SherbyNet - /page/wikibook/entry.mu

Micron Document

<!DOCTYPE html>

<title>Data-driven testing</title>

</head>

<span id="openzim-page-title" class="mw-page-title-main"><span class="mw-page-title-main">Data-driven testing</span></span>

</h1>

</header>

<div id="mw-content-text" class="mw-body-content mw-content-ltr" lang="en" dir="ltr"><div class="mw-content-ltr mw-parser-output" lang="en" dir="ltr"><p><b>Data-driven testing</b> (DDT), also known as <b>table-driven testing</b> or <b>parameterized testing</b>, is a <a href="Software_testing" title="Software testing">software testing</a> technique that uses a table of <a href="Data" title="Data">data</a> that directs test execution by encoding input, expected output and test-environment settings.<sup id="cite_ref-1" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-1"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>1<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup><sup id="cite_ref-2" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-2"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>2<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> One advantage of DDT over other testing techniques is relative ease to cover an additional <a href="Test_case" title="Test case">test case</a> for the <a href="System_under_test" title="System under test">system under test</a> by adding a line to a table instead of having to modify test <a href="Source_code" title="Source code">source code</a>.

</p><p>Often, a table provides a complete set of stimulus input and expected outputs in each row of the table. Stimulus input values typically cover values that correspond to boundary or partition input spaces.

</p><p>DDT involves a <a href="Software_framework" title="Software framework">framework</a> that executes tests based on input data. The framework is a <a href="Software_reuse" class="mw-redirect" title="Software reuse">re-usable</a> test asset that can reduce maintenance of a test <a href="Codebase" title="Codebase">codebase</a>. DDT allows for anything that has a potential to change to be segregated from the framework; stored in an external asset. The framework might manage storage of tables and test results in a <a href="Database" title="Database">database</a> such as <a href="Data_pool" class="mw-redirect" title="Data pool">data pool</a>, <a href="Data_access_object" title="Data access object">DAO</a> and <a href="ActiveX_Data_Objects" title="ActiveX Data Objects">ADO</a>. An advanced framework might harvest data from a running system using a purpose-built tool (sniffer). The DDT framework can playback harvested data for <a href="Regression_testing" title="Regression testing">regression testing</a>.

</p><p>Automated test suites contain user interactions through the system's GUI, for repeatable testing. Each test begins with a copy of the "before" image reference database. The "user interactions" are replayed through the "new" GUI version and result in the "post test" database. The <i>reference</i> "post test" database is compared to the "post test" database, using a tool.<sup id="cite_ref-3" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-3"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>3<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> Differences reveal probable regression. Navigation the <a href="System_Under_Test" class="mw-redirect" title="System Under Test">System Under Test</a> user interface, reading data sources, and logging test findings may be coded in the table.

</p><p><a href="Keyword-driven_testing" title="Keyword-driven testing">Keyword-driven testing</a> is similar except that the logic for the test case itself is encoded as data values in the form of a set of "action words", and not embedded or "hard-coded" in the test script. The script is simply a "driver" (or delivery mechanism) for the data that is held in the data source.

</p>

<ul><li><a href="Control_table" title="Control table">Control table</a> – Data table used to control program flow</li>

<li><a href="Keyword-driven_testing" title="Keyword-driven testing">Keyword-driven testing</a> – Software testing methodology</li>

<li><a href="Test_automation_framework" class="mw-redirect" title="Test automation framework">Test automation framework</a> – Use of purpose-built software to control test execution<span style="display:none" class="category-annotation-with-redirected-description">Pages displaying short descriptions of redirect targets</span></li>

<li><a href="Test-driven_development" title="Test-driven development">Test-driven development</a> – Method of writing code</li>

<li><a href="Modularity-driven_testing" title="Modularity-driven testing">Modularity-driven testing</a></li>

<li><a href="Model-based_testing" title="Model-based testing">Model-based testing</a></li></ul>

<div class="mw-heading mw-heading2"><h2 id="References">References</h2></div>

/* start https://en.wikipedia.org/ */

.mw-parser-output .reflist{margin-bottom:0.5em;list-style-type:decimal}@media screen{.mw-parser-output .reflist{font-size:90%}}.mw-parser-output .reflist .references{font-size:100%;margin-bottom:0;list-style-type:inherit}.mw-parser-output .reflist-columns-2{column-width:30em}.mw-parser-output .reflist-columns-3{column-width:25em}.mw-parser-output .reflist-columns{margin-top:0.3em}.mw-parser-output .reflist-columns ol{margin-top:0}.mw-parser-output .reflist-columns li{page-break-inside:avoid;break-inside:avoid-column}.mw-parser-output .reflist-upper-alpha{list-style-type:upper-alpha}.mw-parser-output .reflist-upper-roman{list-style-type:upper-roman}.mw-parser-output .reflist-lower-alpha{list-style-type:lower-alpha}.mw-parser-output .reflist-lower-greek{list-style-type:lower-greek}.mw-parser-output .reflist-lower-roman{list-style-type:lower-roman}

/* end https://en.wikipedia.org/ */

</style><div class="reflist">

/* start https://en.wikipedia.org/ */

.mw-parser-output cite.citation{font-style:inherit;word-wrap:break-word}.mw-parser-output .citation q{quotes:"\"""\"""'""'"}.mw-parser-output .citation:target{background-color:rgba(0,127,255,0.133)}.mw-parser-output .id-lock-free.id-lock-free a{background:url("./mw/Lock-green.svg")right 0.1em center/9px no-repeat}.mw-parser-output .id-lock-limited.id-lock-limited a,.mw-parser-output .id-lock-registration.id-lock-registration a{background:url("./mw/Lock-gray-alt-2.svg")right 0.1em center/9px no-repeat}.mw-parser-output .id-lock-subscription.id-lock-subscription a{background:url("./mw/Lock-red-alt-2.svg")right 0.1em center/9px no-repeat}.mw-parser-output .cs1-ws-icon a{background:url("./mw/Wikisource-logo.svg")right 0.1em center/12px no-repeat}body:not(.skin-timeless):not(.skin-minerva) .mw-parser-output .id-lock-free a,body:not(.skin-timeless):not(.skin-minerva) .mw-parser-output .id-lock-limited a,body:not(.skin-timeless):not(.skin-minerva) .mw-parser-output .id-lock-registration a,body:not(.skin-timeless):not(.skin-minerva) .mw-parser-output .id-lock-subscription a,body:not(.skin-timeless):not(.skin-minerva) .mw-parser-output .cs1-ws-icon a{background-size:contain;padding:0 1em 0 0}.mw-parser-output .cs1-code{color:inherit;background:inherit;border:none;padding:inherit}.mw-parser-output .cs1-hidden-error{display:none;color:var(--color-error,#d33)}.mw-parser-output .cs1-visible-error{color:var(--color-error,#d33)}.mw-parser-output .cs1-maint{display:none;color:#085;margin-left:0.3em}.mw-parser-output .cs1-kern-left{padding-left:0.2em}.mw-parser-output .cs1-kern-right{padding-right:0.2em}.mw-parser-output .citation .mw-selflink{font-weight:inherit}@media screen{.mw-parser-output .cs1-format{font-size:95%}html.skin-theme-clientpref-night .mw-parser-output .cs1-maint{color:#18911f}}@media screen and (prefers-color-scheme:dark){html.skin-theme-clientpref-os .mw-parser-output .cs1-maint{color:#18911f}}

/* end https://en.wikipedia.org/ */

</style><cite class="citation web cs1"><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://github.com/golang/go/wiki/TableDrivenTests">"golang/go TableDrivenTests"</a>. <i>GitHub</i>.</cite></span>

</li>

<li id="cite_note-2"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-2">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text"><cite class="citation web cs1"><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://junit.org/junit5/docs/current/user-guide/#writing-tests-parameterized-tests">"JUnit 5 User Guide"</a>. <i>junit.org</i>.</cite></span>

</li>

<li id="cite_note-3"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-3">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text"><cite class="citation web cs1"><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://www.diffkit.org/">"Home"</a>. <i>diffkit.org</i>.</cite></span>

</li>

</ol></div></div>

/* start https://en.wikipedia.org/ */

.mw-parser-output .refbegin{margin-bottom:0.5em}.mw-parser-output .refbegin-hanging-indents>ul{margin-left:0}.mw-parser-output .refbegin-hanging-indents>ul>li{margin-left:0;padding-left:3.2em;text-indent:-3.2em}.mw-parser-output .refbegin-hanging-indents ul,.mw-parser-output .refbegin-hanging-indents ul li{list-style:none}@media(max-width:720px){.mw-parser-output .refbegin-hanging-indents>ul>li{padding-left:1.6em;text-indent:-1.6em}}.mw-parser-output .refbegin-columns{margin-top:0.3em}.mw-parser-output .refbegin-columns ul{margin-top:0}.mw-parser-output .refbegin-columns li{page-break-inside:avoid;break-inside:avoid-column}@media screen{.mw-parser-output .refbegin{font-size:90%}}

/* end https://en.wikipedia.org/ */

</style><div class="refbegin" style="">

<ul><li>Carl Nagle: <i>Test Automation Frameworks</i><a rel="nofollow" class="external autonumber" href="https://safsdev.sourceforge.net/FRAMESDataDrivenTestAutomationFrameworks.htm">[1]</a>, Software Automation Framework Support on SourceForge <a rel="nofollow" class="external autonumber" href="http://safsdev.sourceforge.net/Default.htm">[2]</a>, Data-driven testing approach <a rel="nofollow" class="external autonumber" href="https://www.katalon.com/resources-center/tutorials/data-driven-testing/#">[3]</a></li></ul></div></div><div><div class="zim-footer">

This article is issued from <a class="external text" title="Last edited on 2025-08-08" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/?title=Data-driven_testing&oldid=1304815049">Wikipedia</a>. The text is available under <a class="external text" href="https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/deed.en">Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0</a> unless otherwise noted. Additional terms may apply for the media files.

</div>

</div></div>

</div>

</main>

</div>

</body></html>