Use External Applications 

  1. Go to the CATT maintenance transaction initial screen and create a new test case.
  2. Maintain the attributes. Specify type External application . This flags the test case as an external application.
  3. Go to the file list via Goto ® Functions.
    All files for the module are listed in the CATT - External application file list window.

    4. You cannot define functions for external applications.

  4. Process the file list using the functions below.
  5. Mark the object which is to be executed when the test case runs locally on your computer. Unmarked files are downloaded before running the external application and are thus also available.
  6. Save the test case.

 

If you want to use a data file as initial file, you must ensure that the initial filename extension is associated with the application program on your computer.

File list functions:

Delete line:

Delete marked test module objects.

Insert URL:

To call URL addresses, choose Insert URL. Enter the URL address in the input line. When this line is chosen, a web browser is called and goes to this address.

Import file:

Import local files into the test module.

Export file:

Store files from the test module locally on the presentation system.

Refresh file:

You can refresh an existing file by uploading an up-to-date version from your presentation system and overwriting the old version.

 

Parameter interface between test module and external application:

Parameters can be defined to allow test cases to communicate with an external application. Import parameters are downloaded in a text file and can be read by the external application. The text file is downloaded first, before the external application files.

The external application can put export parameters in this text file, which is uploaded by the test case after the external application has run. The parameters can be processed further in the test case. The CATT export parameter names are downloaded with the import parameters.

 

Name of the parameter passing text file

The default name for the parameter passing text file is CATSTART.TXT . If you want a different file name, define an import parameter with the name &PARAMFILE in the type External application test module. Assign the desired file name to this parameter.

 

Text file structure

Each parameter has a text record with three fields:

1: Parameter type 1-character, "I" = Import-, "E" = Export

2: Parameter name max. 12-character, without leading "&"

3: Parameter value max. 132-char.

The first two fields are separated by a space. The 2nd field is output as 12 characters. If the parameter name is shorter, the field is filled with spaces. The last two fields are separated by " = " (space, equals sign, space).

I IMPORT1 = Test

E EXPORT = Test end

E EXPORT1 = Test successful

Export parameters can be returned without spaces.

A parameter text line cannot exceed 148 characters.