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Test Author Guide
This guide describes how to create test scripts in Rational® Performance Tester and enhances tests by applying different test elements such as dataset, variables, and verification points. This guide is intended for testers.
Editing tests
After you record a test, you can edit it to include datasets (to provide variable data rather than the data that you recorded), verification points (to confirm that the test runs as expected), and data correlation (to ensure that returned data is appropriate for the corresponding request). You can also add protocol-specific elements to a test. When you edit a test, the modified items appear in italic type. The italic type changes to regular type after you save the test.
Test variables
A test variable is a user-defined, name-value pair that stores and refers to information throughout a test and between tests.
Initializing variables from the command line
To initialize test variables from an XML file, you can run the test from the command-line interface using the varfile option.

Test Author Guide
This guide describes how to create test scripts in Rational® Performance Tester and enhances tests by applying different test elements such as dataset, variables, and verification points. This guide is intended for testers.
- Creating tests
  To create a test, you record representative interactions with an application.
- Editing tests
  After you record a test, you can edit it to include datasets (to provide variable data rather than the data that you recorded), verification points (to confirm that the test runs as expected), and data correlation (to ensure that returned data is appropriate for the corresponding request). You can also add protocol-specific elements to a test. When you edit a test, the modified items appear in italic type. The italic type changes to regular type after you save the test.
  - Editing HTTP tests
    After you record a test, you can edit it to include variable data rather than the data that you recorded and can include verification points to confirm that the test runs as expected. You can also edit the test to include [NB1] transactions, conditional processing, custom code, and standard header or custom header to a request or response.
  - Editing SAP tests
    After you record a test, you can edit it to include variable data (rather than the data that you recorded) and verification points (to confirm that the test runs as expected).
  - Editing Citrix tests
    After you record a test, you can edit it to include variable data (rather than the data that you recorded), verification points (to confirm that the test runs as expected), transactions, conditional processing, and custom code.
  - Editing service tests
    After you record a service test, you can edit the calls and message returns to include variable data (rather than the data that you recorded). You can add verification points (to confirm that the test runs as expected), transactions, conditional processing, and custom code.
  - Editing Socket tests
    Improve the Socket tests by adding test elements.
  - Editing Kerberos tests
    You can change the Kerberos realm, user name, and password when editing tests.
  - Adding test elements
    You can add a variety of elements to a test, such as transaction blocks, IF-THEN conditions, loops, and comments.
  - Searching within tests
    Search request data or response content by right-clicking in the data or content and selecting Find. To search for specific element types and to display the results in a table, click Select. For a still more powerful search and replace, use the Test Search function.
  - Exporting a test
    To share the test scripts with manual testers or reviewers who do not have the workbench, export the test scripts to text files. You can export one file at a time.
  - Copying test assets with dependencies
    You can export test assets, and then import them into another project or workspace without losing any dependencies. Test assets include projects, schedules, and tests. You can export and import test assets to collaborate with other testers.
  - Disabling portions of a test
    When you disable portions of a test, you can still see the disabled portion, but it is not executed during a run. You can also disable portions of a schedule by using the following procedure.
  - Running test elements in random order
    You can record multiple user scenarios in a test and then run each scenario in a random order. To do this, you put each scenario under a random selector and then select the proportion of time that the scenario should be run.
  - Renaming test assets
    As your test assets increase and become more complex, you might want to rename them. Use the Eclipse Rename function or save the assets under a different name.
  - Deleting test assets
    As your test assets grow and become more complicated, you might want to delete the assets that you no longer use.
  - Debugging custom code for tests and compound tests
    If you have custom code added to a test or a compound test, you can debug the custom code for any errors by clicking the Debug button.
  - Providing tests with variable data (datasets)
    You can produce more realistic tests by changing them to use datasets. During execution, a test that uses a dataset replaces a value in the recorded test with variable test data that is stored in the dataset. This substitution allows each virtual user to generate a different request to the server.
  - Test variables
    A test variable is a user-defined, name-value pair that stores and refers to information throughout a test and between tests.
    - Declaring and assigning test variables
      When you declare a variable, you can create a container for it, initialize it to a string or a dataset value, and set its scope. Then, within the test, you can reassign another value to the variable.
    - Initializing variables from the command line
      To initialize test variables from an XML file, you can run the test from the command-line interface using the varfile option.
    - Initializing variables from Engineering Test Management
      If you want to run an IBM® Rational® Performance Tester test from IBM Engineering Test Management, you can pass the execution variables defined in Engineering Test Management to the Rational Performance Tester test.
  - Correlating response and request data
    For a test to run correctly, a request that is sent to a server might need to use a value that was returned by a previous request. By ensuring that this data is correlated accurately, you can produce better performance tests.
  - Data transformation
    You can transform HTTP application specific data such as JSON data, binary data and encoded data to a more readable format to use data correlation.
- Compound tests
  You can create compound tests to help you organize smaller tests into scenarios that can then be run end-to-end. You can combine tests from different extensions to achieve end-to-end flow.
- Simulating services with stubs
  Service stubs enable you to simulate the behavior of an actual service for a wide variety testing or integration purposes.
- Sending service requests with the generic service client
  The generic service client enables you to send requests to services for which you do not have a convenient client and to view the responses returned by the service.
- Emulating workloads
  You emulate a workload by creating a schedule and adding user groups/rate runner groups, tests, and other elements to it.

Initializing variables from the command line

To initialize test variables from an XML file, you can run the test from the command-line interface using the varfile option.

Before you begin

You must read and familiar with command line parameters. See Command-line parameters.
You must have completed the following tasks:
- Declared the variables using Rational® Performance Tester.
- Created an XML file that contains the variables with values. The XML file would have a structure similar to the following image:

About this task

If a variable is initialized at various places such as test, compound test, schedule, or user group, the product uses the following order to initialize the value of the variable when running the test. The variable set in the variable table of the compound test editor takes the highest precedence followed by others:

Compound test setting in the variable table UI
Compound test specified in a var file
User group setting in the variable table UI
User group specified in a var file
Schedule specified setting in the variable table UI
Schedule specified in a var file
Command line

Note: You must select All tests for this user from the Visible in drop-down list to take the precedence of variable initialization.

Procedure

Open the command prompt.

Run the following command to change the directory to the cmdline directory:

cd <cmdline_directory_path>

For example,

cd C:\Program Files\IBM\SDP\cmdline

Based on the operating system that you used to install Rational® Performance Tester, you can locate the cmdline directory as follows:

Operating system	The default path to the directory
Windows®	C:\Program Files\IBM\SDP\cmdline
Linux™	/opt/IBM/SDP/cmdline
Mac	/Application/IBM/SDP/cmdline

Run the following command to run the test:

cmdline -workspace workspace_full_path -project proj_rel_path -suite suite_name or suite_rel_path

For example,

cmdline -workspace "C:/Users/IBM/rationalsdp/workspace" -project "/myproj/proj123" -suite "test1.testsuite"

OR

cmdline -workspace "C:/Users/IBM/rationalsdp/workspace" -project "/myproj/proj123" -suite "Tests/test1.testsuite"

Note: You can add an additional parameter to the preceding command according to your testing requirements and then run the test.

The test run starts and the status is displayed on CLI.