To data-drive a test script, you need to select objects in the application-under-test. The data-driver populates a datapool with data from the application.
A datapool is a collection of related data records. A datapool supplies data values to the variables in a test script during test script playback.
You can use two methods to select an object:
Object Finder Tool method -- Use this tool to select an object and all descendents of the object, select one object, or select an object and the immediate children of an object.
Test Object Browser method -- Use this method to browse for the object that you want to select. The browser displays a hierarchical tree of objects in your application. The top level shows any applications you have running. Under each top level, Functional Tester displays the object hierarchy within that application. The hierarchical tree is a dynamic view of the currently available objects.
To data drive a test script:
Create a project to store the test assets you need to test an application.
Start recording a test script.
In the Select Script Assets dialog box, in the Datapool Record Selection Order box, select one of the following types of datapool record selection orders:
Sequential -- At playback, the test script accesses records in the datapool in the order that they appear in the datapool.
Random -- At playback, the test script randomly accesses every record in the datapool once.
Finish the rest of the dialog box, and then click Finish.
The Functional Tester window minimizes and the Recording Monitor opens.
Start the application you want to test and navigate through the application to the dialog box that you want to data-drive.
On the Recording
toolbar, click Start Application
() to start an application.
See Starting Your Test Applications
for more information. (If your application is already running, you do
not need to do this step.)
Perform any actions in the application that you want to record in the test script.
Data-drive the test.
On the Recording
toolbar, click Insert Data Driven Commands
().
The test script recording pauses and the Insert Data Driven Actions
page opens.
In the application-under-test, type the initial values that you want to see in the datapool in the fields that you want to data drive.
By populating these fields while the recorder pauses, you do not record unnecessary actions in the test script. Any change to the control flow of the program while the test script recording pauses is not recorded in the test script.
Under Populate then Select Test Objects, choose one of the following methods:
Press and drag hand to select test objects
-- Use this method to select an object and all the descendents of the
selected object. This is the most common and direct method of selecting
an object.
Use the mouse
to drag the hand, the Object Finder tool (), to the object
in the application that you want to select.
Functional Tester outlines the object with a red border.
Release the
mouse button.
The Data Drive Actions page opens. In the Data Drive Actions
page, under the DataDriven Commands
table, information appears about the objects you selected.
You can place your mouse pointer over a row in this table to
view the line of code that Functional Tester inserts into the test script
to data-drive the application-under-test.
Use selection wizard to select test objects
-- Click to use the Drag Hand Selection
method with its options, or the Test
Object Browser method.
The Select Object to Data Drive page opens.
Click the Selection method arrow to select one of the following methods:
Drag Hand Selection method -- Use this tool to include only the selected object, the selected object and the immediate children of the selected object, or to include the selected object and all descendents of the selected object.
Optionally, select or clear After selecting an object advance to the next page.
Use the
mouse to drag the hand, the Object Finder tool (), to
the object in the application that you want to select.
Functional Tester outlines the object with a red border.
Release the mouse button.
Click Next if you did not select After selecting an object advance to next page.
Click one of the following options:
Just the selected object
Include the immediate children of the selected object
Include all descendents of the selected object
Test Object Browser method -- Use this method to browse for the object that you want to select.
Browse the object tree to find the object that you want to data-drive.
Click the part of the tree that you want to select.
Click Next.
Choose one of the following options:
Just the selected object
Include the immediate children of the selected object
Include all descendents of the selected object
Click Finish.
The Insert Data Driven Actions page opens with information
filled in under Data Driven Commands
and Selected Command Description.
Optionally, in the Data Driven Commands table, under the Variable header, type a descriptive name for the name of each variable in the datapool.
Optionally, in the Data
Driven Commands table, under the Initial
Value header, double-click the initial value, and then type in
a new initial value or click the arrow to select a new value from the
list.
For example, you can change the initial value of a test object
to test the non-default states of an application.
Optionally, in the Data Driven Commands table, make any of the following changes.
Click to move the selected row earlier in the order of execution
in the Data Driven Commands table.
Click to move the selected row later in the order of execution
in the Data Driven Commands table.
Click to delete a selected row from the Data Driven Commands
table.
Click to highlight a test object in the application-under-test.
Select a test object in the Data Driven Commands table, and then click
this icon.
Click to display or hide recognition and administrative properties
for a selected test object.
Click OK
to finish data-driving the script.
The Insert Data Driven Actions page closes and Functional Tester
populates a datapool with data collected from the application.
Finish recording the test script.
Perform any actions in the application you want to record.
If you want to record a verification point,
locate the object in your application you want to test, and then click
the Insert Verification
Point or Action Command button.
Tip: Click
the Help button while creating
the verification point for more information on the Verification Point
and Action Wizard, or see Creating a Properties
Verification Point for an example of how to create a properties verification
point.
You can use a datapool reference instead of a literal value for
the value you are testing in the verification point.
If you want to insert any script support functions into the script, such as a call script command, log entry, timer, script delay command, or comment, click the Insert Script Support Commands button. Click the Help button in the Script Support Functions dialog box for information on these functions.
Close your application, if you want closing the application to be part of the script.
On the Recording toolbar, click Stop
Recording () to write all recorded information to
the test script and update the datapool with new variables and associated
initial values.
The Functional Tester window opens and the script displays in the
editor window.
You can add data to the datapool after you finish recording the test script. For more information about editing a datapool, see Editing Datapools.
Related Topics:
Insert Data Drive Actions Dialog Box
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