Is the free version really free ? Is there some limitations of any kind?

Yes, it is free. No, there is no limitation in time, number of users supported etc. The commercial versions have more features but the free version is enough to handle simple projects.


Why is the free version free?

We believe in the model where a program is free so that students, startups, micro-companies can use it without any expenses. Companies that need more professional features and that care about support and availability can purchase Commercial Licenses from XQual.
XQual is also making money by providing services and advertising on the "not supported" copies. This allows us to keep up the good work.


I found a bug. Where can I submit it?

Bugs can be reported through the dedicated forum. The community may answer to the question and help you on this. If you purchased a Commercial License, you can directly contact support@xqual.com to get an quick answer and/or a bug-fix.
In any case please activate activate the traces and provide these traces, indicate the exact version you're running, the client OS. It's also a good idea to check first the integrity of your database by clicking on the menu item Tools > Check database integrity


I have Vista and I cannot run XStudio, what's the problem?

Starting with Vista, programs are no longer allowed to write into the Program Files path. If a program attempts to write anywhere into Program Files, a permission denied error will occur. Unfortunately, XStudio writes all its data (i.e. xstudio.conf or bugtracking.conf) there.

There are 3 ways to workaround it:
  • 1) Use the web package: this avoid all sort of problem as there is no install to do client side
  • 2) Install XStudio on a folder with no security limitation (i.e. C:\Users\<your account>)
  • 3) Disable Vista's security features To do so, disable the UAC of the system. To do this, follow this procedure:

    • In the Control Panel, click User Accounts and Family Safety
    • Click User Accounts
    • Click Turn User Account Control off
    • Click on OK
    • When prompted, restart the computer (the changes will affect all users on the computer)
    • Re-install XStudio

If you still have problems running XStudio, copy the file xstudio.conf and bugtracking.conf to:
C:\Users\<username>\AppData\Local\VirtualStore\Program Files\Xqual\Xstudio\bin\


Is it planned to have a better documentation in the future?

Yes, the user guide will be improved in the future (even if it's already much better than most of all the other free test management tools on the market). But for now, the priority is still to adding new features. XStudio's users rarely need to read the documentation (even non-technical people) as it is very user-friendly and intuitive.


I'm getting an error when I start XStudio on Linux, what is the problem?

You need to have permission to write file in bin and exports folders. The easier is to run XStudio as root.


In my campaign, all tests are skipped (not executed), what is the problem?

You need to set all your tests as implemented. During execution, only implemented tests are executed.


XStudio is not yet localized for my language

It is very easy to localize XStudio. There is a quite simple procedure to add a custom localization described here.


Why do I get "#### Java Web Start Error" at startup time?

This means you updated your web package and overwritten your new (virgin) config files with the older one. Most of the time it works but when some new parameters are added in a release, it is not there anymore and the systems needs it. Reinstall properly the web package, start a client from your browser, edit the conf file using the GUI, save the conf file and copy it to the web package install.


The "skin" of the GUI is weird on my system. How can I fix this?

XStudio is a java application that will automatically apply to its GUI a look and feel returned by your OS. Nevertheless, on certain exotic (often linux based) GUI, the resulting skin may look "weird". In this case, you can enforce XStudio to use the cross-platform look and feel. On the linux fat client, add the following option to the java interpreter:

-Dswing.systemlaf=com.sun.javax.swing.plaf.metal.CrossPlatformLookAndFeel

If you're using the web package, you can add the following entry under the resources node of the xstudio.jnlp file:

<property name="swing.systemlaf" value="com.sun.javax.swing.plaf.metal.CrossPlatformLookAndFeel"/>


When I use the web package, my proprietary launcher does not appear in the combobox...

If you use the standalone version, XStudio can find by itself the launchers available locally on the disk. However, it you're using the web package you need to povide the list of the launchers in the bin/launchers/launchers.xml file



Since I updated XStudio my launcher is crashing or behaving weirdly. Why that?

The launchers MUST be compiled using the SDK provided with the version of XStudio running. When you update XStudio, you will very likely need to recompile your custom launcher(s) using the new SDK (even if the sources were not modified) as there may have internal symbols incompatibilties.



I've got an error from MySql: "(max = 255); Use BLOB or TEXT instead"

You're using an old version of MySql you must upgrade to the latest version.



How do I get the log of XStudio?

With the standalone version of XStudio (or any other executable), instead of executing xstudio.exe you can start xstudio_console.exe. A DOS box will automatically popup and will display the traces.
Increasing the screen buffer size (Properties > Layout > Screen Buffer Size > Height = 9999) of the window is a good idea as the default value is pretty small.


With the web package, you need to activate the java console to see the log:
But the screen buffer size is also pretty small and it's advised to activate the tracing so that a trace file is automatically created for you.
To activate the traces:
Settings > Control Panel > Java > Advanced > Debugging > Enable tracing
Settings > Control Panel > Java > Advanced > Java Console > Show console





Note: on Windows, the trace file will is generated in:
C:\Documents and Settings\<your account>\Application Data\Sun\Java\Deployment\log
The trace file name is generated and is similar to javaws1287369374028910351.trace.

XStudio works fine in its standalone version but cannot make it work from the web what Am I doing wrong?

If the standalone works fine, it means that the xstudio.conf is correct. However a few things can be checked before going to web deployment:
  • From the standalone install, ensure you're using a real name or a IP address for the parameter database_server. do NOT use localhost
  • Check in the xstudio.jnlp file that you're NOT using localhost either but the same name/IP address for the codebase attribute
  • Check you do not have extra leading or ending space in the parameter's values in xstudio.conf
  • Then, if the standalone version works fine (you can start XStudio, login and use it), you can just copy xstudio.conf to your web server install (overwrite the default one in the bin directory)
  • Copy the driver you're using in the standalone version to the web server as well (in bin/jdbc directory).
  • In some cases, this may be due to DNS issues. A workaround is to insert the hostname into /etc/hosts (like 127.0.0.1 realhostname)
  • It can also be due to networking issue. One thing people sometimes need to do is to change the network settings of ther Java client:
    Settings > Control Panel > Java > General > Network Settings.
    It may be needed to select Direct Connection instead of Use Browser Settings or vice-versa. In some other cases, it may be necessary to set the company proxy settings manually.
  • As a last resort, you can try to clear the Java cache:
    Settings > Control Panel > Java > Advanced > Temp Files > Show
    Select all the XStudio instances, delete them and try again...


The instructions related to xstudio.conf are alos valid for bugtracking.conf.


I'm getting an exception java.lang.IlegalArgumentexception: Null input buffer. What did I do wrong?

This means you probably edited manually the xstudio.conf or bug-tracking.conf files and included plain text passwords. This is important to NEVER edit manually those files as all passwords fields must be encrypted by XStudio. If you edit manually a password you make the complete file corrupted and unreadable by XStudio.


To get back to a normal situation, edit manually (yes, that's an exception!) the file and give the following value for all the passwords you manually edited: 0102030405060708A1A2A3A4A5A6A7A8. This of course corresponds to a wrong password but will make the configuration file valid again and XStudio will make you possible to change this password later through its GUI interface.


Using the web package an Invalid classpath is reported for the jdbc driver!

This probably means your local network requires using a proxy.
You need to activate it from the java control panel: Settings > Control Panel > Java > General > Network Settings


Many of my tests does not execute with message "Skipped (dependencies)". What does it mean?

There are 2 possibilities:
  • One test that is parent of many tests failed and you configured the session with the option "If a parent test has status Failed: Set child tests as not executed"
  • One test that is parent of many tests terminated with status Unknown and you configured the session with the option "If a parent test has status Unknown: Set child tests as not executed"
You can find this configuration setting in Campaign session > Configuration.


I cannot create a configuration for my session

Probably you forgot to set a launcher for the categories hosting the tests in your session.


Many tests are skipped/not executed. Why that?

There are several possible causes:
  • Some manual tests are set as "not authored"
  • some automated tests are set as "not developed"
  • One test that is parent of many other tests failed and you selected the option: If a parent test has status failed: Set child tests as not executed (setting availabale in Session > Configuration)
  • One test that is parent of many other tests terminated with status "Unknown" and you selected the option: If a parent test has status unknown: Set child tests as not executed



I just compiled my own launcher but it does not appear in the drop-down menu

There are several possible causes:
  • You're using a standalone client: you probably did not copied the .jar and the xml of your own laucher to the launchers folder
  • you're using the web package: you need to ensure that the .jar and the .xml files of your own launcher are copied on the server in the launchers folder.
    In addition, you need to add your launcher to the launchers.xml file located on the server.



I can't upload files bigger than 1MByte. Why that?

MySql default configuration prevents from uploading files bigger than 1MByte.
To change this, edit the file my.ini and add the configuration parameter max_allowed_packet=100M in the [mysqld] section.


Where are my attachments downloaded?

When you click on the download or download and lock button, the files are download in your system temporary directory. On windows, it is often located in C:\Documents and Settings\<your account>\Local SettingsTemp\ (this is specified in the %TEMP% or %TMP% varibale)


How do I link directly requirements with tests?

It is not possible to link directly requirements with tests. The path is requirement <-> specification <-> test. However, there is an easy trick if you do not want to handle specifications. The trick is to create and link one specification for each requirement automatically:
  • Select a folder in the requirement tree
  • click on the "Generate specifications" button
For each requirements included in the folder, a specification will be created and linked 1-1. The only thing you have to do now is to link the specifications (hence the requirements) to the tests using the standard way.


I can run XStudio only form the server hosting MySql!

It is a MySql configuration issue.
The reason for this is that you're probably using the root user to connect to MySQL (by default, MySQL does give permission to root to connect only locally). You should create a new dedicated user having the permissions to connect from any remote location (and only to xstudio_db database).
  • Launch the MySQL Administrator tool on the system hosting the database server
  • Select the User Administration option
  • Right-click in the bottom left hand corner of the window and select Add new user
  • You can check that the temporary name of the user is "New user@any host"
  • Enter the credentials of this new user: name=xstudio and password=xstudiopwd
  • Select the Schema privilege tab
  • Click on the xstudio_db database item and grant all the rights to this user by pressing <<
  • Validate and exit the MySQL Administrator tool
  • Restart XStudio from the remote host and provide the new xstudio user credentials in the connection settings dialog


If you wish to keep on using the root user (it's not recommended), you can resolve the issue by executing the following actions:
  • Launch the MySQL Administrator tool on the system hosting the database server
  • Select the User Administration option
  • Right-click on the root user and select Add Host
  • Add the host name or IP address of the remote host to which you wish to allow connections
  • Validate and exit the MySQL Administrator tool
Once root has the appropriate privileges to connect from the specified host it should be possible to connect the MySQL Administrator client to the database server



My JDBC driver is not recognized on MacOSX

The jdbc driver must be copied in <Install dir>/xstudio.app/Contents/Resources/Java/bin/jdbc.


Why can't I generate reports with the web package?

You probably used a unzip files which unzipped the package but also the zip included in the zip. The web package includes a export.zip file that MUST be left zipped.


My MySql server's performances are degrading with time. Is there a way I can improve this?

Depending on your setup, you may need to polish your MySql server for better performances and scalability.
It's a good idea to run the MySql Server Instance Config Wizard (delivered with MySql) and follow the instructions. This will set the best settings for your configuration.


In addition/Alternatively, you can manually set a few parameters (in my.ini) such as:
[mysqld]
max_connections=256 (can be increased if needed)
query_cache_size=20000000 (which means 20MBytes)
thread_cache_size=32
innodb_buffer_pool_size=128M (<75% of the total addressable RAM on dedicated database server)
innodb_thread_concurrency=32


From mysql admin in startup variables >> innodb >> increase mem pools size to 30MBytes inside startup variables change >> general parameters >> memory usage >> KEY BUFFER to 64Bytes


Why couldn't I connect to the server?

If your network use a proxy to connect to the internet, you need to set this up as well for Java:
Control Panel > Java > General > Network settings


Why after I updated then rollbacked, I do not see the original version of my web xstudio?

The Java cache is the cause and you need to clear the cache: Settings > Control Panel > Java > General > Temporary files > Display and clear all instances of XQual Studio.


How to avoid the error "Incorrect arguments to mysqld_stmt_execute"?

This error is very likely due to a bug in the SQL driver you're using. Many bugs have been reported on JConnector about it. Please, update with the latest version of JConnector. It will fix the issue.

Is there any way to speed up the startup time of XStudio?

Yes there is. If you have a large number of tests/test cases and you use the test procedures, you can disable the Testplan Autocompletion feature (from the settings). This will speedup considerably the startup time.

Why can't I connect my client on windows7?

By default, the Windows7 integrated firewall prevents from going through port 3306. To fix the issue, customize the firewall rules or disabled the firewall.

Why do I get an exception when I try to open a JIRA bug?

Apache Proxy must be prohibited as it block the communication with JIRA web server.

Why do I get sometime an error 1040?

This means your MySql server is refusing new connection. You can increase the maximum number of simultaneous connection accepted by MySql (in my.ini):
[mysqld]
max_connections=1000 (can be again increased if needed)

Why my client is so slow to boot now?

You probably have the "testplan auto-completion" configuration parameter set on!
The auto-completion feature requires to index all the steps already used in the past and this is a very time-consuming task. This is working fine with small database but if you're having a big one, this is not advise to leave it on.

Some rows are displayed in XStudio while they do not exist anymore in my Oracle DB. Why?

There may be several reasons but anyway the origin of the issue but in this case you need to clear Oracle's cache:
alter system flush buffer_cache; alter system flush shared_pool; on the right tablespace and you'll be fine.

I'm using a MySql server hosted in the cloud. Is it possible to encrypt all the communication to this MySql server?

Sure, you can secure your MySql data communication by using SSL encryption on your MySQL server.

I've got errors reported with utf8mb4, what's the problem with my MySql server?

Your MySql server is fine. Just downgrade your Connector/J to the version 5.1.12 and you'll be fine. You can find this version in our repository.

I'm getting FailedDownloadException when I try to run XStudio!

It means that you can't download the resources necessary to run XStudio.
If your apache server and you MySql server are hosted on the same computer, check that you have the same IP@ or name in:
  • the URL you're browsing
  • xstudio.jnlp
  • xstudio.conf
Try to avoid using localhost or 127.0.0.1 this often brings confusion.

MySQL service stops automatically. What does it mean?

Look at your mysql.err log.
If you find in this log the Database page corruption on disk statement it means some pages in the Innodb tablespace got corrupted. This can be due to several reasons such as bug in your hardware (i.e. Hard-disk), driver bug, kernel bug, unlucky power failure and even some rare MySQL bug.

More information about this issue here:
MySql database page corruption on disk
Recovering MySql innodb tables

I lost my admin password and do not have any other account with admin right. How can I recover my password?

You can't do it from XStudio (hopefully or it would be a major security hole!).
You need to ask your database administrator to manually update the column user_password of the user admin in the table table_user with the value:
984F1197F84B21DDA2A631F72F9D082501B4FA1AA3798DC420A26ADE0B8792504325EBD701.
This procedure restores the default admin password: password.

XStudio is used from several distant sites, how can I improve the performances?

When several sites are accessing the same physical MySql server, the distant sites may experience performances issues. To resolve that, Oracle provides capabilities to have several database servers synchronized together so that each site uses his own local server. It's also possible to set this up with MySql. There are 2 options:

I'm using the web package; how can I run automatically at startup my XStudio or XAgent?

It's a good idea to use the web package as it will ensure you to be always up to date. First thing to note is that you can create a shortcut (i.e on your desktop or in the quick launch bar) to XStudio or XStudio web version from the control panel (view temporary file > install shortcut).

You can also use this command line:
<Java Install Folder>/bin/javaws.exe -localfile -J-Djnlp.application.href=http://<server>:<port>/XSTUDIO/bin/xstudio.jnlp (same applies for xagent.jnlp)




   
2013-06-15
XStudio v1.9 available for download
2013-05-17
XStudio v1.8 available for download
2013-01-28
XStudio v1.7sp5 available for download
2012-11-05
XQual exhibitor at EuroSTAR 2012
2012-08-27
XStudio v1.6sp7 available for download
2012-04-22
Press Release: XQual and Think Future Technologies announce business partenrship
2011-12-30
XStudio v1.5sp4 available for download
2011-11-28
Press Release: XQual delivers SaaS / cloud hosting
2011-11-25
XQual and Kalistick are now partners
2011-09-29
XQual has a new partner mimacom that supports XStudio in his mimacom path Toolchain
2011-05-15
XStudio and XAgent v1.4sp8 available for download
2011-01-06
Presentation at the Riviera Jug
2010-05-27
Selenium recommends XStudio: Selenium Support
2009-12-08
Press Release: XQual launches commercial support on XStudio
2009-12-09
XStudio recommended at the NFJS Conference
2009-12-08
Press Release: XStudio with Squish Integration Released