Setting Properties for an External Action

 Setting Properties for an External Action :

When you insert a call to an external action, you can choose where you want QTP to store the Data Table data. You can specify this in the External Action tab of the Action Properties dialog box.

To open the Action Properties dialog box, right-click an action in the Test Flow pane and select Action Properties, or select Edit > Action > Action Properties. 

The External Action tab includes the following options :

Option

Description

Data Table parameters

Indicates where to store the action's Data Table data: To use the original action's data, select Use data stored with the original action (read-only). If you select this option, the data is read-only when viewed from the calling test, and all changes to the original action's data sheet apply when the action runs in the calling test. To use an editable copy of the data in the test's Data Table, select Use a local, editable copy. If you select this option, a copy of the called action's data sheet is added to the calling test's Data Table and is independent of the original action. Changes to the original action's data sheet do not affect the calling test even if you insert another call to this action after the action's data sheet is modified. If the called action has parameterized steps that rely on new information in the original action's data sheet, enter the relevant column names and required data to the action sheet in the calling test manually.  Note: When you call an external action, the global data sheet columns and data from the called action's test are always imported as a local, editable copy in the calling test's global data sheet. Changes to the original action's global data sheet do not affect the calling test even if you insert another call to this action after the called action's global data sheet is modified. If the called action has parameterized steps that rely on new information in the global data sheet, enter the relevant column names and required data to the calling test's global data sheet manually.

 Viewing a List of the Tests and Actions Using this Action:

If your tests are stored in Quality Center and are using the resources and dependencies model, the Action Properties dialog box displays the Used By tab. This enables you to view a list of the tests and actions that contain calls to this particular action. This is the same list that is displayed in the Dependencies tab of the Test Plan module in Quality Center. 

 To open the Action Properties dialog box, right-click an action in the Test Flow pane and select Action Properties, or select Edit > Action > Action Properties. 

The Used By tab includes the following options:

Option	Description
Test	Indicates the Quality Center path of the test containing a call to this action.
Action	Indicates the internal name of the action containing a call to this action. The internal name is the name that QTP applies to an action by default when the action is created, for example, Action 1. The internal name of the action calling this action is displayed even if the calling action was renamed.

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