HP QC Plugins For Excel
Overview
Enhancing productivity and ensuring seamless integration, the HP Quality Center (HP QC) Excel plugin bridges the gap between Microsoft Excel and HP ALM, providing users with a powerful tool for managing test plans, requirements, and defects directly from their familiar spreadsheet environment. This plugin is invaluable for teams looking to streamline their Quality Center data management without leaving Excel, thereby saving time and reducing errors. On this page, we'll delve into what HP QC is, explore the symbiotic relationship between HP QC and Excel through plugins, discuss common use cases for these plugins, and answer frequently asked questions to help you maximize the utility of this integration in your quality assurance processes.
What is HP QC?
HP Quality Center (HP QC) is a software quality management tool that serves as a comprehensive solution for application lifecycle management. It was previously known as Test Director and later as HP ALM. As a web-based tool, HP QC facilitates the management of testing efforts, tracking of requirements, defects, and tests, as well as the automation of workflows throughout the development process.
HP QC is known for its ability to integrate with other Application Lifecycle Management (ALM) tools, including various HP products. This integration enhances its capability to support various phases of the software development life cycle. In the context of services, HP QC is utilized by prominent organizations such as Airbus, İşbank, Xellia Pharmaceuticals, and Vodafone Qatar, reflecting its widespread adoption in the industry.
In terms of data handling, HP QC employs the data type string, which underscores its capacity to work with textual data within the scope of software quality management. With its commercial licensing, HP QC offers different editions tailored to the needs of various corporate environments, from those requiring basic features to those demanding comprehensive testing features and integration with advanced scripts.
HP QC Plugins for Excel
Exporting to HP ALM
The HP QC Excel Add-Ins allow users to export test plans, requirements, and defects from Microsoft Excel directly to HP Application Lifecycle Management (ALM). This integration streamlines the process of transferring data into ALM, facilitating better test management and defect tracking.
Installation Requirements
Before installing the HP QC Excel Add-In, users must ensure that Microsoft Excel is installed on the ALM client machine. Compatibility includes Excel versions from 2010, 2013, 2016, 2019, and 2021, with both 32-bit and 64-bit variants supported. Notably, Excel Online is not supported by the add-ins. Additionally, to function correctly, the add-in may require the installation of the Visual Studio 2010 Tools for Office Runtime and the Visual C++ Redistributable for Visual Studio 2015.
Installation Process
Administrative privileges are necessary to install the add-in for all users. It is important to uninstall any previous versions of the add-in before proceeding with a new installation. This ensures compatibility and functionality of the add-in with the existing Excel and ALM configurations.
Supported ALM and Excel Versions
The HP QC Excel Add-Ins are compatible with various ALM versions, including 15.5.x, 16.0.x, 17.0.x, and 24.1. They support Microsoft Excel 2010 SP1 (with MS12-060), 2013, 2016, 2019, and 2021. For the ALM Excel Add-In, additional support is provided for the Microsoft Office 365 Excel Desktop Application, enhancing its usability for a broader range of Excel users.
Common Use Cases
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Use case 1: A user uploads a batch of test cases from Excel to HP ALM using the plugin to save time.H
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Use case 2: A user creates field mappings to correlate Excel columns with Quality Center fields for consistent uploads.H
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Use case 3: A user validates test case data in Excel before uploading to ensure it imports correctly into HP ALM.H
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Use case 4: A user generates Excel reports from HP QC with specified query parameters and then creates pivot tables for data analysis.H
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Use case 5: An advanced user utilizes Excel macros and VBA to query HP QC and extract database information without manual login.H
Frequently Asked Questions
How can I export data from Microsoft Excel to ALM using the HP QC plugin?
The HP QC plugin for Excel allows you to export test plans, requirements, or defects from Microsoft Excel directly to ALM. Once exported, these items can be viewed in the test plan tree, requirements tree, or defects grid within ALM.
What are the system requirements for installing the HP QC plugin for Excel?
You need to have Microsoft Excel installed on the ALM client machine. The add-in supports Excel versions 2010 SP2, 2013 SP1, 2016, 2019, 2021, and the Office 365 Excel Desktop Application. Additionally, Visual Studio 2010 Tools for Office Runtime and Visual C++ Redistributable for Visual Studio 2015 are required for the plugin to function.
Are there any prerequisites before installing the HP QC plugin for Excel?
Yes, you must uninstall any previous versions of the add-in before installing a new one. It may also be necessary to install a trusted publisher certificate if you encounter an 'untrusted publisher' error. For the plugin to be recognized as a trusted publisher in Excel, a certificate must be installed to the 'Trusted Publishers' in either the Local Machine or Current User.
Can I install the HP QC plugin for Excel without administrator privileges?
Installation can be done without administrator privileges if you are installing the plugin for the current user only. However, administrator privileges are needed to install the plugin for all users.
Does the HP QC plugin for Excel support Office 365 Excel Online?
No, the add-in does not support Office 365 Excel Online. It is compatible with the Office 365 Excel Desktop Application only.
Conclusion
In conclusion, the ALM Microsoft Excel Add-In, created by Micro Focus, is a powerful tool that enables users to export vital components such as test plans, requirements, and defects from Microsoft Excel into ALM, supporting a range of Excel versions and requiring specific runtime and redistributable installations. Although this add-in is supported by the OpenText community, it is not supported by OpenText Software Support and has certain limitations in compatibility, such as not supporting Office 365 Excel Online. However, for those seeking a more streamlined and efficient way to manage the integration of ALM data into spreadsheets, Sourcetable offers a direct solution without the need for a plugin. Sign up for Sourcetable to get started and simplify your workflow today.
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