User Acceptance Testing in Business Central Made Easy
- John Ellis
- Sep 19, 2024
- 3 min read
Updated: Sep 1
User Acceptance Testing (UAT) is a critical phase in the implementation of Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central.
This process ensures that the system meets the business requirements and functions as expected in real-world scenarios. UAT involves end users testing various business processes to validate that the system performs correctly after any changes or updates.
One of the latest features enhancing this process is “Page Scripting,” which allows users to record their actions within the application. This innovative tool captures events such as opening pages, entering data, and selecting actions, providing immediate feedback on whether the tests pass or fail.
(Testing of the new “Page Scripting” feature for this blog article was conducted in Version 24.4.22295.22393.)
Steps to User Acceptance Testing in Business Central
How to Open Page Scripting
Click the “Settings” button found in the top right-hand corner of Business Central, to access Page Scripting:
Testing
Upon clicking the “Start new” button, click the red dot to begin recording:
Once you have concluded your testing, click the “Stop” button.
As a simple example, we tested opening and closing the “Sales Quote” screen:
To replay these steps and determine if testing was successful, click the “Play” button:
Like a macro, clicking the “Play” button replays your actions. In clicking Play, the Sales Quote will reopen and reclose.
Using the other “VCR” buttons at the top of the pane, you may rewind and fast forward.
How to Save
Click the ellipsis button at the top of Page Scripting, to save the test as a “YAML” file:
After saving, you may later reopen the test by clicking the “Open” button seen when first accessing Page Scripting.
YAML is a data interchange file, and more information may be found at yaml.org.
Analyzing Your Tests
When you click the ellipsis button to the right of any of the steps that you conducted, you may choose Run to here:
Doing so allows you to troubleshoot the results of your UAT.
Microsoft's Guidelines
Microsoft provides the following published best practices and examples, in the use of Page Scripting:
Start recording from a well-known place, like the Role Center, because playback always starts from current page.
When you select a value in a grid, filter it so that the desired value is the first one.
Create new entities to use in a test, whenever possible. For example, create a new customer to use in the new Sales Order test.
Avoid dependencies on data that might not be available during playback.
Break down recording to small parts for easier maintenance, for example:
Recording 1: setup user.
Recording 2: create customer.
Recording 3: create Sales Order.
Recording 4: post Sales Order.
Security
To record, your user account must have the “PAGESCRIPTING – REC” permission set or equivalent permissions.
To play a recording, your user account must have the “PAGESCRIPTING – PLAY” permission set or equivalent permissions.
Sharing Test Results
When clicking the “Share” button, you’ll make a copy of the Business Central environment and the results of your testing.
This makes it easy for your administrator, consultant, or project manager to review results.
The following is an example of such a URL:
Conclusion
User Acceptance Testing is indispensable for the successful deployment and ongoing optimization of Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central.
The introduction of Page Scripting significantly enhances the UAT process by offering a straightforward and efficient way to validate business processes.
By enabling end users to record and replay their actions, this feature ensures that any issues are identified and addressed promptly, leading to a more reliable and user-friendly system.
Embracing UAT and leveraging tools like Page Scripting can greatly contribute to the overall success and user satisfaction of Business Central implementations.
Reach out with any questions or schedule a free consultation.
