TestNG is a highly flexible and powerful testing framework that allows testers to structure and execute their test cases with great versatility. While it's well-equipped to handle many testing scenarios, there are situations where dynamically renaming test methods during runtime becomes crucial. This functionality can be especially valuable in the following cases:
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Improving test reports by assigning more descriptive and meaningful names to tests, making it easier to understand test outcomes at a glance.
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Reflecting input values in test method names when executing parameterized tests, which helps in tracking how different sets of data affect the system.
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Enhancing debugging by dynamically setting test names based on runtime conditions, thus making it simpler to diagnose failures.
One common challenge when working with TestNG is managing DataProviders, where each row of test data needs a unique name for the corresponding test method. Dynamically assigning test names in this scenario ensures clear identification and proper reporting for each set of input data.
ThreadLocal<String> testName = new ThreadLocal<>();
Let's see some of the ways to update the test method name at run time
1. Updating Test Name with Invocation Count Number
ITest interface and override the getTestName() method. This allows for more meaningful test names, especially in scenarios where parameterized tests are used.@Override
public String getTestName() {
return testName.get();
}
@BeforeMethod
public void updateTestName(ITestContext testContext, Method method) {
if (!method.getDeclaredAnnotation(Test.class).dataProvider().isEmpty()) {
testName.set(method.getName() + "_" + Arrays.stream(testContext.getAllTestMethods()).filter(
m -> m.getMethodName().equalsIgnoreCase(method.getName())
).findFirst().get().getCurrentInvocationCount());
} else {
testName.set(method.getName());
}
}
2. Updating Test Name with custom suffix using Invocation Count
@BeforeMethod
public void updateTestName(ITestContext testContext, Method method) {
if (!method.getDeclaredAnnotation(Test.class).dataProvider().isEmpty()) {
int invocationCount = Arrays.stream(testContext.getAllTestMethods()).filter(
m -> m.getMethodName().equalsIgnoreCase(method.getName())
).findFirst().orElseThrow().getCurrentInvocationCount();
String suffix = "";
if (invocationCount == 0) {
suffix = "alpha";
} else if (invocationCount == 1) {
suffix = "beta";
}
testName.set(method.getName() + "_" + suffix);
} else {
testName.set(method.getName());
}
}
In this approach:
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The method checks if the test method is associated with a data provider.
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It then calculates the invocation count by filtering the current test methods to find the method name and retrieving its invocation count.
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Based on the invocation count, it assigns a custom suffix (
"alpha"or"beta"). -
The final test name is constructed by appending the appropriate suffix to the method name, giving a unique identifier to each test execution iteration.
This technique is especially helpful when you want to differentiate between multiple runs of the same test in a more descriptive manner. It is particularly useful in scenarios where the test involves iterations over a fixed set of input data (e.g., two rows from a data provider).
3. Update TestName with Values Provided in the Data Provider
This method focuses on dynamically setting the test name based on the data provided by the data provider. It first checks if the test method is associated with a data provider. If a data provider is used, the test name is updated to include both the method name and the first element from the provided data.
The steps involved in this process are:
- Extracting the first element (or name type) from the data provided in the data provider array. In this case,
testDatais the data provider supplying the input values. - Constructing the test name by combining the method name with the extracted data value, using the format:
methodName_nameType. - If the test method does not have an associated data provider, the test name is simply set to the method name itself.
This approach is particularly useful when running tests multiple times with different sets of data. By including the specific data value in the test name, it makes it much easier to identify individual test iterations in reports or logs, ensuring better traceability and facilitating debugging. This method helps in uniquely identifying each test execution, which is crucial for large-scale testing with multiple input scenarios.
@BeforeMethod
public void updateTestName(Method method, Object[] dataProvided) {
if (!method.getDeclaredAnnotation(Test.class).dataProvider().isEmpty()) {
String nameType = dataProvided[0].toString();
testName.set(method.getName() + "_" + nameType);
} else {
testName.set(method.getName());
}
}
@DataProvider(name = "testData")
public Object[][] testData() {
return new Object[][] {
{"data1","superman", "alpha"},
{"data2","batman", "beta"}
};
}
Dynamically changing test names in TestNG is a powerful feature that significantly improves reporting, debugging, and data-driven testing capabilities. By adjusting test names during runtime, you can make your test results more descriptive, which enhances the clarity of test reports and simplifies the process of identifying issues. This technique is especially beneficial in large-scale automation projects where organizing and categorizing numerous tests can be challenging. It provides better visibility into test execution, making it easier to track individual test progress and pinpoint failures quickly.
This flexibility also aids in implementing data-driven testing, where each test case can reflect different input parameters dynamically, offering clearer insights into how various inputs affect the system. TestNG’s dynamic test naming capabilities allow you to generate unique identifiers for each execution, which can be invaluable for reporting purposes.
For a complete code example, please refer to the GitHub repository. If you have any questions or use cases to share, don't hesitate to leave a comment below. Wishing you the best with your testing efforts! 🚀