Test Excel

Ready to create Excel tests? Then this topic is for you. It explains the most important steps to your first Excel test case.

Tosca Cloud supports the following types of Excel tests:

Data-based tests: steer the data that's in an Excel file, or compare the data of two files.
UI-based tests: steer the Excel interface, or steer elements embedded in a worksheet.

Supported versions

For information on supported versions and file formats, check out the system requirements.

Create data-based tests

To create data-based Excel tests, use Tosca Cloud's standard modules for Excel. Standard modules are pre-built modules for common tasks that Tosca Cloud provides out of the box.

You can find the Excel modules in the left panel of the test case building area, under Modules.

Please choose your use case:

I want to insert, buffer, verify, or clear data from an Excel sheet.

To manipulate data in an Excel sheet, follow these steps:

Create a new, empty test case.
Add the module Open Excel Workbook to your test case and fill out the resulting test step.

Note that the test step doesn't actually open the file at runtime. It only makes sure that Tosca Cloud can access the data in the background.
To manipulate data, use these modules:
- First, define the data range you want to steer with the module Define Excel Range.
- To insert, buffer, or verify data in this range, use the module Manipulate Excel Range.
- To clear data or formatting from this range, use the module Clear Excel Range.
You can also run other operations:
- To add a new worksheet to an existing file, use the module Create Excel Worksheet.
- To delete a worksheet, use the module Delete Excel Worksheet.
- To rename a worksheet, use the module Update Excel Worksheet.
- To run a macro on your file, use the module Run Excel Macro.
Save and/or close the file with the module Close/Save Excel Workbook.

Create UI-based Excel tests

To test the Excel interface and elements that are embedded in a worksheet, you need to create your own modules.

Creating Excel UI test cases is easy:

Open your application under test. If you want to create a test for a specific Excel dialog, also open this dialog.
Scan your application to create modules. A module is the technical representation of a specific part of your application. It contains the necessary technical information that Tosca Cloud needs to steer your application.
Edit the modules you just created. You need to rename menu items to match what appears in the Excel UI.
By default, Tosca Cloud steers top-level menu items in Excel ribbons, for example Conditional Formatting in the Home ribbon.

If you want to steer submenu items, such as Highlight Cells Rules under Conditional Formatting, you need to adapt your module:
- In the module properties, change the respective module attribute's Cardinality to 0-1.
- In the module properties, add a BusinessID parameter and rename it to Name. For the value, enter the name of the submenu item as it appears in the Excel UI.
Create a new, empty test case.
Design your test case to build an automated test sequence. You can add various design elements to your test case, such as the modules you just created by scanning or logic elements.

Steer Excel UI controls

A control is a screen element in your application under test. For example, a button, text box, menu entry, or table cell. And when you use a module in your test case, you need to tell Tosca Cloud what to do with these controls.

For information on supported controls for Excel UI, check out Excel UI controls.

What's next

You've just created your first Excel test case. Well done!

Next up: do a test case trial run. Trial runs help you find and fix issues, so you can make your tests as stable and reliable as possible.

Once you're happy with your test case, pack it into a playlist, so you can run your tests in earnest.