Difference Between HTML And URL Mode In Loadrunner

What is the difference between HTML and URL Mode?

HTML Mode:

HTML Mode is the default recording mode available in Loadrunner for Web (HTTP/HTML) scripts. When you record an application in HTML mode it will not record all the resources, but it will keep in extras as shown below and when the same script is executed it will parse all the urls one by one in extras and It will take some time to parse all the urls. Please find an example of HTML Mode below for Bing.com.

Bing.com in HTML Mode:

web_url("www.bing.com",
        "URL=http://www.bing.com/",
        "Resource=0",
        "RecContentType=text/html",
        "Referer=",
        "Snapshot=t1.inf",
        "Mode=HTML",
        EXTRARES,
        "Url=/s/a/bing_p_lg.ico", "Referer=", ENDITEM,
        "Url=/sa/8_01_1_3345848/notifications.js", ENDITEM,
        "Url=/sa/8_01_1_3345848/homepageImgViewer_c.js", ENDITEM,
        "Url=/fd/sa/9_00_0_3325577/rmsloaderdelayed.js", ENDITEM,
        "Url=/rms/AutoSugBlue/jc/f209ebd2/5c8aa5b3.js?bu=rms+answers+AutoSuggest+Modules%24Service.source%2cApi.source%2cDataProviders%24GenericDataProvider.source%2cAutoSuggestCanvas_r.source%2cAutoSuggestLayoutBlue_r.source%2cAutoSuggestSearchForm_r.source%2cAutoSuggestSpelling_r.source%2cAutoSuggestHighConfGhosting_r.source%2cAutoSuggestInit_r.source", ENDITEM,
        "Url=/s/as/8_01_1_3345848/Identity/WindowsLiveConnect_c.js", ENDITEM,
        LAST);

URL Mode:

In URL mode each and every resource is recorded explicitly. For example, when you look into a bing.com it will have images, css files, etc. The vugen will create a new web function for every resource separately and this leads to lot of code in your script and complex correlations. We use URL mode when we need  a better control over the resources of which files need to be downloaded or not. We can comment the script accordingly.

When you look into the same script in URL Mode it will create lots of steps as shown below for Bing.com

Bing.com in URL Mode:

web_url("www.bing.com",
        "URL=http://www.bing.com/",
        "Resource=0",
        "RecContentType=text/html",
        "Referer=",
        "Snapshot=t1.inf",
        "Mode=HTTP",
        LAST);

    web_concurrent_start(NULL);

    web_url("bing_p_lg.ico",
        "URL=http://www.bing.com/s/a/bing_p_lg.ico",
        "Resource=1",
        "RecContentType=image/x-icon",
        "Referer=",
        "Snapshot=t2.inf",
        LAST);

    web_url("notifications.js",
        "URL=http://www.bing.com/sa/8_01_1_3345848/notifications.js",
        "Resource=1",
        "RecContentType=application/x-javascript",
        "Referer=http://www.bing.com/",
        "Snapshot=t3.inf",
        LAST);

    web_url("homepageImgViewer_c.js",
        "URL=http://www.bing.com/sa/8_01_1_3345848/homepageImgViewer_c.js",
        "Resource=1",
        "RecContentType=application/x-javascript",
        "Referer=http://www.bing.com/",
        "Snapshot=t4.inf",
        LAST);

    web_url("rmsloaderdelayed.js",
        "URL=http://www.bing.com/fd/sa/9_00_0_3325577/rmsloaderdelayed.js",
        "Resource=1",
        "RecContentType=application/x-javascript",
        "Referer=http://www.bing.com/",
        "Snapshot=t5.inf",
        LAST);

    web_url("5c8aa5b3.js",
        "URL=http://www.bing.com/rms/AutoSugBlue/jc/f209ebd2/5c8aa5b3.js?bu=rms+answers+AutoSuggest+Modules%24Service.source%2cApi.source%2cDataProviders%24GenericDataProvider.source%2cAutoSuggestCanvas_r.source%2cAutoSuggestLayoutBlue_r.source%2cAutoSuggestSearchForm_r.source%2cAutoSuggestSpelling_r.source%2cAutoSuggestHighConfGhosting_r.source%2cAutoSuggestInit_r.source",
        "Resource=1",
        "RecContentType=application/x-javascript",
        "Referer=http://www.bing.com/",
        "Snapshot=t6.inf",
        LAST);

    web_url("WindowsLiveConnect_c.js",
        "URL=http://www.bing.com/s/as/8_01_1_3345848/Identity/WindowsLiveConnect_c.js",
        "Resource=1",
        "RecContentType=application/x-javascript",
        "Referer=http://www.bing.com/",
        "Snapshot=t7.inf",
        LAST);