What is the difference between URL recording mode and HTML recording mode?

Selecting recording level in VuGen lets you specify the information to be recorded and which functions to use when generating the script. The available modes are:

a) HTML-based script

b) URL-based script

HTML or URL recording is one of the more important choices a script writer must make. The difference lies in the layer at which the user steps are recorded. Each has its advantages. For LoadRunner scripts, HTML level is a common choice. On very complex web applications, the entire script may need to be recorded at URL level.

HTML is a higher level that records in "Browser" or "Context Sensitive" mode. This setting allows the Browser to determine which page resources (such as images or Flash content) should be downloaded depending on the HTML source that was downloaded during replay.

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URL is a lower level that records in "Analog" mode. This setting does not allow the browser to determine which page resources (such as images or flash) should be downloaded. Each resource is recorded in the script during the Recording session. This level will also record any hidden items, such as session ID information, sent to and from the server.

When data is posted to a server by the browser, the two modes generate two different statements in the script. Following are the main differences we have between URL mode and HTML mode:

1. HTML mode script will generate a web_submit_form statement that only records options that an end user is allowed to see and change. If a problem is encountered with a form submission in HTML mode, you can enable the URL option under HTML Advanced to instruct VuGen to record all of the requests and resources from the server.

2. URL mode script will generate a web_submit_data statement that records all data that was actually sent from the browser to the server. Note that the URL mode includes hidden information that the HTML recording does not pick up. Quite often, this will include session ID information.

3. HTML based mode, records script for every user action that is performed during recording while URL based mode records each and every browser request to the server and resources received from the server. This means HTML based mode does recording as you perform clicks and doesn’t give you inside information like what is happening behind the recording while URL based mode records each and every step and emulate Javascript code.

4. Because of complexity, HTML mode would have less correlation to do while URL mode has much more complex correlation requirements.

5. HTML mode is smaller and is more intuitive to read as the statements are inside the functions corresponding to the user action performed. In the case of URL based, all statements gets recorded into web_url()

6. URL mode can be of real help when you want to have control over the resources that need to be or need not to be downloaded, since you have each and every statement in-front of you.