How to call tests with parameters in Test Director?

Testing an application is a complicated process. Test director has provided help in many tasks such as in the organization and management of the different phases of the testing process which is inclusive of various activities such as test planning, requirements analyzation, defects tracking and so on. 

Test director basically provides the tester with a frame work that is well organized for the testing of applications just before their deployment. Test plans typically evolve around the requirements that are new or have been modified therefore; there is a need of having a central data repository for the management and organization of the testing activities. 

Test director proves to be an effective guide while you go through the following tasks:

1. Requirements specification
2. Test planning
3. Test execution
4. Defect tracking etc.

The above mentioned 4 tasks also represent the 4 major phases of the test director testing process. In the phase of test planning you have the following tasks:

1. Defining the testing strategy
2. Defining test subjects
3. Defining tests
4. Creation of the requirements coverage
5. Designing the test steps
6. Automation of the tests
7. Analyzation of the test plan

A test plan tree is constructed and then the tests are executed for locating the defects and assessing the quality. The following tasks are involved:

1. Creation of the test sets
2. Scheduling the runs
3. Running the tests
4. Analyzation of the test results

How to call tests with parameters in test Director?

- When the test steps are designed, you have an option whether or not include a call to a manual test. 

- When the test is executed, this manual test is called as a part of the execution sequence. 

- The test that is called is actually a template test which has the characteristic that it can be reused as a test that is called by other tests. 

- It is possible to pass parameters to a template test. 

- Parameter is a variable for replacing a fixed value. 

- The values of the parameters can be changed by passing the desired value to the test that calls it. 

Example:

- Suppose there is a test in which you need to log-in with a specific user id and password. 

- There might be two users to the same test i.e., administrator and public. 

- For achieving this, two parameters are created to the test namely user id and password. 

- The value of these two parameters then can be modified according to whether log-in has to be public or administrative.

Follow the steps below to call a test with parameters:

1. Firstly, the design steps tab needs to be displayed for the test therefore click on the design steps tab.
2. Select the test with parameters that are required to be called by clicking on the ‘call to test’ button. A ‘select a test’ dialog box will open up.  Type in the name of the test to be found and click find button. Test director will highlight that particular test. Click OK.
3. Again you will get a ‘parameters of test …’ dialog box which will display all the parameters associated with that particular test.
4. Modify the parameter values in the value column according to your requirements. Values to the parameters can be assigned whenever a test is created to call the tests or whenever a test is added to the test set or whenever the test is run.  Click OK. The selected step will be added to the design steps.
5. Re-order the steps
6. Adjust the step size.