New Release: RapidRep 5.7

RapidRep is now available in version 5.7. The innovative software for test automation and reporting has been expanded to include numerous new features. We have also again incorporated recommendations by clients and consultants, in order to develop RapidRep with the usual practical relevance.

See for yourself! We are happy to demonstrate the advantages of the application as part of a product presentation or you test the new features yourself right away with the free trial version on our website: Free Trial.

The main improvements and innovations in version 5.7:

• Intuitive start screen
  As of version 5.7 the RapidRep Designer opens with a user-friendly start screen, which provides you with useful information and actions. Here you can quickly get an overview of the individual RapidRep applications as well as the examples and templates in the sample repository, follow a step-by-step instruction, open manuals and video tutorials and of course directly start the initial dialogs for creating and opening report definitions.
  
  
• File compliant editors
  In addition to the SQL editor in the RapidRep Designer there are now also editors available for files in CSV, Fixed length, JSON, text, X-Path, X-Query, XSLT and XML. With them you can quickly and easily read your data into matching file structures, edit it, export it and more. In addition to their extensive functionality, the editors also provide useful options for tab management, e.g. colorizing or hiding tabs, which you can directly apply to several editor tabs at once via a new dialog.
  
  
• Feature-rich table data editor
  You can now edit and modify table contents directly in the RapidRep Designer! Using the context menu of the database browser, you open an editor in which you can edit, add and export the data of a table which has at least one primary key or unique index. The substantial update and validate functionality of the table data editor ensures that you are always working on the current data and creating or deleting records is performed promptly in the database.
  
  
• Detailed wizards to merge and compare report definitions
  The wizard to merge report definitions in the RapidRep Designer has been expanded in version 5.7 and offers considerably more comfort and functionality than its predecessor. If required, you can decide for each individual object of the report definitions to be merged whether and how to keep it. Default settings and simultaneous validation support a quick merge.
  
  Additionally, the RapidRep Designer now provides an informative wizard to compare report definitions. This allows you to perform a quick and easy comparison of the object types contained in two report definitions and if needed you can then directly start the wizard to merge report definitions from the comparison wizard.
  
  
• Standardization and extension of the file structure wizards
  We standardized the wizards for reading file structures and supplemented them by a number of practice-relevant extensions. Usage is thus even clearer and more functional! For example, data parsing is now performed identically, data types are standardized and the advanced settings offer additional options.
  
  What is more, indexes and primary key columns can be defined on file structures and XML tables, which among other things improves performance when joining the resulting tables. New streaming methods on the file structures and methods for accessing the data, erroneous records and duplicates have also been supplemented.
  
  
• Dialog to compare model data, additional import and export options of models
  In the model management window you can use a new dialog to compare the content of two imports of model data. You only have to define a primary key and if needed adjust the column mappings, then RapidRep will automatically perform the data sheet comparison and render the results into an Excel report. This is especially useful for large data volumes - you can directly create a data comparison between two different imports without having to create a new report definition for the data comparison first!
  
  Moreover, the import and export dialogs of models have been revised and you can now also upload models into the Test and Report Runner. In the Designer you can export models filtered: specifically select data sheets for the export, in order to directly exclude unnecessary data or decide for a temporal filter, for example to discard outdated data.
  
  
• RapidRep export formats
  As of now RapidRep will use application and file specific formats for export - this makes recognizing, assigning and processing export files easier and more comfortable! Report definitions, models, data warehouses and so on are exported with a RapidRep specific file extension, for example *.rrd. File exports receive extensions depending on their format. Of course you can still import and edit export files from earlier RapidRep versions.
  
  
• Rename report definitions including all their versions
  With the system privilege to rename report definitions, included from version 5.7 on, you can simply rename a report definition including all existing versions. The option can be executed via the menu and RapidRep will then perform all the necessary adjustments.
  
  
• Easily generate batch files in the Test and Report Runner
  In the applications Test Runner and Report Runner you can now easily generate batch files via a dialog. Of course there are additional options available, e.g. for parameterization in the Test Runner. The batch files can then be executed any number of times with the Testing or Reporting CLI respectively.
  
  
• Customizable data type mapping
  From version 5.7 on the RapidRep Designer provides in several locations the option to change the data type mapping. If you want to process database specific data types in RapidRep's internal database, the new dialog allows you to selectively make the appropriate adjustments. In this way you can define how the mapping of structured and unsupported data types from any database to RapidRep's internal database will be implemented, if required.
  
  
• Display of file structures in the database browser
  In the Designer's database browser the created file structures of the internal database will now be displayed as well. This provides you with a useful overview of the properties of the available file structures and among other things it offers you a comfortable access to their functionality.
  
  
• Individual post processing with VBA
  In the RapidRep Designer you can from version 5.7 on integrate your own VBA code, as detailed as required, into the Excel template, which will then be executed when rendering the report. This has the advantage that VBA can be applied to workbooks independent of the respective macro settings in the Excel version in use.
  
  
• Quality management through the dual control principle
  In the Repository Manager you can activate the dual control principle for releasing report definitions and/or reports. In order to suggest a report definition/report as a release candidate as well as to finally release it the user will then need to have the respective privilege and two different users have to take part in the complete release process. In this way you can implement an appropriate quality management with just a few clicks, if it is needed.
  
  
• Detailed file API
  Version 5.7 has a file API available. You can use the respective API methods to access the file system and consequently to find, read, write, change and delete files - also within ZIP archives - is easily realizable via the API.
  
  
• Read parameters from HP ALM and RapidRep Quality Master
  We have implemented a new parameter mapping in the RapidRep Test Runner so that it is now possible to cull parameter values directly from the test management system (HP ALM or RapidRep Quality Master). In the Test Runner you can select the source of a parameter value and the respective value will be simultaneously validated as usual. Of course you can still enter the values manually.
  
  
• Performance analysis and references graph for report definitions
  See at once how performant your report definition really is! When testing a report definition in the Designer you can determine whether a performance analysis shall be created. After calculating the test report, RapidRep will open a tab which will show you the most important details, for example the time needed for calculating the complete report as well as for individual scripts and the data volume of the data to be rendered.
  
  In addition the Designer provides a new references graph which offers a clear overview of all references of the objects in the currently open report definition as well as several options to modify the view. For example, you can display different sub graphs for an object (e.g. only incoming references), adjust color highlighting and export the view as a graphic file.
  
  
• New library for evaluating rules
  The libraries have been expanded to include a new library: Rule_Library. This library comprises the most important functions required to evaluate rules and process them in the RapidRep Rule engine.
  
  
• Numerous usability improvements
  In RapidRep 5.7 there are again a number of small and big changes that increase the applications' usability. For example, you can open RapidRep applications directly via a new applications menu or the toolbar. Individual wizards and dialogs as well as the context menu in general tables and tree hierarchies have been standardized and improved in view and functionality. Syntax highlighting has been expanded to include new options as well as the API  functions and much more.

To download the free trial version of RapidRep 5.7: Free Trial.

We look forward to your feedback!