Test Automation For Web-Based Applications Portnov Computer School Presenter: Ellie Skobel

2 Day 10 Data Driven Testing

 Testing can be very repetitious. ◦ We must run the same test over and over again  Many of the tests are only slightly different. ◦ Test contains slight different system inputs and actual output ◦ Each of these tests has the exact same steps.  Good for ensuring good coverage, bad for test maintainability. ◦ Any change made to the algorithm of one of these tests must be propagated to all the similar tests. 3

 Testing of application by means of re-usable test logic to reduce maintenance and improve test coverage  Test scripts are executed and verified based on the data values stored in one or more central data sources 4

 The data that varies from test to test is put into the Data-Driven Test file that the interpreter reads to execute the tests  For each test the interpreter does the same sequence of actions  A test that would otherwise require a series of complex steps can be reduced to a single line of data in the Data-Driven Test file. 5

 Retrieves the test data from the file  Sets up the test fixture using the data from the file.  Exercise system under test with whatever arguments the file specifies  Compares the actual results produced by the (SUT) with the expected results from the file.  If the results don't match, it marks the test as failed; if the SUT throws an exception, it catches the exception and marks the test accordingly and continues.  Does any fixture teardown that is necessary.  Then moves on to the next test in the file. 6

 Can be used as part of a Scripted Test strategy and Recorded Tests  Ideal strategy for getting business people involved in writing automated tests. ◦ By keeping the format of the data file simple, it is possible for the business person to populate the file with data and execute the tests without having to get a technical person to write any test code for them.  Whenever there is a lot of different data values with which we wish to exercise the SUT but where the sequence of steps to execute for each data value is pretty much identical 7 Usually we discover this similarity over time and refactor.