Creating test environment types
A test environment is the configuration of environment types for a particular test. For example, a test environment that uses Firefox, Windows XP, and Liberty is a configuration of these environment types: browser, operating system, and application server.
Each environment type can have one or more values. For example, the browser environment type might have Firefox, Internet Explorer, and Safari as its values. A test plan platform is the set of all of the environment types and their values for a test plan. The platform defines what the product supports and what the test team is testing.
- In the Create Test Environment editor, in the lab resource description
- In the Create Request editor, in the lab resource description
- In the Test Plan editor, in the Test Environments section
- In the Test Case editor, in the Test Case Execution Records section, in the Generate Test Case Execution Records wizard
- In the Test Suite editor, in the Test Suite Execution Records section, in the Generate Test Suite Execution Records wizard
Example: Defining an environment type and an environment type value
Security 1 is an in-house security application that your company provides to its
employees as a desktop application. You want to define Security 1 as an environment type value, so
you define Desktop applications
as a type and Security 1 as a value of that type. When you
create the type, you select Set as test environment type so that the new type
is shown as an option whenever you define platform coverage and create test environments.
In this case, Desktop applications
is shown as the heading of a group of test
environment types, and Security 1 is shown as a value that you can select.
In your lab management test environment, you can also specify the new type and value as criteria of your machine.
Then, in the Test Environment section of your test plan, on the Platform Coverage
tab, you can use Desktop applications
as an environment type and Security 1 as an environment
type value.
Methods to create test environment types
- To create a test environment type that is associated with machines, while you create the type, select the Set as a test environment type check box. Selecting this option makes the new type available when you are defining platform coverage and creating test environments. The test environment types that you create are associated with the Machine type.
- To create a test environment type that is associated with any lab resource type, leave the Set as a test environment type check box clear. The new type is displayed wherever the type you associated it with is displayed. The new type is also displayed as the title of a set of test environment types, with its subtypes displayed as test environment types that you can select.
For more information about creating test environment values associated with types of machines or with any lab resources, see the related help topics.