External Data

Kosher can use CSV data files to supply the Examples data to a Scenario Outline step.

Often times, testers will want to use external sources to supply their test data. Kosher supports this by using CSV files to populate the Examples table of a Scenario Outline step.

Table of Contents

1. Where does the CSV go?
2. How do I reference the CSV file for a Scenario Outline?
3. How should the Examples table of the Scenario Outline be formatted?
4. How should the CSV file be formatted?
5. @loadcsv(…) Example
   1. Sample CSV Data File
   2. Sample Scenario Outline Populated by CSV Data File

Where does the CSV go?

Kosher will look for CSV files in the project’s resources/ directory.

How do I reference the CSV file for a Scenario Outline?

To populate a Scenario Outline step with data from CSV file, you add a special @loadcsv(filename.csv) tag above the Scenario Outline. The text between the parentheses of this tag must exactly match the filename of a CSV file in the project’s resources/ directory.

How should the Examples table of the Scenario Outline be formatted?

You must provide column names and 1 blank row. This row will be removed by kosher, but is required by kosher’s Gherkin parser.

Note: You do not need to list every column name that exists in the CSV file in your empty Examples table, but the column names that you do list must match their corresponding column name (case sensitive) in the CSV file.

How should the CSV file be formatted?

Kosher interprets the first row of the CSV file as column names. The column names you list in the empty Examples table of a Scenario Outline must match their corresponding column names in the CSV file; however, you do not have to list all of the column names that exist in the CSV file in the Scenario Outline.

@loadcsv(…) Example

The example that follows shows how you might use a CSV file to populate the Examples table of a Scenario Outline.

Sample CSV Data File

FirstName,LastName,Email,City,State,Phone
John,Doe,jdoe@gmail.com,New York,NY,3934445555
Jane,Doe,jdoe2@gmail.com,Boston,MA,2223334444
Babe,Ruth,bruth@gmail.com,Miami,FL,5556667777

Sample Scenario Outline Populated by CSV Data File

    @loadcsv(test.csv)
    Scenario Outline: Verify Scenario Outline
        Given I fill in "<Email>" 
        And I click the "OK" button
        And I fill in "<Phone>"
        And I click the "OK" button

        Examples:
            | Email | Phone |
            |       |       |

    @loadcsv(LogwayApprovalsTest.csv)
    Scenario Outline: Verify requested user has completed Self-Registration
        Given I fill in "frmManageUsers:tblUsers:txtFilterLastName" with "<Last Name>"
        And I fill in "frmManageUsers:tblUsers:txtFilterFirstName" with "<First Name>"
        And I wait 2 seconds
        And I should see "<UserEmailAddress>"

        Examples:
            | Last Name | First Name | UserEmailAddress |
            |           |            |                  |