2. Creating a Data Storage

TestComplete samples (both built-in and additional) are located in the <Users>\Public\Public Documents\TestComplete 14 Samples folder.

Some file managers display the Public Documents folder as Documents.

To create data-driven tests, you need to define the data to be used in these tests. Excel sheets, database tables, text files and arrays can be used as data sources. We will use an Excel 2007 sheet as a data storage in this tutorial. The sheet contains the following data:

View Test Data

View Test DataHide Test Data

Name	Product	Quantity	Date	Street	City	State	ZIP	Credit Card	Credit Card No	Expiration Date	Price	Discount	Total
John Smith Jr	MyMoney	1	05/07/2007	12, Orange Blvd	Grovetown, CA	US	111155	American Express	555777555888	11/26/2008	$100	0%	100
Clare Jefferson	MyMoney	10	05/12/2007	23, Owk Street	Grovetown, CA	US	111155	MasterCard	444777333888	09/14/2008	$100	8%	920
Susan McLaren	MyMoney	50	05/12/2000	7, Flower Street	Earlcastle	Great Britain	112255	American Express	444555333111	10/21/2008	$100	8%	4600
Charles Dodgeson	FamilyAlbum	1	05/12/2000	45, Stone st.	Bringtone, TX	US	662233	American Express	444555333111	10/30/2008	$80	0%	80
Steve Johns	FamilyAlbum	10	12/14/2003	17, Park Avenue	Salmon Island	Canada	665511	MasterCard	444222333888	10/26/2008	$80	15%	680
Samuel Clemens	FamilyAlbum	50	12/12/1999	3, Garden st.	Hillsberry, UT	US	667711	MasterCard	333222555888	11/23/2008	$80	15%	3400
Bob Feather	ScreenSaver	1	12/12/2005	14, North av.	Milltown, WI	US	668899	Visa	333444555444	12/11/2008	$20	0%	20
Mark Smith	ScreenSaver	10	10/10/2006	9, Maple Valley	Whitestone, British Columbia	Canada	668899	Visa	333444555444	12/11/2008	$20	10%	180
Tom Hawks	ScreenSaver	50	11/13/2002	10, Rock av.	Milltown, WI	US	334433	MasterCard	111333333444	1/15/2009	$20	10%	900

Each string of the table contains the values for one order, whose input will be simulated. We would like you to pay special attention to the fact that the data contains not only input values, but also the verifying values. You can see them in the last three columns of the table. These values will be used as a baseline copy for comparison with calculated values.

The described Excel file is shipped with TestComplete. You can find it in the following folder:

<TestComplete Samples>\Common\Data-Driven Testing\TestBook.xlsx

In order for TestComplete to be able to read data from this Excel file, you must have Microsoft Office 12.0 Access Database Engine OLE DB Provider installed on your computer. Also, the bitness of this Provider (32- or 64-bit) must match the bitness of TestComplete. For more information on downloading and installing the Provider, see the Requirements section at the beginning of this tutorial.

If you need to create a lot of test data, take advantage of the TestComplete Data Generator Wizard. Using this wizard, you can quickly create Table variables and Excel worksheets containing data of various types. See Preparing Test Data.

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See Also

Tutorial Home Page
Data-Driven Testing - Basic Concepts