I first set eyes on the new enhanced LoadRunner 11.50 while staying in a posh Las Vegas hotel at HP Discover 2012. Clearly, she looked different than she did before; was it a facelift? Or some other enhanced feature? After attending a few sessions on 11.5, this is what I found:

VUGEN Gone Wild

VUGEN has been completely re-written on a new open-source framework platform called SharpDevelop.

SharpDevelop is also the platform that will be used by HP's other test tools like QTP and Service Test, which should create a consistent feel to their entire test application suite. Also -- because SharpDevelop is open-source, it allows anyone who is comfortable with C# to extend LoadRunner with their own custom add-ins. This latest move by HP oozes with open-source-like goodness.

If you've been using LoadRunner for many years like I have, this will probably be one of the biggest changes you've seen in LR in some time. The new look and feel allows you to have flexible layouts along with the moveable panes.

New Features in the Virtual User Generator

Some other cool new features in VUGEN are:

• Solution explorer. If you've seen (or used) HP's Service Test 11 you'll notice that LoadRunner now also has the same functionality of being able to group multiple scripts together.
  

• VUGEN now has a real C debugger built in!
  

• An enhanced editor that has context-sensitive support and code completion.
  
• No more annoying tree view. (Admit it! You never used it, anyway!) It has been replaced with the Step Navigator:
  

  
  

• Search and replaced has been enhanced. Also – the find feature has been fixed – you can now perform a Ctrl F anywhere and it will work.
  

  
  

• Even the recording toolbar has been changed:
  

  
  

• New correlation features that help make correlation faster and easier.
  

  
  

• The new Thumbnail Explorer has an almost iTunes–like feel to it that allows you to visually scroll through all the images in your recording.
  

  
  

In addition to UI changes, HP has also added and enhanced some of the protocols typically used in LoadRunner.

Ajax TruClient Protocol for Internet Explorer

In my opinion, the most exciting change to the Ajax TruClient protocol is that it now supports IE9--so everyone who is still using XP time to upgrade. (Fyi: IE9 does not run on XP.)

Ajax True Client for Firefox enhancements

The following features for the Firefox TruClient protocol have been added or enhanced:

• HTML5 is now supported
  
• Better Performance using Firefox 8
  
• Create reusable functions
  
• An API for setting HTTP headers and URL filtering
  
• Think-time recording
  
• Support for asynchronous behavior in event handlers
  

Other Protocols

Various enhancements have been made to other LoadRunner protocols. Below is a list of some of them:

• Flex protocol now supports RTMPT
  
• Flex protocol now supports RTMP FMS streaming
  
• Mobile Protocol new Ajax Truclient tech used for browser-based apps
  
• Support added for GWT DFE
  
• .NET4 now supported
  
• Web Services protocol enhanced with improved security setting interface and easier certification selection
  

Other changes

• LoadRunner now integrates with HP Service Virtualization
  
• Support for recording 64bit applications
  
• IPv6 supported now available
  
  

Anything Else?

As far as I can tell, the LoadRunner Controller and Analysis pieces are still basically the same as they are in LoadRunner 11.