Data Source Loop Test Step

About step

Use the Data Source Loop test step to perform test actions in a loop using new data on each iteration.

To use this test step, you need to add the following test steps to your test case:

Data Source Step – The Data Source test step that will provide access to the data.
Target Step – The test step that will perform test actions. This can be one of test steps sending requests like SOAP Request or REST Request, or the Run Test Case test step that runs another test case of your project.

The Data Source Loop test step will iterate through data and call all test steps contained in the loop on each iteration.

Requirements

To use this test step, you need ReadyAPI Test Licenses. If you do not have it, you can request it on our website or start a trial.

Editing Data Source Loop test step

The test step has no editor. To modify its properties, simply double-click the test step in the project tree. This will invoke a dialog box with the following properties:

Discard PASS Results within Loop

Specifies whether ReadyAPI should discard all successful request results to use less memory in your tests. These results appear under each request’s record in the transaction log.

This option is identical to the Discard Successful Results test case option, but it affects only the steps inside the data source loop. If you need to review results for requests inside the loop, we recommend using the Discard PASS Results within the Loop option over the one available for the test case.

Tip

ReadyAPI determines whether the request has been successful by validating it using the assertions of the Target Step. If the step does not include any assertions, ReadyAPI saves all run results.

You can set the default option value in Preferences > Default Test Case Options.

Both the Data Source Step and Target Step specify the test steps that belong to the same test case, to which the Data Source Loop test step belongs.

Property list

Also, you can adjust the test step’s behavior by using its properties in the Data Source Loop Properties tab.

Note

The Data Source Loop test step does not support custom properties.

DataSourceLoop Properties

Name	Description
Name	The test step’s name.
Description	Text describing the test step.
Data Source Step	Shows the specified Data Source test step.
Target Step	Shows the specified Target test step.

Remarks

Typically, you should put the Data Source Loop test step after the Data Source and Target test steps in your test case. That is, you have the following hierarchy:

Data Source
- Target test step
Data Source Loop

The Data Source test step loads data in the memory and sets the data pointer to the first row. Then, the Target test step performs the test actions using the first row. The Data Source Loop operation first transfers the data pointer to the next row, and only then runs the Target test step.

Calling loop for multiple test steps

Another example:

Data Source
- Target test step
- Property Transfer
Data Source Loop

This shows how to make the data source loop call multiple test steps. To do that:

Put the target test step right after the Data Source test step.
Position other test steps after the target test step and before the Data Source Loop test step.

In this example, the Property Transfer will be executed once for each iteration, using the Target test step for each data row. In fact, it works as if you had multiple copies of the Target test step and the Property Transfer.

After the loop is over, ReadyAPI will continue with the test steps that are after the Data Source Loop.