Iterations Overview

This section describes how configure a group, component, flow, or test to run a specified number of iterations during a single run. Each iteration can use different values for parameters.

Note:

  • For task details on defining iterations for components, groups, and flows, see How to Set Data for Iterations.
  • You can also run business process tests for different use-cases of the application you are testing. Each use-case of a test is represented by a test configuration. You can associate different sets of data for each test configuration and its iterations. For task details, see the Micro Focus Application Lifecycle Management User Guide: How to Work with Test Configurations.
  • Product Feature Movie: To view a movie that demonstrates how to handle Business Process Testing parameters, select Help > Movies in the ALM main window.

You can configure how many times, and with which data:

  • A business component runs in a test (using the Component Iterations dialog box).

  • A business component runs in a test with a dynamic data table (using Microsoft Excel).

  • A flow runs in a test (using the Flow Iterations dialog box or the Iterations dialog box).

  • A group runs in a test (using the Group Iterations dialog box).

  • A test instance runs (using the Test Iterations tab).

  • A test instance runs using certain test configurations (using the Test Configurations tab > Data tab)

The number of iterations is set according to the number of data values supplied. For example, a test or flow with ten sets of data runs ten times, and a component with six sets of component parameter values runs six times before proceeding to the next component in the run.

Example: Iteration usage:

  • You can create iterations for a flow that searches for different loans in a test for a banking application by supplying different loan IDs.

  • You can create iterations for a test that prepares loans with different interest rates to see which rate is most affordable for the customer.

  • You can create iterations for a component that orders books online. Each time the test runs, several book orders are made because the component is iterated in the test. A different number of books are ordered by the same test by specifying different book names for varying numbers of component iterations.

You can also specify a single iteration or a range of iterations to run in a business process test or flow. This enables you to run and check one or more specific iterations without having to run all the defined iterations. Iteration ranges for components, flows, and test configurations that use static data are specified using the Select Iterations dialog box. For user interface details, see Select Iterations Dialog Box.

In addition, you could use the same business process test or flow definition for different scenarios. Different combinations of iterations can be run for different test runs. Iteration ranges for test configurations that use dynamic data are specified using one of the following: 

When BPT Packaged Apps Kit users run tests and flows with iterations in Change Detection mode, only the first iteration of the selected range of iterations runs. For details about change detection, see Change Detection and Resolution.

Example:  

Consider the following business process test for a banking application comprising three business components: Login, CreateLoan, and Logout:

As illustrated above:

  • The entire business process test is iterated three times.
  • Different values for the test parameters BankURL, Username, and Password can be used for each test iteration.
  • Within each of the three test iterations, the CreateLoan component is iterated twice. This means that the CreateLoan component iterates a total of six times.
  • Different values for the CustomerName, CustomerPhone, CustomerAddress, and the Amount input parameters are used for each iteration of the CreateLoan component. Six different input parameters can be supplied in total.
  • The CreateLoan component provides an output value for the LoanID parameter for each iteration (six output values provided in total).

This topic also includes Group Iterations Overview.