15.4

Setting Variables

In addition to the methods you have already seen, variables can also be set as follows:

• Via the 'Set variable' node,
• as the return value of a procedure,
• as the result value of QF-Test nodes like the 'Fetch text' node, the 'Fetch geometry' node, the 'Fetch index' node and the 'Check' node,
• in the 'Variable definitions' table of the 'Test-suite' node, the 'Test case' node, the 'Test step' node, the 'Sequence' node and others like the 'If' node or 'Loop' node,
• via command line parameters.

For information about the best place where to define a variable please refer to the next section.

You can insert a 'Set variable' node via the menu item »Insert«-»Miscellaneous«-»Set variable«. In its details you can specifiy whether the value should be bound as a local or a global variable.

The following figure shows the details of a 'Set variable' node. (You can find it as the first node of the 'Setup' node.) It defines a variable named client. It is a global variable as the 'Local variable' attribute has not been checked.

		Figure 15.10:  Details of the 'Set variable' node

When you want to set a variable as the result of a procedure call you need to specify the variable name in the 'Variable for return value' attribute of the procedure call. Within the procedure itself you have to add a 'Return' node with the value to be returned as the last node to be executed.

The next figure shows a theoretical example of a procedure which returns a value. The procedure fetches the discount value displayed in the SUT and returns it to the calling test case. There, the receiving variable is named Discount and declared as a local variable.

		Figure 15.11:  Procedure returning a value

The 'Fetch text' node of above example is one of the QF-Test nodes directly setting a variable value. You need to specify the variable name in the attribute called accordingly. Again, you have the choice whether to make it local or global.

Quite a number of nodes have a 'Variable definitions' table where you may define variables local to a procedure or a test case. If the respective node is part of a procedure the variable will be local to the procedure. Otherwise it will be local to the respective test case. Variables bound to the test suite node can be accessed from all nodes within the test suite.

In debugging mode, all nodes you can bind a variable to will show up on the variable bindings table when entered.

You can enter variables in the command line via the parameter -variable. For details please refer to the manual, chapter 'Command line arguments and exit codes'.

Last update: 5/31/2023 Copyright © 2002-2023 Quality First Software GmbH