JMeter Performance Testing Tutorial 3 - Understanding of JMeter Graphical User Interface

Summary

This JMeter tutorial provides an introduction to the JMeter user interface (UI). It covers how to access and navigate the UI, emphasizing the best practice of using the UI only for script creation and debugging while executing load tests via the command line. The tutorial explains key UI elements like the test plan, properties pane, menu bar, and quick-access icons. It also introduces basic functionalities such as adding elements, using templates, enabling/disabling elements, and managing plugins. Overall, it gives a clear overview of how to work within JMeter's interface efficiently.

Takeaways

• 😀 The JMeter UI is primarily used for creating and debugging scripts, not for load testing.
• 📂 Load testing should be done using the command line, not the UI.
• 🧩 The left side of the JMeter UI displays the test plan, where scripts are created using different elements.
• ⚙️ The right side of the JMeter UI shows the properties of any selected element in the test plan.
• 🌳 JMeter scripts are created in a tree hierarchy of elements added to the test plan.
• ✏️ The menu bar allows users to open, save, merge, and edit test plans, with options to enable or disable specific elements.
• 🔍 Users can search for specific elements within the test plan, with options to replace them if needed.
• 🧪 The 'Run' option allows for script execution with a single user for debugging and testing purposes.
• 🌐 Remote distributed testing allows multiple JMeter instances across different machines to run simultaneously.
• 🔌 The Plugin Manager lets users add plugins to JMeter, enhancing its functionality, though it must be installed manually.

Q & A

What is the purpose of the JMeter UI according to the tutorial?

The JMeter UI is used for creating and debugging test scripts, but it is not recommended for executing load tests. Load tests should be run using the command line.

Why should the UI mode not be used for load testing in JMeter?

The UI mode should not be used for load testing because it is resource-intensive. It is meant for creating and debugging scripts, while the actual load tests should be executed via the command line for better performance.

What is a 'Test Plan' in JMeter, and how is it used?

A Test Plan in JMeter is the main area where scripts are created. It is a combination of different elements that define the behavior of the performance test. The script is organized as a tree hierarchy within the Test Plan.

What happens when you add an element to a JMeter Test Plan?

When you add an element to a JMeter Test Plan, a tree hierarchy is created on the left side, and the properties of the selected element are displayed on the right side of the UI.

What is a 'Thread Group' in JMeter, and what is its role?

A Thread Group in JMeter defines the number of users (threads) and how they will execute the test. It is an important part of the test script, and each thread represents one user.

What are some of the editing options available in JMeter's menu bar?

In the 'Edit' menu, JMeter offers options such as duplicating, copying, pasting, and merging elements. There is also the option to enable or disable specific elements within the test plan.

When would you use the 'Run' options in the JMeter UI?

The 'Run' options in the UI are used primarily for testing and debugging scripts with a single user. This simulates a functional test. They can also be used for remote distribution testing, where multiple JMeter instances are run together.

What are the 'Look and Feel' options in JMeter used for?

The 'Look and Feel' options in JMeter allow users to change the theme or appearance of the UI. This is a visual preference setting and does not affect the functionality of the tests.

How can you manage plugins in JMeter?

Plugins in JMeter can be managed using the Plugin Manager. While the Plugin Manager is not available by default, users can install it by adding the necessary plugin files, allowing them to add or manage various plugins.

What logging features does JMeter provide during test execution?

JMeter provides logging features that display logs during test execution. Users can view these logs in real-time and even set the logging level to capture specific types of events or issues.

Outlines

00:00

📋 Introduction to JMeter UI and Best Practices

In this introduction, the presenter welcomes viewers to the JMeter tutorial and explains the purpose of the session, which focuses on exploring the JMeter UI. The presenter references previous sessions where folder structures were discussed and proceeds to demonstrate how to open JMeter via the batch file located in the bin folder. Importantly, it is emphasized that the JMeter UI should only be used for test creation and debugging, not for load testing, which should be executed through the command line. This segment lays the groundwork by setting expectations and explaining best practices for performance testing.

05:01

🔧 Exploring the JMeter Test Plan and Elements

This section dives into the structure of JMeter's test plan interface, explaining that the test plan is the area where scripts are created. The test plan consists of different elements, with the right side of the UI displaying properties of selected elements. The presenter adds a thread group, introduces the hierarchy view on the left, and explains that the properties of each element are displayed on the right. This part familiarizes users with the fundamental components of the JMeter interface, highlighting how elements and their properties are organized within the test plan.

🛠 Navigating Menu Options and Editing Scripts

This segment covers JMeter’s menu options, including how to open new or existing scripts, use templates, save plans, and merge scripts. The presenter explains the importance of enabling and disabling script elements, particularly for debugging purposes. Users are shown how to duplicate, copy, paste, and merge elements in their scripts, emphasizing flexibility and control over the test creation process. These tools are essential for managing and modifying scripts efficiently.

🚦 Running Tests and Debugging in JMeter

Here, the focus shifts to running scripts within JMeter’s UI. While load testing is executed via the command line, the UI is useful for testing scripts with a single user during the debugging process. The presenter explains when to use the run options in the UI, particularly for functional testing and remote distributed testing, where multiple JMeter instances work together. This part gives insight into how users can ensure their scripts are functioning properly before conducting full-scale load tests.

🎨 Customizing the Look and Feel of JMeter

This portion explains how to customize the look and feel of the JMeter UI, including changing themes and viewing logs. The presenter mentions the ability to set log levels and add SSL certificates for secure connections. Users are also introduced to zooming options and plugin managers, although the presenter notes that the plugin manager requires additional setup. The emphasis is on how users can personalize their interface and enhance functionality with plugins.

📂 Utilizing JMeter Tools and Help Resources

The final part of the tutorial explores various tools within JMeter, including heap dumps, HTML report generation, and transaction exports. The presenter briefly touches on the tool options available in the menu, encouraging users not to worry too much about complex tools like heap dumps for now. Additionally, the help section is introduced, offering documentation and useful links such as release notes and issue reporting. This segment highlights JMeter’s extensive resources for users seeking support or more advanced functionalities.

⚙️ JMeter Toolbar and Plugin Manager

The tutorial concludes by explaining the purpose of JMeter’s toolbar icons, which provide quick access to key actions like creating new scripts, running tests, and accessing templates. These icons serve as shortcuts to commonly used menu options, allowing users to efficiently manage their test plans. The presenter also explains that the plugin manager icon is not available by default and requires manual setup. This final section wraps up the tutorial by summarizing the UI’s core functions and shortcuts for easier navigation.

Keywords

💡JMeter

JMeter is an open-source tool used for performance testing, primarily for web applications. In the video, JMeter is the central tool being discussed, with the tutorial focusing on its user interface, functions, and best practices for creating and debugging test scripts.

💡User Interface (UI)

The User Interface (UI) refers to the visual part of JMeter that allows users to interact with the tool. In the tutorial, the UI is explored in detail, explaining various elements like the test plan, menu bar, and element properties, highlighting its role in creating and debugging scripts, but not for load testing.

💡Test Plan

A Test Plan in JMeter is the blueprint where the entire test script is structured. The tutorial explains that the test plan is where users add elements like thread groups, and how it forms a hierarchy of the test scripts being built. It is the core structure around which JMeter tests are organized.

💡Thread Group

The Thread Group is a core element in JMeter that defines the number of users or 'threads' that will simulate requests to a server. The video mentions adding a thread group and promises a deeper explanation of it in future sessions. It is used to control how many users are tested and for how long.

💡Element Properties

Element Properties in JMeter refer to the configurable settings of each test element (like a thread group or sampler). In the tutorial, it is explained that once an element is added to the test plan, its properties appear on the right side of the UI, allowing users to adjust settings for precise test control.

💡Command Line

The Command Line in JMeter is the recommended method for executing load tests. The tutorial highlights that while the UI is used for test creation and debugging, the actual load testing should be done via the command line for better performance and accuracy during high-load scenarios.

💡Debugging

Debugging in JMeter refers to the process of identifying and fixing issues in a test script. The tutorial emphasizes the importance of using the UI for debugging purposes, allowing users to run their scripts with a single user to ensure everything works as expected before executing a full load test.

💡Plugins Manager

The Plugins Manager in JMeter allows users to extend the tool's functionality by adding additional plugins. The video mentions that the Plugins Manager is not included by default and explains the steps to integrate it, enabling users to enhance their testing capabilities with extra tools.

💡Remote Distribution Testing

Remote Distribution Testing is a method in JMeter that involves running test scripts across multiple machines to simulate a large number of users. The tutorial briefly introduces this concept, explaining that it allows users to run tests from several JMeter instances, which is useful for large-scale performance tests.

💡Look and Feel

Look and Feel in JMeter refers to the appearance of the user interface. The tutorial mentions that users can change the theme of JMeter to suit their preferences, enhancing usability and comfort while working on the test scripts, though this feature doesn’t impact the functionality of the tool.

Highlights

Introduction to JMeter tutorial and overview of its user interface.

Explanation of JMeter's folder structure, focusing on the 'bin' folder and launching JMeter using the batch file.

Best practice tip: Don't use UI mode for load testing; use UI only for script creation and debugging.

Overview of the JMeter UI layout, focusing on the test plan and its combination of elements for script building.

Exploring properties: Each element in the test plan has associated properties shown on the right side of the interface.

Adding elements: Introduction to thread groups and building a tree hierarchy for scripts.

File menu overview: Functions such as opening new scripts, using templates, saving plans, and restarting JMeter.

Edit menu overview: Functions for duplicating, copying, pasting, merging, and enabling/disabling elements.

Search functionality: Ability to search for and replace specific elements in a script.

Run options: Running scripts with a single user for debugging and using command line for load testing.

Remote distribution testing: Running JMeter on multiple machines for load generation, introduced as a future topic.

Look and feel customization: Adjusting JMeter's appearance and setting logs during execution.

Plugin manager: Using the plugin manager to add additional functionality to JMeter.

Tools menu: Creating HTML reports, exporting transactions, and other available tools in JMeter.

Quick access icons: Shortcuts for frequently used actions such as creating new scripts, running tests, and searching.

Transcripts

hello everyone

welcome to this jmeter tutorial in this

tutorial we will learn

about the user interface of the g meter

so

let's begin in our previous session we

learned about the different folders and

the purpose of those folders in the

geometer

now open this folder here go to the bin

folder

and you know that in order to run the

geometer we need to

open the geometer dot match file okay

so here is the batch file okay just

double click on this file

it will open the terminal and at the

same time it will open the ui

of the geometer okay it's opening the ui

right so this is uh the first look for

you

in order to understand this is how the j

meter looks like

but before we understand this ui okay uh

we need to understand something more in

terms of the best practices

just open this terminal here and if you

read the first line

don't use the ui mode for the load

testing only use this for the test

creation and this debugging so what this

means

this means that this ui is used for only

creating and debugging the

scripts so whenever you're putting or

executing the load test

you will use the command line we will

not open this one so this is one of the

best practice

you should be aware of and while you are

working with the geometer and

performance testing

now let's explore the different options

and different areas of the geometry ui

okay on the left by default

you will have a test plan so test plan

is the area where you will

create your skips and here in the g

meter your script is basically a

combination of the different elements

okay and on the right side basically

whenever you add any element

it has some properties okay so on the

right side you will see the properties

of that particular element

right now test plan is selected by

default so you're seeing the properties

for this particular plan okay now let's

add

some element here i'm adding a thread

group so if you don't know about the

third group don't worry we will learn

about the thread groups in our upcoming

sessions so on the left it will create a

tree hierarchy

for you okay and on the right side you

will see a different properties

of that particular element now let's add

one more element here

okay right so on the right side you are

seeing the properties

of flow control action and on the left

side

just creating a tree hierarchy of your

script so this is the main area

where you will work okay you will add

different elements in the test plan

and you will create your script so this

is the main and core idea

of working on the j meter on the top

left corner you you are seeing the menu

bar

we have different options here click on

the file here you can open the new one

you can use the templates if you

remember that we saw the templars in

different folder

right so if you want to use those

templates you can use from this

templates

option you can open the existing script

okay

you can open the recent one if you have

created any recent one you can merge the

script you can save or you can save the

plan as

as you want so there are different

options okay you can even restart the

geometry from here

now click on the add edit you have

different options

to edit your scripts you can duplicate

copy paste

merge again you have different options

the good thing is that you have an other

option to enable or disable the

different elements present here

okay for example if i select this one if

i click on edit

and i click on disable so this element

will be disabled

tomorrow if you are working on debugging

the script and your script is not fine

or you might

need to disable some elements during

your execution

you can disable those elements from here

then we have a search option here

from here you can search any element if

you want

to search any particular thing you can

search it out you can replace it out

as per your requirement okay

then you have a run options now we just

discussed that

in order to execute our load testing

scripts we need to use

the command line then the question

arises here

why we need to have these options on the

ui then

so we need these options in the ui in

two cases the one case is that

you want to test your skips you want to

debug your escapes

and for that you will be executing your

script with a single

user okay so in that case you can run

your scripts with a single user

just like a functional test okay

similarly when you are

working on different machines for

example

you have six different machines from

which you are generating a load

okay from where you have six j meters

working together

in that case you have to run all the

geometry machines from here

together so the concept is basically

remote distribution

testing we will learn that in our future

sessions but here's the

overview of this particular run options

okay

now we have different options here look

and feel if you want to change the look

and feel

the theme okay and if you want to see or

log here just click on this one

so it will print all the logs here while

execution and you can also set the level

of the logs

if you want to have the ssl okay just

click on this one

add the ssl certificate so you can do

that from here zoom in zoom out

then you can add the plugin managers uh

you can have

you can add a different plugins using

this plugin manager

by default you won't be able to see this

plugin manager

okay i will explain you how you can have

this plugin manager in the geometer

and how you can add the different

plugins using this plugin manager

okay then we have tools from here you

create a heap terms don't worry about

this strum right now but again you have

different options here you can create a

html report

you can export the transactions you can

import the curve you have different

tools available here

and again in the help section basically

you can have a help

and you can go to some useful links like

release notes

and if you find some issue you can

create an issue okay you have

very good documentation available here

now you can see that you have different

icons available here

so basically these icons are reflecting

to

these different options available here

in the menu bar

okay so in order to go to some quick

actions okay for example if you want to

create a new one

just click on this new one okay if you

want to use a template

you can use from here quickly okay so

these are kind of a shortcuts and quick

options okay you can run you can start

you can stop

okay you can clean clear you can search

okay these are all options which are

present in the menu so these are

kind of a shortcuts and quick accessible

so that

you don't need to open the menu bar and

search for a particular

option on the right side so whenever you

execute

it will show the time here and if there

are errors

it will show the errors here okay

and if you click on this one so you

might not see this option here

because this is this icon refers to a

jmeter plugins manager

by default you won't have this you have

to

do some actions you need to place these

uh plugin files in order to work with

the plugins okay so this is all about

the ui

of the jmeter thank you so much for

watching this tutorial we hope that you

have learned something today

see you in the next lecture