Buffer operations

The automation tools modules for buffer operations can create buffers, save values to them, and manage buffered arrays for later test steps to read.

TBox Set Buffer

Creates a buffer with a particular value or verifies the value of an existing buffer.

Value

Description

<Buffername>

Replace <Buffername> with the name of the Buffer.

To save a value to the buffer, enter the desired value into the Value column. Use action mode Input.

To verify the value of the buffer, enter the value in question into the Value column. Use action mode Verify.

TBox Name to Buffer

Buffers the name of the test case that uses the module.

Value

Description

Buffer

Name of the buffer to which you want to save the test case. Use action mode Input.

TBox Partial Buffer

Buffers parts of a value and verifies parts of a buffered value.

Value

Description

Buffer

Name of the buffer.

Value

Value you want to buffer or verify.

  • To buffer a value, use action mode Input.

    If you want to buffer a value of another buffer, enter the syntax that you use to read out buffered values in your test cases.

Start

Character index from which you want the system to start buffering or verifying the value.

End

Character index that ends the value you want to buffer or verify.

Last

Number of characters you want to buffer or verify, starting from the last character.

If you set this value, Tosca Cloud ignores the values Start and End.

TBox Delete Buffer

Removes individual or all existing buffers.

Value

Description

Buffer

Name of the buffer you want to delete. Use action mode Select.

You can delete buffers as follows:

  • To delete all buffers, leave this value empty or enter the wildcard character *.

  • To delete multiple buffers, use the wildcard character * to replace one or more characters in the buffer name.

TBox Iterate Array

When Tosca Cloud buffers a row or column of a table, it organizes that information into an array. The module TBox Iterate Array iterates a buffered array, such as a table row or column. TBox Iterate Array outputs each array element individually. For instance, you can buffer a column containing customer names and send each name individually to the system under test. Tosca Cloud sends each array element in sequential order.

Value

Description

Array

Parent containing one array and one target. Add as many as you need for your use case.

Array to Iterate

Name of the buffer that contains an array you want to iterate.

Target buffer

Name of the buffer that should receive the iterated output. Use action mode Input.

TBox Array Operation

You can use this module to run advanced operations with array elements of an existing buffer. Or you can use it to create an array from elements you manually define.

Value

Description

Array

Use the dynamic expression {B} to define which buffered array you want to run your operation on. Use action mode Select.

Content

Your use case determines what you need to do with Content.

Item

Use Item to specify index positions with one of the following values:

  • # <index position number>. Index positions start at 1.

  • #last to specify the last element in the array.

You can add elements anywhere you want in an array:

  1. For Array, enter the array you want to add elements to.

  2. For Content, use action mode Select.

  3. For <Item>, define each element you want to add and where:

    • Replace <Item> with the index position where you want to add a new element.

    • For Value, enter the new value.

    • Select action mode Insert.

Add a new value to the end of a buffered array

In this test step, TBox Array Operation adds a new element to the end of the Transaction amount buffered array:

  • Array uses action mode Select to identify {B[Transaction amount]} as the target buffer.

  • Similarly, Content uses action mode Select to work with the array's existing elements.

  • #last targets the position right after the last existing element.

  • The Value 150.77 and action mode Insert tell Tosca Cloud to add 150.77 as a new element to the end of the array.

Tosca Cloud runs the test step, inserts 150.77 after the last existing element in the Transaction amount buffer.

Screenshot of the test step values for adding an element to the end of an array.

Add elements to an array

You can delete entire arrays or only specific elements.

Delete an entire array

To delete an entire array, you only need to use Array and Content:

  1. For Array, enter the buffer you want to delete.

  2. For Content, select action mode Delete.

Delete specific array elements

You can delete elements by using their index position:

  1. For Array, enter the buffer you want to delete elements from.

  2. For Content, use action mode Select.

  3. For <Item>, define the index position of the element you want to delete and select action mode Delete.

    For each element you want to delete, create a new <Item> and define its index position.

    Tosca Cloud deletes your elements in the order you list them. This means the index position of your elements changes with each element you delete.

Search and delete using action mode Constraint

Using action mode Constraint for <Item> lets you search for and delete only specific values. To do so, follow these steps:

  1. For Array, enter the buffer you want to delete elements from.

  2. For Content, select action mode Delete.

  3. For <Item>, enter your search value under Value and select action mode Constraint.

Delete an array element found by search

In this example, TBox Array Operation searches the Order quantity buffer for the value 10 and deletes it:

  • Array uses action mode Select to identify {B[Order quantity]} as the target buffer.

  • Content uses action mode Delete to tell Tosca Cloud you want to remove elements from this array.

  • <Item> the combination of Value 10 and action mode Constraint searches the array for any element equal to 10 and deletes each match.

Tosca Cloud runs the test step, finds the element with the value 10 in the array, and deletes it from the Order quantity buffer.

Screenshot of the test step values for deleting an array element found by search.

Delete elements from an array

You can overwrite elements by using action mode Modify:

  1. For Array, enter the buffer whose element you want to modify.

  2. For Content, use action mode Select.

  3. In <Item>, define what you want to modify and how:

    • Replace <Item> with the index position of the element you want to modify.

    • For Value, enter the new value.

    • Select action mode Modify.

Modify an array element by index

The test step TBox Array Operation overwrites the first element of the buffer Unit price:

  • Array uses action mode Select to identify {B[Unit price]} as the target buffer.

  • Content uses action mode Select to work with the array's existing elements.

  • <Item> #1 targets the first element. Action mode Modify overwrites that element with the Value 42.00. This doesn't add any elements to the array.

Tosca Cloud runs the test step and overwrites the first element of the array in the Unit price buffer with 42.00.

Screenshot of the test step values for modifying an array element by index.

Modify an element

Search and modify elements using action mode Constraint

Using action mode Constraint lets you search for and modify only specific values. To do so, follow these steps:

  1. For Array, enter the buffer whose elements you want to modify.

  2. For Content, enter the new value and select action mode Modify.

  3. For <Item>, enter your search terms under Value and select action mode Constraint.

Modify array elements found by search

In this test step, TBox Array Operation searches the Unit price buffer for elements with the value 10 and overwrites them:

  • Array uses action mode Select to identify {B[Unit price]} as the target buffer.

  • Content has Value 42 and uses action mode Modify to tell Tosca Cloud to overwrite 42 into any matching element.

  • <Item> has 10 for Value and uses action mode Constraint. This combination searches the array for elements equal to 10 and overwrite each match with the value from Content.

Tosca Cloud runs the test step, finds the elements with the value 10 in the array, and overwrites each of them with 42.

Screenshot of the test step values for modifying array elements found by search.

Modify elements with Constraint

Verify individual array elements, or verify the size of an array.

Verify specific array elements

To verify array elements, follow these steps:

  1. For Array, enter the buffer whose elements you want to verify.

  2. For Content, use action mode Select.

  3. For <Item>, define the index position of the element you want to verify, enter the expected value, and select action mode Verify.

Verify an array element by index

In this example, TBox Array Operation verifies that the element at index position 23 has the value 42.00:

  • Array uses action mode Select to identify the array's buffer.

  • Content uses action mode Select to work with the array's existing elements.

  • <Item> has #23 to target that element. The combination of Value 42.00 and action mode Verify tells Tosca Cloud to check the element against this value.

Tosca Cloud runs the test step and verifies that the element at index 23 has the value 42.00.

Screenshot of the test step values for verifying an array element by index.

Verify an array element

Verify array size

To verify the size of an array, follow these steps:

  1. For Array, enter the buffer whose size you want to verify.

  2. For Content, use the expression .Count==<expected value>, then select action mode Verify.

Verify the size of an array

In this example, a single test step uses the module TBox Array Operation to verify that an array has 50 elements:

  • Array uses action mode Select to define the target array as buffer {B[New customers]}.

  • Content has the expression .Count==50 and uses action mode Verify. This tells Tosca Cloud to check that the array has exactly 50 elements.

Tosca Cloud runs the test step and verifies that the array has 50 elements.

Screenshot of the test step values for verifying the size of an array.

Verify the size of an array

Create a new buffer array with only the elements you want from another array:

  1. For Array, enter the buffer containing the source array.

  2. For Content, enter a name for your new buffer and select action mode Buffer.

  3. Optionally, use <Item> to define the index position and select the appropriate action mode for any additional changes.

Remove items when you copy elements

Remove items from the source buffer while you copy elements into the new buffer. Use <Item> with action mode Delete and the index position of the elements you want to remove.

Copy array elements into a new buffer, excluding one element

This example copies the array in the Order quantity buffer into a new buffer without its first element:

  • Array uses action mode Select to identify {B[Order quantity]} as the source array.

  • Content enters Updated order quantity and uses action mode Buffer, telling Tosca Cloud to copy the source array's elements into a new buffer with this name.

  • <Item> is #1 and uses action mode Delete. This tells Tosca Cloud to exclude the first element of Order quantity from the copy.

Tosca Cloud runs the test step and creates a new buffer, Updated order quantity, containing every element of Order quantity except the first.

Screenshot of the test step values for copying array elements into a new buffer while excluding one element.

Copy array elements into a new buffer by deleting elements

Create an array by defining each element:

  1. For Array, enter the name of the new array. Use the dynamic expression B.

  2. For Content, leave Value blank and select action mode Insert.

  3. For each element:

    • Replace <Item> with # and the index position.

    • Enter the Value you want.

    • Select action mode Insert.

Create an array manually with two elements

The test step TBox Array Operation creates a new array named Product Price with two elements:

  • Array uses action mode Select to identify {B[Product Price]} as the array to create. Tosca Cloud will look for this array and create it if it doesn't exist.

  • Content leaves Value blank and uses action mode Insert, telling Tosca Cloud to create the array named in Array.

  • The first <Item> has #1 for the index position. This means that Tosca Cloud inserts 19.99 as the array's first element.

  • The second <Item> has #2 for the index position. This means that Tosca Cloud inserts 99.99 as the array's second element.

Tosca Cloud runs the test step and creates the array Product Price with two elements: 19.99 at index 1 and 99.99 at index 2.

Screenshot of the test step values for creating an array manually with two elements.

Create an array manually

Create an array with empty elements

Create an array with empty elements, and define how many you want:

  1. For Array, enter the name of the new array. Use the dynamic expression B.

  2. For Content, enter the number of elements in your new array and select action mode Insert.

    If you want to define one or more elements:

    • Replace <Item> with # and the index position.

    • Enter the Value you want.

    • Select action mode Modify.