Driving functional tests with external data

This section describes techniques you can use to data-drive functional tests with external data.

• Data-driving tests overview
  When you data-drive a test, the script uses variables for key application input fields and programs instead of literal values so that you can use external data to drive the application you are testing.

• Data-driven functional tests
  To data-drive a test script, you need to select the controls or objects in the application-under-test using either the Object Finder Tool method or the Test Object Browser method.

• Work with datapools
  A datapool is a test dataset, a collection of related data records which supplies data values to the variables in a test script during test script playback.

• Create a datapool
  A datapool is a test dataset, a collection of related data records which supplies realistic data values to the variables in a test script during test script playback. You can create data from scratch or import existing data into a new datapool from another Functional Tester datapool, an IBM Rational TestManager datapool, or a .csv file.

• Insert data-driven commands into a script by using an application visual
  You can add data-driven commands to the script by using an application visual.

• Associating a datapool with a group in a simplified script
  You can associate a datapool with a group in a simplified script. With this capability, you can create multiple datapools for a script and associate the datapools with the groups in a script.

• Editing datapools
  After you data-drive a test to create a datapool or create an empty datapool, you can edit the records and variables in the datapool.

• Replace literals with datapool references
  If you have an existing test script, you can replace literal values in the script with datapool references to add realistic data to the script. You can find and replace all literals, or just the number, string, or boolean literals with a datapool reference.

• Exporting datapools
  You can export a private or public Functional Tester datapool to a .csv file.

• Field separators for datapools
  When you export a datapool to a .csv file, you need to specify a field separator to use in the .csv file. A field separator can consist of one to three single-byte ASCII characters or one multi-byte character.

• Datapool references and verification points
  When you create a verification point with a datapool reference, you can supply variable data to make your tests more realistic.

• Change the datapool record selection order
  The test datapool record selection order determines how a test script accesses records in the test script's associated datapool when you play back the test script.

• Associating a datapool with a test script
  You can associate a test script with a datapool to use external data to drive the application instead of using a literal value.

• Associating a test script with a datapool
  You can associate a test script with a datapool to use external data to drive the application instead of using a literal value.

• Removing a datapool association
  You can remove a private or public datapool association with a test script.

• Delete a datapool
  If you no longer need a datapool, you can delete it, but if you delete a datapool, you break all associations with test scripts.