Test generation consists
of processing the recorded data and producing a test.
The recording-session file that is produced during recording provides
the input for the test generation operation. Before writing a test
generator, you must identify the type of data that the generator uses.
Recording and test generation are typically chained when you use
the New Test From Recording wizard, but this
relationship is not always established. The user can choose to produce
only a recording, using the New Recording Session wizard, and can also choose to generate a test from an existing
recording.
Test generation happens in the following stages and phases:
- The conversion stage is a preliminary step, during which the original
packets can be filtered, sorted, aggregated, or converted to a different,
typically higher-level, protocol. Extensions can contribute additional
converters. For more information, see Defining a new packet converter.
- The test generation stage consists of using the recorder packets
that are sent from the converter stage, and then distributing the
recorder packets to the appropriate test generator. The test generator
then produces the corresponding model elements in the test model.
Extensions can contribute new test generators for processing a new
type of recorded data or producing a new type of test element. For
more information, see Defining a new
test generator.
- The data processing phase happens after a raw test has been completely
generated. During this phase data correlation and data transformation
are performed.
- The test splitting phase is an optional step that runs if split
points were inserted during the recording. The complete test is split
into several tests.
The test generation framework also defines two wizards:
- The Generate Test wizard opens either when
the user gestures to generate a test from an existing recording or
automatically after a recording is complete. If user input is not
required, the Generate Test wizard is not displayed,
and test generation automatically follows the recording. Extensions
can contribute to this wizard. For more information, see Defining a test generator wizard.
- The New Test From Recording wizard is the
highest-level wizard and combines the New Recording Session wizard and the Generate Test wizard. For more
details about the recording aspects of this wizard, see Defining wizards for recorders and clients. For more details about the test generation aspects of this wizard,
see Defining a test generator wizard.