External YAML file as reusable content

The following example shows how to reuse an external YAML file (or an external YAML step) as re-usable content in Zerocode test cases, using the new ${YAML.FILE:<path>} token.

This mirrors the already existing ${JSON.FILE:<path>} token(see: External JSON file content) but lets you author the re-usable content(or even a whole step) in YAML instead of JSON.

Raised via Issue #492 and delivered via PR #505.

Dependency:

<dependency>
    <groupId>org.jsmart</groupId>
    <artifactId>zerocode-tdd</artifactId>
    <version>check-latest-in-readme-github</version>
</dependency>

Scenario This Feature Can Be Used

• You already have (or prefer to write) a step, a request body, or an expected response body in YAML, and want to reuse it across one or more test scenarios(JSON or YAML) instead of duplicating it.
• You are gradually moving your test suite from JSON to YAML and want both formats to interoperate - a JSON scenario can pull in a YAML step, and vice versa.

Solution Example - Reusing a whole Step written in YAML

Main scenario file - scenario_get_api_step_test.yml

---
scenarioName: "GIVEN-the GitHub REST end point, WHEN-I invoke GET, THEN-I will receive the 200 status with body"
steps:
  - stepFile: ${YAML.FILE:unit_test_files/yaml/scenario_get_api_step.yml}

Re-usable step file - scenario_get_api_step.yml

name: "get_user_details"
url: "/users/googlebot"
operation: "GET"
request:
  -
verify:
  status: 200
  body:
    login: "googlebot"
    type: "User"

verify above is just an alias of assertions - both are supported, use whichever reads better for your team.

Reusing just a request/response body from a YAML file

The same ${YAML.FILE:<path>} token also works for any leaf node inside a step, e.g. to pull in a re-usable request or expected-response body from a separate .yaml/.yml file - exactly the way ${JSON.FILE:<path>} already works:

{
    "scenarioName": "POST API - Yaml file as request/response content - Reuse body",
    "steps": [
        {
            "name": "create_emp",
            "url": "/api/v1/employees",
            "operation": "POST",
            "request": {
                "body" : "${YAML.FILE:reusable_content/request/request_body.yaml}"
            },
            "assertions": {
                "status": 201
            }
        }
    ]
}

where request_body.yaml:

name: "Emma"
surName: "Norton"

Run Log / Where to find the tests

This feature is covered by the below unit tests in the Zerocode repo itself:

• Test runner: YamlUnitTest.java
• Main scenario file: scenario_get_api_step_test.yml
• Re-usable step file: scenario_get_api_step.yml

Available since

V 1.4.x - see the releases page for the exact version that includes PR #505.

Related

• External JSON file content
• Reusing step via step file(s)