Test data modules

Tosca Cloud offers standard modules, which are sets of pre-built test steps for various useful tasks and actions. This topic lists all standard modules for test data:

Test data - Update item

This module allows you to perform one of the following test data actions:

Test design

The module supports one action for one data source. This means the following:

  • If you want to perform 'reuse' actions or 'update last consumed row' actions in a test case that's linked to multiple data sources, you need to add the module multiple times. Once per data source you want to update.

  • If you want to update multiple alias rows, you need to add the module multiple times. Once per alias you want to update.

Application

Tosca Cloud applies all actions in all linked data sources:

  • If your data source is a subset, Tosca Cloud applies the action to the row in both the subset and its parent data set.

  • If your data source is a data set that has subsets, Tosca Cloud applies the action to the data set and all its subsets.

Limitations

The Test data - Update item module doesn't stop Tosca Cloud from marking a row as used if you identify the row with the module TestData - Find and provide item. That's not a problem, however, because TestData - Find and provide item offers its own method to keep a row unused.

Module attributes

When you use the Test data - Update item module in a test case, fill out the following information: 

Attribute

Description

Alias

Alias of the row you've defined with the module TestData - Find and provide item.

If you use Alias, leave Data set and Subset empty.

Data set

Name of the data set.

You only need to populate Data set for the following use cases:

  • You want to stop Tosca Cloud from marking a row as used.

  • You want to update the last row that Tosca Cloud consumed.

Subset

Name of the subset.

Reuse data

Specify if you want to reuse a row. To do so, enter True.

Data structure

Define your data update. To do so, perform the following actions:

  • Replace <Column name> with the name of the column you want to modify. Note that this column has to exist in the data set or subset.

  • Enter the new value into the Value column. You can also enter dynamic values, such as date/time expressions or text expressions like buffer.

    If the column already has a value in this row, Tosca Cloud overwrites it.

  • Use action mode Input.

After you've added your information, Tosca Cloud adds a new Column line. To update another column in the same data source, simply fill out the new line.

Define that you want to reuse data.

This example test case performs the following actions: 

  1. Test step Enter name enters test data into a text box called Name and clicks Next.

    The test data comes from a data set called Customer data, specifically the column Name.

  2. Test step Test data - Update item defines that you want to reuse the row that Tosca Cloud consumes during the test run:

    • Data set with the value Customer data defines where the data is from.

    • Reuse data with the value True indicates that you want to reuse the data.

Screenshot of the example test case in Tosca Cloud.

Click to enlarge: Define that you want to reuse data

Update the last row that Tosca Cloud consumes during the test run.

In this example, you want to add a time stamp to the data row that Tosca Cloud consumed during a test step. To do so, you add the module to your test case and fill out the test steps:

  1. Since you want to update the last consumed row, you leave Alias empty.

  2. To define the location of the data source, you populate Data set and Subset with the respective names: My example data set and Subset A.

  3. To define that you don't want to reuse the row after this test run, you set Reuse data to False.

  4. To define what you want to modify and how, you populate Data structure:

    • To define the column you want to modify, you replace <Column> with the name of the column: Processed.

    • To define the time stamp, you enter the dynamic date and time expression {DATETIME} into the Value column of Processed. At runtime, Tosca Cloud will create the time stamp based on the actual date and time.

Screenshot of the example test case in Tosca Cloud.

Click to enlarge: Update data during a test run

Update an alias row.

In this example, you want to add an order number to a specific data row. This data row has the alias Audi2020Red, which you've previously defined with the module TestData - Find and provide item.

To update the alias row, you add the module Test data - Update item to your test case and fill out the resulting test step:

  1. To define which row you want to update, you enter Audi2020Red as the value of Alias.

  2. To define which column you want to update and how, you populate Data structure:

    • To specify the column, you replace Column with the name of the column you want to update: Order number.

    • To specify the data you want to enter into this column, you enter the order number 123456789 as the value of Order number.

Click to enlarge: Update an alias row

Test data - Find and provide item

By default, you can use one row of data from the same data source per test case. If you want to use more than one row per test case, the module TestData - Find and provide item is one option you can choose.

With this module, you define conditions the test data must meet. Tosca Cloud picks the first row that matches and gives this row an alias of your choice. To use the test data, simply reference the alias in a test step.

You can add the module as many times as you like to define multiple rows of data in the same test case.

Limitations

Keep the following limitations in mind:

  • The module only works with data sets. You can't use it to consume multiple rows of a subset.

  • The alias is only valid within the same test case. You can't define an alias in one test case and then reference it in another.

Module attributes

When you use the module TestData - Find and provide item in a test case, fill out the following information: 

Attribute

Description

Data set

Name of the data set.

Alias

Specify a name for the data row that Tosca Cloud will select from all rows that match your query or filter.

The alias is only valid within the same test case.

Query

Enter a query expression that specifies the conditions the test data must meet. Tosca Cloud only returns matching data.

Alternatively, you can define data by Data search filter.

Data search filter

In the Data search filter parameters, specify the column and value that define the data you're looking for. Tosca Cloud will return all rows that have this value in the specified column.

You can enter multiple column-value pairs to fine-tune your filter. Make sure to use the following: 

For the value, you can also use wildcards and regular expressions. Note that Tosca Cloud doesn't support the != operator in regular expressions. You need to incorporate it into the regular expression itself.

Mark data as used

By default, Tosca Cloud marks the alias row as used after you run the test case, whether it's a trial run or an actual test run.

To prevent this so that you can reuse the row later, set the value to False.

Use the module in a test case to create an alias called Audi2020Red.

In this example, you want to filter your data to include only red Audis that were manufactured in 2020. To do so, you add the module to your test case and fill out its values:

  1. To specify the data source, you populate Data set with the name of the data set you want to use in your test case: My example data set.

  2. To define the "name" of the row, you populate Alias with the name you've chosen: Audi2020Red. You'll need this later on, when you want to use the data.

  3. To define the conditions the test data must meet, you use Data search filter. You replace <Column name> with the actual column name and enter the expected value into the Value field. This leaves you with the following parameters:

    • Parameter Brand with the value Audi.

    • Parameter ManufactureDate with the value 2020. Since this value is a number, you select data type Numeric.

    • Parameter Color with the value Red.

  4. To define that you want to reuse the row, you set Mark data as used to False.

Screenshot of the example test case in Tosca Cloud.

Click to enlarge: Module TestData - Find and provide item in a test case

By the way, you can also use Query instead of Data search filter. Simply enter Brand==Audi AND ManufactureDate==2020 AND Color==Red into the Value field of Query.

No matter which option you choose, the result is the same: At runtime, Tosca Cloud returns all matching rows and stores the first one under the alias Audi2020Red.

Define query expressions

The module attribute Query supports the following query components: 

Type

Details

Examples

Values

Strings, numbers, boolean, null

MyString

1467.5 or 1467,5 (depending on the format in your data)

TRUE, FALSE

NULL

Comparison operators

<, <=, >, >=, ==, !=

Status==Registered

Processed!=NULL

Mileage<=10000

Electric==TRUE

Logical operators

NOT (!), AND (&), OR (|)

All cars where the brand is Mercedes or Audi: Brand==Mercedes OR Brand==Audi

All cars where the brand is Mercedes and engine power is equal or bigger than 250: Brand==Mercedes AND Enginepower>=250Mileage

Note that by default, AND and OR are left associate. Use parentheses () to define groupings and set precedence:

  • All cars that are electric, where the brand is either Mercedes or Audi: 

    Electric==TRUE AND (Brand==Mercedes | Brand==Audi)

    This is a good example for setting precedence. AND and OR are left associate, so if you don't add parentheses yourself, Tosca Cloud processes the filters like this:

    (Electric==TRUE AND Brand==Mercedes) | Brand==Audi

    Which would return different data: all cars that are electric and Mercedes OR all cars that are Audis.

  • All cars that aren't Mercedes or Audi, where the mileage is greater than 1000: 

    !(Brand==Mercedes | Brand==Audi) & Mileage>1000

  • All registered cars that are either Mercedes with mileage over 1000, or Audi with mileage over 1000:

    Status==registered AND ((Brand==Mercedes AND Mileage>1000) OR (Brand==Audi AND Mileage>1000))

If your string contains special characters, you need to escape them:

  • To escape special characters, enclose the string with single quotation marks ('). Note that Tosca Cloud considers empty spaces as special characters.

  • To escape backslashes (\) and single quotation marks ('), add an additional escape character: a backslash (\). Example: FastFoodRestaurant=='McDonald\'s'

  • To escape double quotation marks ("), add an additional escape character: double quotation marks ("). Example: Actor=='Dwayne ""The Rock"" Johnson'

  • To signify numbers that Tosca Cloud should treat as text, enclose them with single quotation marks ('). Example: Order=='1524'

Reference the alias

To use the test data that Tosca Cloud stores behind an alias, enter the following expression:

{CTDS[<alias>.<column that has the data you want to use>]}

Reference the alias so you can use the data.

In this test case, you create an alias and then reference this alias, so you can use the data row behind it:

  1. Test step Create alias uses the module TestData - Find and provide item to create an alias called Audi2020Red. For this test step, we're reusing this "create alias" example.

  2. Test step Enter license plate steers two controls:

    • A text box called Plate number. Here, you want to use the data behind the alias Audi2020Red. Specifically, you want to use the data that the row has in the LicensePlate column. To do so, enter {CTDS[Audi2020Red.LicensePlate]}.

    • A button called Next, where you want to perform a left-click. To do so, enter {Click}.

Screenshot of the example test case in Tosca Cloud.

Click to enlarge: Use the test data behind an alias

Test data - Export items

This module allows you to export a data set as a CSV, Excel, or JSON file. This makes it easy to share test data, for example between Tosca Cloud workspaces. Or, to use it outside of Tosca Cloud, for example in reports or data processing tools.

Module attributes

When you use the module Test data - Export items in a test case, fill out the following information: 

Attribute

Description

Data set

Name of the data set you want to export.

Export format

Desired export format: CSV, Excel, or JSON.

File name

Absolute path to the export file. For example:

C:\MyFolder\data_export_20260215.json

For Excel, Tosca Cloud supports .xlsx.

Sorting

[Optional] Data sorting criteria:

  • Replace <Sort property> with the name of the column you want to sort by.

  • Enter Ascending or Descending into the Value column.

Encoding

This attribute only applies if you export a CSV file. In this case, you can add encoding: ASCII, Windows 1252, or UTF-8.

Line break

This attribute only applies if you export a CSV file. In this case, you can specify a line break character: \r, \n, or \r\n.

Separator

This attribute only applies if you export a CSV file. In this case, you can specify a different delimiter than the default semicolon (;).

Export data as an Excel file.

In this example, you want to export a data set called Insurance_Clients as an Excel file. You also want to sort the data in a specific way. To do this, you add the module Test data - Export items to your test case and fill it out:

  • Data set specifies the data set you want to export: Insurance_Clients.

  • Export format specifies your desired file format: Excel.

  • File name specifies the name of the export file and where you want to save it: C:\My projects\Test data\my_data.xlsx.

  • Sorting specifies the sorting behavior. You want Tosca Cloud to sort rows by the column ProcessDate, in descending order. To do this, you replace <Sort property> with ProcessDate and enter Descending into the Value column.

Click to enlarge: Export a data set as an Excel file

Test data - Delete item

This module allows you to delete a row from a data set. It helps you make data cleanup part of the test case instead of a separate, manual task.

Limitations

You must define the row and create an alias with the module Test data - Find and provide item before you can delete it with the module Test data - Delete item.

Module attributes

When you use the module Test data - Delete item in a test case, fill out the following information: 

Attribute

Description

Alias

Alias of the row you want to delete. To define the alias, use the module Test data - Find and provide item.

Delete a data row.

In this example, you want to delete a particular row from a data set. To do so, you create the following test case:

  1. Test step Create alias uses the module Test data - Find and provide item. It defines the row and creates an alias called Audi2020Red for it. For this test step, we reuse the "create alias" example.

  2. Test step Delete data row uses the module Test data - Delete item. In this test step, Alias has the value Audi2020Red, which tells Tosca Cloud to delete the row behind this alias.

Click to enlarge: Delete the data row behind the alias Audi2020Red

Test data - Create and provide new item

This module allows you to create a new row of test data during a test run. No need to update your data set manually!

Module attributes

When you use the module Test data - Create and provide new item in a test case, fill out the following information: 

Attribute

Description

Data set

Data set where you want to add the row.

If the target data set doesn't exist at the time of the test run, Tosca Cloud creates it.

Alias

Alias of the new row. You need the alias if you plan to update or delete the row.

The alias is only valid within the same test case.

Data structure

Content of the new row: 

  • Replace <Column name> with the name of a column in your data set.

  • In the Value field, specify the value for this column.

Repeat this for all columns you want to define.

Note the following:

  • If your data structure has a column that doesn't exist in the target data set, Tosca Cloud creates the column in the target data set.

  • If your target data set has additional columns, Tosca Cloud creates the new row with empty values in the remaining columns.

Add a new row.

In this example, you want to add a new row to a data set called Contacts. You plan to update this row at the end of your test case, after you've used the data.

The data set Contacts has the following columns: First name, Last name, Email, Phone, and Last contact date.

To add a new row, you add the module Test data - Create and provide new item to your test case and fill out its values:

  1. For Data set, you enter the value Contacts. This defines where you want to add the new row.

  2. For Alias, you enter the value ContactAlias. This defines the "name" of the new row, which you'll need to update the row later.

  3. In Data structure, you define the contents of the new row. In each line, you replace <Column name> with a column name from the data set Contacts. Then, you define the value that the new row has in this column.

    In this example, you define the following data structure:

    • First name has the value Elaine. 

    • Last name has the value Wu. 

    • Email has the value elaine.wu@company.com. 

    • Phone has the value (555) 010-0199.

At runtime, Tosca Cloud creates the new row with the specified values in all specified columns. Since you don't specify anything for the column Last contact date, Tosca Cloud will leave this column empty.

Click to enlarge: Add a new row to a data set

Test data - Move row

This module allows you to move a row of data from one data set to another, as part of an automated test case. Tosca Cloud deletes the row from the original data set and adds it to the new data set. No need to update manually!

Limitations

You must define the row and create an alias with the module Test data - Find and provide item before you can move it with the module Test data - Move row.

Module attributes

When you use the module Test data - Move row in a test case, fill out the following information: 

Attribute

Description

Data set

Name of the data set to which you want to move the row. Note the following:

  • If the target data set doesn't exist at the time of the test run, Tosca Cloud creates it.

  • If the row you move has a column that doesn't exist in the target data set, Tosca Cloud creates it.

Alias

Alias of the row you want to move. To define the alias, use the module Test data - Find and provide item.

Move a data row.

In this example, you want to move a row of data from one data set to a data set called Processed data. To do so, you create the following test case:

  1. Test step Create alias uses the module Test data - Find and provide item. It defines the row you want to move and creates an alias called Audi2020Red for it. For this test step, we reuse the "create alias" example.

  2. Test step Move data row uses the module Test data - Move row. This test step has the following information:

    • Data set has the value Processed data. This tells Tosca Cloud where to move the row.

    • Alias has the value Audi2020Red. This tells Tosca Cloud to move the row behind this alias.

Click to enlarge: Move a data row to a different data set