Using ActiveData

To effectively mimic application use, application testing often involves performing the same action or set of actions repeatedly using different sets of data. For example, the previous lesson included recording a test that created a customer record. To create ten customer records, you can record ten different tests, each with its own set of customer data. However, with Silk Test Workbench you can enhance this original test to run repeatedly for ten iterations and use a different set of data for each iteration.

With ActiveData testing, you can use data in external files as input to the test application, and then repeat selected steps using different data for each iteration.

In this lesson, you will learn how to:

In the previous lesson, you recorded a visual test that entered customer information for Pat Smith into the customer database. Each time that visual test plays back, Silk Test Workbench uses the literal data values that were captured during the initial recording.

In this lesson, you replace the literal data values used to input customer information for Pat Smith with ActiveData, so that when Silk Test Workbench plays back the visual test, different customers contained in the external file are used.

Before creating ActiveData for the visual test, review the ActiveData file.