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# Work with parameters, iterations, and configurations

This section provides general information on how to work with parameters, iterations, and test configurations in Business Process Testing.

In this topic:

## Overview

The following table explains general information about parameters, iterations, and test configurations when working with business process tests and flows:

Parameter | You can affect the behavior and results of a business process test by using parameters to define the values that components and flows receive and return. This process is known as parameterization. Parameterization enables you to perform operations on the application you are testing with multiple sets of data. Each time you run a business process test, you can supply different values for the parameters in the test (or its components and flows).
Parameter linkage | For component parameters within a business process test or flow to be accessible to other components, the parameters can be linked. You link output parameters from one component to input parameters in another component.
Parameter promotion | Promoting parameters enables the components in other flows (and components and flows in other tests) to access a parameter value. Promotion widens the scope of a parameter so that more entities can use its value when a business process test runs. You can promote component parameters to the flow or test level at the same time as you add a component to a flow or test. Similarly, flow input parameters can be promoted to the test level at the same time as you add a flow to a test.
Iterations and test configurations | Parameterization enables you to iterate specific components in a business process test, specific components in a flow, entire business process tests, or test configurations for a business process test — thereby creating data-driven tests. Defining iterations enables you to automatically run business components, flows, and tests multiple times, each time using different parameter values. You can 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. Examples of use-cases include: Running the same test on different operating systems, running the same test for different browser versions, or running the same test with different languages' character sets. 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.

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## Handle data

Below is a general workflow for working with parameters, iterations, and test configurations.

To work with parameters, iterations, and test configurations:

1. Design data. Consider the following before working with parameters:

   Parameter linkage | Determine which parameters are dependent on other parameters so that you can link them. For details, see Link parameters.
   Parameter promotion | Determine which parameters should be available at the component, flow, and test levels. For details, see Promote parameters.
   Iterations and test configurations | Business process tests can be iterated for different use-case scenarios by setting up iterations and test configurations with different values. Design how many times each component, flow, and business process test configuration should run, and with what values. For details, see Define iterations for components, flows, and groups and Generate test configurations for business process tests.

2. Create parameters and set default values.

   For details, see Create parameters.

   You can use the default value for providing a default value in case a value is not supplied for the run, or you can use the default value as an example for the type of value that can be provided (for example, a phone number example could be ###-###-####).

3. Link parameters.

   Link output and input parameters between components. For task details, see Link parameters.

4. Promote parameters.

   Parameter promotion enables you to create new parameters based on parameters defined on the component or flow level. The new parameters are then accessible to other components and flows in the test.

   As you promote parameters, new parameters with the same name are created at the higher level.

   You promote parameters to the next level when adding components or flows to a test, or when adding components to a flow.

   For task details, see Promote parameters.

5. Set data values for each iteration

   Define how many times each business component or flow should be iterated when the business process test runs.

   When working with dynamic configurations, business components within the same business process test or flow can be iterated a different number of times. To do this, set up component iterations using multiple sheets in the data table from within Microsoft Excel.

   For task details on iterating components, see Define iterations for components, flows, and groups.

6. Set data values for each test configuration.

   Define configurations which determine how many times each business component or flow, or test should be iterated for each use-case. Set values for each test configuration's parameters. For details, see Test configurations.

7. Set data values for test instances.

   Define how many times each business component or flow should be iterated for a test instance, and set values for parameters. For task details, see Define iterations for components, flows, and groups.

8. (Optional) Import and save parameters.

   The task of defining lists of component or flow parameter values for iterations can be facilitated by importing the values from an external file. You can also save a set of defined parameter values as a file, for example, to use with other business components or flows.

   For task details, see Define iterations for components, flows, and groups.

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