How humble looking 'Template Based File Generator' exploded bomb at my work palce !

This post is about “Template-based File Generator” provided by TestersDesk, oh sorry, wait a minute, let me correct- this post is about my encounter with that tool. For technical help about the feature, of course there is a manual within the tool, but this is an off tangent from my experience. Should you be interested to know of a use case, do read on…

During my school days, in a debate competition, we were supposed to speak on behalf of science and other group against it. Their argument was that science developed lot of bombs and subsequently causing loss of human life, after a heated discussion one of our team members said ‘it’s the place where bomb is exploded’. Wow! That was an explosion in all our minds, a mind blowing answer. Bombs are utilized in numerous ways apart from shelling them on people.

That’s fine but what does bombs have got to do with testing? I see similar thing going on in my career. We developed a beautiful test suite for 13 modules of an ERP product, where each module approximately has not less than 40 test scripts for regression. Total test script assets would be around 520 (data files). Once the test suite is ready, for every regression we have to change test data in almost all the test data files.

I don’t know whether you believe if I say that it is taking on an average approximately 2 complete days for single resource to update all 520 test data files. Few of my concerns while preparing test data for every regression were…

1. Some test data becomes obsolete, we have to change it every time we run regression, or else tests would stop. For example
a. New test data for invoices, purchase orders, receipts, journal names to name a few.
b. Amount to be entered in all of the above type of bills.
c. Passwords for few users need to be changed every time we do regression.

2. Add new column to test data files
a. Sometimes few screens in application has additional text fields (this is when they add descriptive flex field), which forces us to open each test data file and include a new column.
b. When additional details are to be entered into application we have to add few columns in test data files.
c. When a new custom screen is developed ( although it is rare, it does happens)

Features @Testersdesk look very simple but more I understand and keep on using them, more powerful they are turning out.

Now look at ‘Template based file generator’ feature, it looks so simple and humble with just 2 files for input. Once you feed the input files it throws a set of files at you. Long back around a year ago when I looked at this feature, I could not understand much of its strength.

Let me tell you how this bomb exploded in right place. In my case I just kept all test data I ever need to run my gigantic test suite in single master test data file. Once all the new data is updated, I just take a Template file along with and throw these two into ‘Template based file generator’. In almost no time I am getting beautiful set of all test data files, which I directly use to drive my test suite.

You see, now it is taking one of my resources just 3 – 4 hours to fill the correct test data in master test data file, and almost no time to get all those 520 test data files filled with new data.

Here is the beauty with this tool, if I am supposed to add new column to all test data files, effort from my side would be to just add another column in my master test data file.

What a great reduction in mundane manual tasks, when substituted with TestersDesk to my team.

There is a plethora of areas where the humble looking ‘Template based file generator’ can explode a bomb at your work place.

I never imagined life would be so easy with Testersdesk. I understood true meaning of these pictures-

Happy TestersDesking !

Cheers,
Virtualkey(Suresh)