Parameterization in QTP

Parameterization is nothing but giving multiple Input/Test data to the test script.

Differentways to Parameterize:

1.  Input the Test data from External files.

2.  Input the Test data through Datatable.

3.  Input Test data through loop statements.

4.  Input Test data dynamically through interactive submission.

Parameterizationwith local table:

Parameterization is a process in which parameters, or variables are substituted for hard-coded values which help perform the same operations on the AUT with multiple sets of data. In other words, in QTP, parameterization helps automation developers test an application with different data from a single action (or multiple actions) through multiple iterations. Because the data changes each iteration, it must be stored in a data-pool, or in multiple variables. This data-pool can be QTP’s (Local or Global) DataTables, an Excel Spreadsheet (external to QTP), Access DB, SQL Server, or any database of your choice. It can also come from several Environment variables.

Before we start with the actual parameterization, we must first understand how data will be retrieved from the DataTable and the settings that we need to make in order to cover all the rows. In our example, we will test a few UserName and Passwords in the HP/Mercury’s Demo AUT.

Below, I have created 2 columns in the Local (Action1) DataTable- UserName & Password. You can create columns by simply double-clicking the Column heading:

Next, I will create 4 rows with different sets of data:

Below is the syntax to retrieve data from the DataTable’s local sheet:

'If retrieving data from Local DataTable (Action1, Action2,.. ActionN)

DataTable("ColumnName", dtLocalSheet)

'If retrieving data from Global DataTable (dtGlobalSheet)

DataTable("ColumnName", dtGlobalSheet)

Therefore, we can now create 2 statements using the syntax above to retrieve our user name and password:

DataTable("UserName", dtLocalSheet)

DataTable("Password", dtLocalSheet)

Before we create our script, we must first tell QTP to run the test from all rows in the Local DataTable. In Keyword view, right-click Action1 then click Action Call Properties:

In the Run Tab of Action Call Properties window, select “Run on all rows”. A Dialog will popup mentioning what we discussed in the beginning of this post, about ending our iteration where the first step in our process begins.

Close the dialog, then click OK to save the settings we made under Action Call Properties. We are now ready to create our script which will take data from each row and test each UserName/Password combination. Below will be the steps in our process:

Steps:

- generate the basic test> open data table(view>data table)

- click on column header>enter the name of the field(like we can create number of coloumns).enter data >connect the data to test.

(variable=datatable(“column name” sheet id)

-run the test

Example :

Invoke application ("c:\Program Files\IE.exe.exe”)

Dialog(“login”).Active

Dialog(“login”).winedit(“agent name”).set agent

Dialog(“login”).winedit(“password”).setsecure pwd

Dialog(“login”).winbutton(“ok”).click

Window(“flightreservation”).close

Importing test data from external files

Open data table(open>data table) > right click >file > import from file >click ok >browser path of the file(it imports data from the flat file)

Importing test data from external spread sheets:

Open data table(open>data table) > right click >file > import from file >click ok >browser path of the excel sheet(it imports data from the excel sheet)