Shareable Test Cases

Owned by Mrunalini Potnis
Jan 05, 2024
12 min read

 

Introduction

There could be some common steps that exist across multiple test cases in a project. QTM4J allows testers to create shareable test cases with common test steps and reuse these shareable test cases into other test cases as steps. A shareable test case can be used in test cases within the same project as well as cross-projects to avoid the creation of repeated test steps.

It saves testers' efforts and time as the common test steps are added into a single test case. This test case is then used as shared steps into multiple test cases instead of entering the repeated test steps. Thus, testers can focus more on other high-priority testing activities.

Notes:

  • To use a shareable test case, it should be linked to a normal independent test case as its steps.

  • Operations like copy/move, bulk edit, execution, etc. could not be carried out on the individual shareable test cases.

  • A shareable test case can be executed only when it is linked with an independent normal test case as its steps.

  • Any updates to the same version of the shareable test case are auto-synced in the associated test cases.

  • When a new version of a shareable test case is created, it should be synced with the linked test case manually.

  • Once linked to an independent test case, the shareable test case appears in read-only mode.

  • If an independent test case containing a shareable test case is re-imported by mapping the shareable test case keys, the shareable test case linkage is retained. The test cases are imported with shareable steps. The version number of the test case is increased by 1.

  • A shareable test case can be used with parameters, but the parameter values will be referred from its independent test case in which it is used.

Create a Shareable Test Case

You can create a shareable test case by following either of the ways:

(A) By using the Shareable Test Case button on the test case tree.

(B) While linking shareable test steps in an existing independent test case (in case shareable test cases do not exist in the project).

(C) By using existing steps of independent test cases.

 

(A) Create a shareable test case by using the Shareable Test Cases button on the test case tree.

You can create individual shareable test cases from the option provided on the tree panel. These shareable test cases will then be used as steps in other test cases.

Steps:

1. On the Test Case List View, click on the Show Shareable Test Cases option at the bottom of the left panel.

The screen displays shareable test cases.

2. Click on the New Shareable Test Case button.

The Create Shareable Test Case screen opens.

3. Enter Summary and Step Details for the test case.

4. Click Create to save the shareable test case.

The shareable test case is added on the screen and displayed under the Shareable Test Cases section.

(B) Create a shareable test case while linking shareable test steps in an existing independent test case.

If shareable test cases do not exist for the project, then you get a link to create a new shareable test case on the Link Shareable Test Case screen.

Steps:

1. Open an independent test case.

2. Go to the Steps tab.

3. Click on the more icon for the step where you want to insert a shareable test step.

4. Select Link Shareable Test Case(s).

The Link Shareable Test Case(s) screen opens.

5. Click on the Create New Shareable Test Case option. The option only appears if the shareable test cases are not yet created in the project.

6. Enter Summary and Step Details for the test case.

7. Click Create to save the shareable test case.

 

(C) Create a shareable test case by using existing steps of an independent test case.

1. Open an independent test case.

2. Go to the Steps tab.

3. Select the steps that you want to include in the shareable test case.

4. Click on the Create Shareable Test Case button.

 

Filter Test Cases with Shareable Steps

You can easily identify the test cases that are using shareable test cases as their steps by applying a filter on the test case list view.

1. Open the Filter menu and select the Contains Shareable Test Case option.

The filter is added to the screen.

2. Select “Yes” to view the test cases with shareable test cases.

Edit a Shareable Test Case

You can edit the shareable test cases inline on the list view as well as from the detail page. If a linked shared step version is updated, it gets auto-synced to the test case using it.

(A) Editing a shareable test case inline on the list view

Steps:

1. Go to the Shareable Test Cases section (Test Management > Test Case Tab > Folder Tree/left panel > Show Shareable Test Cases).

The screen displays shareable test cases.

2. Click in the cell and edit the required test case/step inline. You can also add attachments to the steps.

You can change the sequence of steps through drag and drop.

 

(B) Editing a shareable test case from the detail page

Steps:

1. Go to the Shareable Test Cases section (through Test Case List View > more icon > Show Shareable Test Cases).

The screen displays shareable test cases.

2. Open the shareable test case that you want to edit by clicking on the test case key.

The test case details page opens.

3. Edit the required details by clicking on the respective field/cell. You can also add attachments to the steps.

You can also clone or delete a test step for the test case.

You can also copy steps from an existing shareable test case.

You can change the sequence of steps through drag and drop.

Create a New Version of Shareable Test Case

QMetry allows you to create different versions of a shareable test case and link them with independent test cases.

Notes:

  • A new version of a shareable test case does not automatically sync with the independent test cases that are using it.

  • When a new version of the linked shareable test case is created, you have to sync this existing version of the shareable test case with the latest available version by clicking on the Sync icon.

 

Steps to create a new version of the shareable test case:

1. Open the shareable test case detail page.

2. Click on the Create New Version button at the top right.

The Create New Version screen opens.

You can change the Summary of the test case.

3. Click on the Create button to create a new version.

A new version of the shareable test case is created.

Sync a New Version of Shareable Step in Test Case

If a new version of the linked shareable test case is available, then follow the steps to use the latest shared step version in the test case.

1. Open the independent test case that is using the shared step.

2. Open the Steps tab.

3. Go to the shared step and click on the Sync icon for the step.

The shared step version is updated.

Clone a Shareable Test Case

You can clone a shareable test case for the purpose of reusing it in another test case.

For example, testers need test cases for the next release. These new test cases may have some common field values as existing test cases. The test case needs to be a copy of the existing test case. So they create a copy of the existing test case using the Clone feature.

You can clone a shareable test case in either of the following ways:

(A) Clone from Shareable Test Case List View

(B) Clone from Shareable Test Case detail page

 

(A) Clone from Shareable Test Case List View

Hover over the test case that you want to clone and click on the Clone icon for it.

(B) Clone from Shareable Test Case detail page

Open the shareable test case detail page and click on the Clone icon at the top of the page.

After following either of the options (A) or (B), the Clone Test Case window opens.

  • Test Case Name: The test case name is populated with “Cloned” prefixed to the existing name. You can change the name as per your preference.

  • Test Case Version: Select either Clone Current Version or Clone All Versions.

  • Additional Options: You can opt to clone the test case with Comments.

Click Clone to clone the test case with the selected criteria.

 

Search Shareable Test Cases

You can use the search feature to locate the required shareable test case(s) in the current project. The search will check for the mentioned text in the Key and Summary fields of the test case by default. You can also opt to cover the Test Step. Shareable test cases can be searched additional field of Test Step only, as they do not contain Description and Precondition.

Import Test Cases with Shareable Steps

You can perform new imports or reimports of test cases using shareable test steps.

  • A shareable test case can not be imported independently like a normal test case.

  • If an independent test case containing a shareable test case is re-imported by mapping the shareable test case keys, it will create a new version of the test case. The shareable test case linkage is retained. The test cases are imported with shareable steps. The version number of the test case is increased by 1.

Steps

1. Import the Excel file of test cases that have shareable test cases linked as steps within them.

2 Select Import with the New Version.

3. Enable the Auto Mapping option.

The following fields are related to shareable test case import:

  • Shareable Testcase Issue Key

  • Shareable Testcase Version No.

If the fields are mapped, the shareable test case will be reused as it is.

If either of the fields is not mapped, the shareable test case will be imported and shown as a normal test step.

 

4. Once the fields are mapped click on the Start Import button.

The import process is initiated. Click on the Done button once the process is completed.

5. Check the background process by clicking on the Notification icon at the top.

 

The test cases are imported with shareable steps. The version number of the test case is increased by 1.

 

Refer to for more details on Import Test Cases.

View Shareable Test Cases

On the Test Case List View, click on the More icon and select the Show Shareable Test Cases option.

The screen displays shareable test cases.

 

Tabs on Shareable Test Case detail page

There are four tabs on the shareable test case details page: Steps, Test Cases, Comments and Audit Logs. The tabs are draggable and you can arrange them as per your requirement.

  • Steps tab: All the steps of the shareable test case is displayed in this tab. You can add, edit, clone and delete the steps.

  • Test Cases tab: It displays all the test cases with which the shareable test case is associated.

  • Comments tab: You can add/edit Comments for the shareable test case in this tab.

  • Audit Logs: You can view the Audit Logs for the shareable test case in this tab.

Link/Reuse a Shareable Test Step

Refer to .

Archive Shareable Test Cases

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Delete Shareable Test Cases

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Export Shareable Test Cases

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Shareable Test Case with Parameterization

The shareable test cases can have parameterized steps under them. However, the values for these parameters are defined using the data set of the test case in which the shared steps are used. Users can not define parameter values directly in a shareable test case.

The parameter and its values are defined only in the independent test case that uses the shared step.

On the execution screen, the parameter values of the shared steps will be referred from the data set created in the independent test case to which the shareable test steps are linked.

 

If you want to use the shareable steps with parameterization in other projects or in other QMetry instance, then it is recommended that you create the parameterized shareable steps in the same project instead of linking parameterized test case of other project/instance.

Shareable Test Steps on Execution Screen

A shareable test case can be executed only when it is linked with an independent regular test case as its steps.

On the execution screen, the shareable test step linked with the test case is displayed like a normal test step. For shareable steps, shareable icon, shareable test case key, version, and summary are displayed adjacent to the test step number to differentiate it from the normal step. The shareable test case key is clickable; clicking on it the shareable test case detail page opens.

The archived shareable test steps will be displayed with the “Archived” label. These archived shareable test steps will remain disabled on the execution screen.

Sync Shareable Test Steps on Execution Screen

When the shareable steps are added/updated/deleted in the shareable test case, a warning message is shown for the Steps tab indicating the required sync. Click on the provided link to sync the steps with the shareable test case and update them on the execution screen.

 

Sync a New Version of Shareable Step with Test Execution

Once the latest version is synced in the test case as described in the Create a New Version of Shareable Test Case section, then you can sync the latest version of the shared step on the execution screen.

1. Go to the execution screen.

2. Open the test case.

You can see the warning message for the Steps tab indicating the required sync.

2. Click on the provided link to get the update and sync the shared step to the latest version.

The shared step version is updated.