10 steps to become QTP guru

Would you like to know how to become QTP guru?
The recipe is simple. You should learn the following:

1. VBScript
QTP uses VBScript language. That's why strong knowledge of VBScript is 'must have'.
Sources:
* w3schools' VBScript tutorial
* MS' VBScript Guide.

2. Software Testing Automation Frameworks
To write good automated tests, you should know how to write them.
There are different approaches and solution. There is not a silver bullet.
Sources:
* Test Automation Frameworks
* Choosing a Test Automation Framework
* Totally Data-Driven Automated Testing
* Seven Steps to Test Automation Success

3. HP QuickTest Professional Tutorial
This QTP tutorial cames with QTP.
It's quite clean and informative. Its main goal is to show and explain basic concepts of QuickTest Professional. It provides knowledge on:
* creating a test
* working with Object Repository (OR)
* running and analyzing tests
* verifying tests
* parameterizing, etc
Sources: '\help\QTTutorial.pdf' or '\help\Tutorial.chm' in QTP Install folder.

4. HP QuickTest Professional User's Guide
As previous tutorial, the present User's Guide come with QTP install too.
This guide is intended for QuickTest Professional users at all levels. It gives a deeper knowledge on:
* working with QTP Object Repositoies
* designing tests
* enhancing tests (checkpoints, parameterizing, etc)
* maintaining anf debugging tests
* advanced testing features, etc
Sources: '\help\QTUsersGuide.pdf' or '\help\MainUsersGuide.chm' in QTP Install folder.

5. COM/DCOM Technologies
When working with QTP, you will be closely linked with such Microsoft's applications, as: Excel, Word, Outlook. So, I recommend to get familiar with COM, COM Technologies, and COM objects of:
* MS Internet Explorer
* MS Excel
* MS Outlook

6. SQL
SQL is so important in programming, that I strongly recommend to spend time to learn SQL:
* concepts of RDBM
* selecting/updating/deleting data
* SQL queries optimizations
* databases administration
Sources:
* w3schools' SQL tutorial
* MS SQL Server - this and this
* Oracle DB

7. XML
XML is an extremely popular and useful format. I'm sure that нou will have to deal with data, stored in XML-files.
Sources:
* w3schools' XML tutorial

8. HTML, DOM
Since QuickTest Professional works perfectly with web applications, you should be expert in related fields - HTML, HTTP, DHTML, DOM, etc. They will simplify your future QTP script and make them more reliable and maintenable.
Sources:
* w3schools' HTML tutorial
* w3schools' DHTML tutorial
* A Beginner's Guide to the XML DOM
* DOM tutorials

9. HP QTP Knowledge Base
It contains a lot of practical articles about QuickTest Professional.
You can find there QTP webinars, QTP FAQs, documentations, solutions of your problems or different ways how to improve your QTP automated tests.
Sources:
* HP Self-solve Knowledge Search (requires an access to HP site)

10. Useful sites
Sure, it's impossible to know all information on QTP.
That's why I recommend to use these two sites to search answers to your QTP questions:
* Google
* Easy way to automate testing