In GUI functional testing, sometimes you may want to parameterize your test to use external data instead values hardcoded in the test body. You can upload a CSV file with data that you want to inject to your test.

This article covers parameterizing test data in a Taurus YAML script. Alternatively, you can also Parameterize Test Data in Scriptless Tests.

This article covers the following topics:

1. Precondition
2. Create data-provider file
3. Upload file to Blazemeter
4. Refactor test to use data from file
5. Run test

Precondition

Let's say we already have a simple test as a YAML file. The test will go to the http://blazedemo.com site, then select values in two dropdowns, submit the selection and, finally, will assert that the next page appears with the expected header:

modules:
  nose:
    ignore-unknown-actions: true
execution:
- executor: selenium
  scenario: Demo-test
  blazegrid: true
  iterations: 1
  capabilities: 
  browserName: chrome
scenarios:
  Demo-test:
    generate-flow-markers: true 
    headless: false
    timeout: 10s
    think-time: 0s
    requests:
    - label: Test
      actions:
      - maximizeWindow()
      - go(http://blazedemo.com/index.php)
      - selectByName(fromPort): "Boston"
      - selectByName(toPort): "Rome"
      - clickByCSS(input.btn.btn-primary)
      - assertTextByCSS(h3): "Flights from Boston to Rome:"

We can see hardcoded data in selectByName() and assertTextByCSS() commands, which we'd like to replace by parameters.

Create data-provider file

BlazeMeter allows usage of .csv files as data-providers for test. Let's create a "params.csv" file for our test from precondition section: 

fromPort,toPort
Paris,Buenos Aires
Philadelphia,Rome
Boston,London

First row represents names for our parameters, all the following rows are the values for the parameters. So in our "params.csv" file we have 3 rows of data.

Upload file to Blazemeter

After we've created a data-provider file, let's upload it to test in Blazemeter.

Just upload the file for required test using Blazemeter interface:

Refactor test to use data from file

Now that we have the data-provider file "params.csv" uploaded, let's refactor the test to use our file instead hardcoded data in test:

1. Set "iterations" parameter to 0 (which means do as many iterations as many rows of data we have in our file).
2. Link scenario with data-provider file.
3. Replace hardcoded data by parameters.

Run test

Now we have our test parameterized by data from the "params.csv" file. Since we have 3 rows of values in the file, our test will be executed 3 times, each time with different data (1 iteration = 1 row of data).

Each iteration will be executed in a separate session of the web driver: