How to update Map GlobalVariable permanently

Web Testing
8

@mtayahi asked

every time i put a new value for the same GlobalVariable, i must run my testcase twice to make the new value taking effect
do you know why ??

I can answer to this question.

To understand my answer, please know what the ./Libs/internal/GlobalVariable.groovy file is. All Katalon Studio projects has this file. This file is auto-generated by Katalon Studio. The content of the file is a Groovy script, like this:

package internal

import com.kms.katalon.core.configuration.RunConfiguration
import com.kms.katalon.core.main.TestCaseMain


/**
 * This class is generated automatically by Katalon Studio and should not be modified or deleted.
 */
public class GlobalVariable {

    /**
     * <p></p>
     */
    public static Object config


    static {
        try {
            def selectedVariables = TestCaseMain.getGlobalVariables("default")
			selectedVariables += TestCaseMain.getGlobalVariables(RunConfiguration.getExecutionProfile())
            selectedVariables += TestCaseMain.getParsedValues(RunConfiguration.getOverridingParameters())

            config = selectedVariables['config']

        } catch (Exception e) {
            TestCaseMain.logGlobalVariableError(e)
        }
    }
}

Then, see the following diagram.

sequence
sequence1049×1087 69.3 KB

I will dictate this diagram.

step 0

  • Let’s begin; a tester opens a Katalon project.
  • Katalon Studio will generate the ./Libs/internal/GlobalVariable.groovy on the startup of the project.

step 1

  • A test opens “edit Execution Profile” UI. It will load the ./Profiles/default.glbl XML file and will show how it is written.
  • He will edit the profile and edit the value of GlobalVariable.foo.
  • The UI will serialize the profile into the default.glbl file.
  • He runs a Test Case TC1
  • The GlobalVariable.groovy script will be compiled and run.
  • The GlobalVariable class load the XML files; now TC1 can refer to the values such as GlobalVariable.foo.

step 2

Here I assume we have another Test Case named TC2, which is capable of changing the XML file using the GlobalVariableUpderter class.

  • The tester runs TC2
  • The TC2 updates the XML file
  • When the XML file is updated, no notification will be sent to the “edit Execution Profile” UI.
  • Therefore the “edit Execution Profile” UI will show no change. Old values will remain displayed.

step 3

  • The tester runs TC1 again
  • The updated XML will be loaded and referred to.
  • But the tester still finds the old data in the “edit Execution Profile” UI.

step 4

  • The tester closes the project.
  • When he reopen the project, he will go back tot the step 0.

Discussion

Here I tried the GlobalVariableUpdater class to update GlobalVariable values runtime. It works fine except a point that the “edit Execution Profile” UI will be left un-updated. People would expect the GUI always shows the truth, but it wouldn’t this case.

If a tester operates the “edit Execption Profile”, for example, switching the profile to display, then the UI would be refreshed with the latest XML; then he would see the updated value. He might be confused to see the change at an unexpected timing. This way, I suppose, @mtayashi was confused.

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