With this post I am kickstarting a series of interviews with QTP experts. In the coming days we will get to know what experts from all corners of the globe think about QTP, what they look for in a potential QTP candidate and other such questions of key interest to QTP professionals. The same set of six questions were put to all the QTP experts. It would be interesting to see their answers on the subject, and I am sure that each one of us would have something to learn from them.

Today we have Yaron Assa – CTO of Solmar Knowledge Networks Ltd. and the founder member of advancedqtp.com

LearnQTP: If you could introduce one new feature in the next version of QTP, what would it be?

Yaron: The ability to write tests in VB.Net

LearnQTP: What is the toughest QTP challenge that you have faced?

Yaron: Automating Geo-tools and maps. Several of my projects have ESRI map controls on them; and building smart Geo automation has really took all of my creativity.interviews-qtp-experts

 

LearnQTP: Let’s say you are interviewing someone for a position of QTP test lead, and you can only ask 5 questions  to gauge the candidate’s knowledge. What are the 5 questions you would ask?

Yaron: These would’ve been the questions (assuming I’m targeting a highly professional position):

Q1. You don’t know how many WebEdits are in a page, but you have to fill them all up. How can you do that?

A1. Using Descriptive Programming with .ChildObjects to get the objects, then looping through them

Q2. How would you automate a non-standard web / java / .net control?

A2. Use object exploration techniques in the Runtime-Object level

Q3. You are given a sealed script, to which you’re supposed to add the following functionality – whenever a combobox is inputed, a report should be made to the log. How would you achieve that?

A3. Through RegisterUserFunc – overrun the combobox’s default Select method.

Q4. Build a class wrapper for some application screen / page.

A4. I would see how you approach the problem – Do you put enough emphasis on robustness, common design principles, and do you know how to work with classes.

Q5. I would ask you to analyze a piece of code, and tell me what it does.

A5. This is to see how fast can you learn new, unfamiliar code.

LearnQTP: Which feature of QTP was your most recent discovery?

Yaron: I only recently worked out a way to write QTP tests in Visual Studio .Net. It took some hard work and ugly workarounds, but it works!

LearnQTP: How significant is QTP certification to you when you’re screening candidates for a QTP tester position?

Yaron: Absolutely no significant whatsoever. I would much rather hire someone with real programming experience / course (or even just a gift for technology and logical thinking), than HP’s poor excuse for a certification.

LearnQTP: Please give a message for beginners in QTP.

Yaron: QTP is just a tool. Invest your time in learning about programming, design patterns and logical thinking, and you’ll become an extremely competent QTP engineer. Also – Don’t let the hard work discourage you. Even the world’s top QTP experts were once in your shoes – motivation, determination and hard work will always get you through – just don’t give up mid-way!