Data source files organization and maintenance
Posted: Wed Jun 20, 2012 9:01 pm
1. Open the .rxtst and click Manage Data Sources
2. For all data sources (mine are .xlsx files that exists in various test case source folders within the solution to use for data-driven test cases) check "Include file in test suite". These files are then copied to the same folder as my rxtst solution file (call it the "solution root folder").
3. rebuild solution and the .xlsx files are deployed from the "solution root folder" to bin/Debug.
It becomes a little disorganized in the "solution root folder" because every .xlsx file from many tests get copied to this folder and we have to leave these copies there and then check them into our source control so that when the solution builds they get copied to bin/Debug.
So in the solution we end up with the original xlsx files in the various test case folders and copies of all of these files in the "solution root folder" which can be confusing when it comes to updating the xlsx files because if you update the "solution root folder" xlsx file the original xlsx file in the test case folder is different and if you udpate the original xlsx file in the test case folder the "solution root folder" xlsx file does not get updated to reflect the change (even after cleaning and rebuilding) so bin/debug ends up with the older version of the xlsx from the "solution root folder" and not the update you made in the test case folder.
So since only the "solution root folder" xlsx files get deployed to bin/debug, there seems no point in having the xlsx files in the original test case source folders but then if all the data source xlsx files exist in the "solution root folder" instead with all the other files in there it becomes a bit disorganized.
Is this a known issue and is there a way to store the data source files somewhere other than the "solution root folder" and have them deployed to bin/debug and not a copy deployed instead so we don't have to maintain the original and the copy?
2. For all data sources (mine are .xlsx files that exists in various test case source folders within the solution to use for data-driven test cases) check "Include file in test suite". These files are then copied to the same folder as my rxtst solution file (call it the "solution root folder").
3. rebuild solution and the .xlsx files are deployed from the "solution root folder" to bin/Debug.
It becomes a little disorganized in the "solution root folder" because every .xlsx file from many tests get copied to this folder and we have to leave these copies there and then check them into our source control so that when the solution builds they get copied to bin/Debug.
So in the solution we end up with the original xlsx files in the various test case folders and copies of all of these files in the "solution root folder" which can be confusing when it comes to updating the xlsx files because if you update the "solution root folder" xlsx file the original xlsx file in the test case folder is different and if you udpate the original xlsx file in the test case folder the "solution root folder" xlsx file does not get updated to reflect the change (even after cleaning and rebuilding) so bin/debug ends up with the older version of the xlsx from the "solution root folder" and not the update you made in the test case folder.
So since only the "solution root folder" xlsx files get deployed to bin/debug, there seems no point in having the xlsx files in the original test case source folders but then if all the data source xlsx files exist in the "solution root folder" instead with all the other files in there it becomes a bit disorganized.
Is this a known issue and is there a way to store the data source files somewhere other than the "solution root folder" and have them deployed to bin/debug and not a copy deployed instead so we don't have to maintain the original and the copy?