Playback

If you wish to create test cases with record and playback, follow these steps:

• On the main toolbar, click the New Test Case option
• Give a name to the test case and click OK
• Again, from the main toolbar, click Record and the record dialog will get displayed
• To begin recording the test case, click the Record option
• Now, on the browser, execute all of the test steps and every action performed on the browser will get recorded by Katalon Studio
• If you want, you can Pause or Stop the recording 
• Once done, click OK to save the recorded actions
• A prompt will appear on your screen asking you to save captured objects into the Katalon Studi’s Object Repository, click OK
• To execute the script, open the main Toolbar and click the Run option

You must keep in mind that all of these steps help you create and run a simple test case. 

Creating Test Cases Using Script Mode in Katalon Studio

With Katalon Studio, you can programmatically write automation tests in the Script view. Let’s find out more about it:

• Open the browser and navigate to a website
• Click certain control and validate if the control exists on the page
• Close the browser

Now, follow these steps to automate the test scenario in Script view:

• To create a test case, from the main menu, choose File and click New and then click Test Case
• Once the test case is created, switch to the Script view
• Test steps that have been specified in the Manual view get automatically translated to Groovy script in the Script view

In a test script, the import statement lets a reference to classes be used. To see all of the default imported classes, expand the Import section. In each import statement, the name after ‘as’ is an alias for the class. For each class, you can change the alias. 

Also, all of the keywords are grouped into WebService, Mobile, and WebUP packages accordingly. To view these functions and packages from the imported classes, press CTRL + Space.

• In this situation, you will have to create a web application test script; thus, you can use the Web UI built-in keywords
• To use them, enter WebUI syntax in the editor
• Once you’ve entered the dot character (.), all of the inbuilt keywords and their description for WebUI testing will appear on your screen
• Choose the Open Browser keyword and it will navigate to the specific URL (if you’ve provided it) 
• A popup screen will show the details for the chosen keyword
• Type in the Navigate to URL keyword and it will navigate you to a specific URL 
• Enter the Click and this keyword is meant to represent the click action on the given object, you will have to specify the object for this action
• In Object Repository, to refer to an object, you can follow this syntax: findTestObject ( ‘ {Object ID} ‘ ) Here, the Object ID is the object’s ID in Katalon Studio that can be found from the Properties dialog
• Enter the Verify Element Present keyword and it will validate if a specific object is showcased on the executing browser
• Add in the Close Browser keyword and save the test case

Creating Test Cases Using Manual Mode

If the test cases comprise keywords that represent users’ actions on the Applications Under Test (AUT), the Katalon Studio supports keywords-driven testing. This lets those with less programming experience to generate automation tests with ease. With this step-by-step guide, you can create test cases using manual mode:

• Open the browser and go to a website
• Click on a specific control and validate if it exists on the page
• Close the browser

Now, follow these steps to automate the test scenario in manual mode:

• To create a test case, choose File and then New and Test Case from the main menu
• Give a name to the test case and click OK
• Once it is created, it will get opened in the Manual view, which will let you define steps for the test case seamlessly with little programming skills
• From the command toolbar, choose Add > Web UI Keyword
• Choose the Open Browser keyword and it will open a browser and will navigate you to a specific URL (if provided)
• Add the Navigate to URL keyword and it will navigate to a specific URL

On the Input cell, double click to offer additional data for the keyword

• The Input dialogue will be displayed where every row will represent one parameter, such as

Field	Description
No	Parameter order for the selected keyword
Param Name	The name of the parameter.
Param Type	The data type of the parameter, such as Test Data Value, Variable or String
Value Type	The type of input value, such as Test Data Value, Variable or String
Value	The input value for this parameter. Input value varies based on the specified Value Type

• In the Value column, enter any URL and click OK
• Add the Click keyword and it will represent a click action on an object, double click on the Object cell to open the Test Object Input dialogue
• All of the captured objects in the Object Repository will be displayed in the Test Object Input dialog, choose your object and click Ok
• Add the Verify Element Present keyword and it will validate if a specific object will be displayed on the executing browser
• Add the Close Browser keyword and save the test case
• To execute the test case, click Run in the main toolbar

And, you are done.

Why Choosing Katalon Studio Over Selenium?

Here are some reasons that will help you make a better decision between Katalon Studio and Selenium:

• Katalon Studio conceals all of the technical complications behind the scene and offers a friendly UI with the manual mode. Moreover, it still retains required weapons for more technically powerful users who can dig deeper into coding with scripting mode that completely supports the conveniences of development, such as debugging, code suggesting, and syntax highlighting
• With Selenium, you will have to go through technical guidelines for the API and integrate the same into a preferred programming language and an IDE. On the contrary, Katalon Studio is developed as a unified bundle that comprises every required thing, such as web drivers to drive browsers, Android SDK, Java, and needed dependencies. All you will have to do is download and install the tool to get started
•  While Selenium needs you to build reusable and common actions on your own, Katalon Studio comprises pre-defined sets of commonly used actions or keywords. You will find them satisfactory enough to begin implementing most of the test cases. 

Why Choosing Katalon Studio Over QTP/UFT or Test Complete?

If you wish to compare Katalon Studio and QTP/UFT or Test Complete, the following points will clear your doubts:

• Katalon Studio doesn’t charge anything for licensing and maintenance. On the other hand, UFT/Test Complete offers a cost-prohibitive solution that has high fees for licensing and maintenance
• Katalon Studio provides free upgrades but UFT/Test Complete has high fees for upgrades as well as add-on modules
• Katalon Studio is a cross-platform solution while UFT/Test Complete works only on Windows

Conclusion

Now that you have understood this Katalon Studio tool, you’d be ready to decide better, right? This user-friendly solution surely helps testers work quicker than usual. Dive deeper into this tool and find out how you can effectively and seamlessly create efficient automation scripts.