Generic Synchronous Interface Testing

Owned by Tomasz Mackowski
Last updated: Oct 16, 2024 by Bartosz Komendacki
9 min read

Generic Synchronous is a test type that allows calling HTTP endpoints. It is typically used to test REST or SOAP services and APIs.

Payload for this test type has to be provided manually in the APITester Cockpit.

Basic Information

image-20231229-115709.png

 

Parameter name

Description

Example

Execution system line

This parameter points out the system where the test case will be executed. It is used during runtime to determine HTTP RFC destination based on the execution Landscape.

(available since 3.6.0)

API_MGMT

SAP_ERP

 

Backend Systems

Parameter name

Description

Example

Backend system line for current doc.

This parameter points out the system where the reference backend document is stored. The value should be a system line described in the landscape configuration.

Note:

If Backend system line for the current doc. has the same value as the Backend system line for the reference doc. (for instance, both are S4/HANA) then the RFC connection between the systems will be maintained both in:

a) the original environment of the reference document (for instance, production system)

b) the environment where the current test case execution takes place (for instance, development system) 

If Backend system line for the current doc. is different than the Backend system line for the reference doc. then, the RFC connection will be maintained only in the environment of the current execution (for instance, development system), but for both system lines (like ECC and S4HANA) 

ECC

SAP_ERP

 

Backend system line for reference doc.

This parameter points out the system line where Int4 Suite should create test documents during test case execution. In most cases, reference documents and documents created during current test execution are stored in the same system line. However, suppose Int4 Suite is used in a migration scenario (for example, migration from ECC to S4/HANA). In that case, the documents might be created in the new system and then compared with the references from the old system.

The value should be a system line described in the landscape configuration.

Note:

If Backend system line for the current doc. has the same value as the Backend system line for the reference doc. (for instance, both are S4/HANA) then the RFC connection between the systems will be maintained both in:

a) the original environment of the reference document (for instance, production system)

b) the environment where the current test case execution takes place (for instance, development system) 

If Backend system line for the current doc. is different than the Backend system line for the reference doc. then, the RFC connection will be maintained only in the environment of the current execution (for instance, development system), but for both system lines (like ECC and S4HANA) 

S4HANA

 

Database Validations

Parameter name

Description

Example

Database validation ruleset

Reference database validation ruleset object name.

Database validation ruleset specify how related backend validation should be performed. Specify tables, fields and join conditions for the backend validation.

Buttons allow navigation to the chosen database validation ruleset and creation of a new database validation ruleset
DB Validation Rulesets

GENERIC_SO

Persist reference DB Data

When switched on, DB reference data will be fetched from backend system during test case creation. Otherwise, it will be fetched during test case execution.

Automation Objects | Database Validations

 

Variables

Variables are the container for values that can be used during testing. Each variable contains two values, the one that is calculated based on the reference message/document and the one that is calculated ad-hoc during test case execution.

Variables & Variable processing

Create button allows variable creation.

Parameter name

Description

Example

Name

Variable technical name

VARIABLE_1

Description

Free text for variable description

Variable One

Type

Type of variable processing

Read & Replace

Find message

Custom

Scope

Scope determines the processing of procedures that generate unique values like, e.g., GUID or NUM_RANGE.

  • Test Case Scope - variable is replaced with new values considering values from the currently processed test case. The variable value, which occurs multiple times in the test case payload, is replaced with the same new value. The variable value in different test cases from the currently processed test run is replaced with a new value for each test case.

  • Test Run - variable is replaced with new values considering values from the currently processed test run. The variable value in different test cases from the currently processed test run is replaced with the same new value.

Test Case

Test Run

Payload Validations

Output payloads returned by tested endpoint are validated against previously stored references. This configuration enables adding rules with exceptions that will allow for differences.

File Type

Processing

XML

XPath

JSON

JSONPath

Flat Files, X12, EDIFACT

Int4 Flat File Syntax or REGEX

Parameter name

Description

Example

Description

Free text for the exception rule

Field1

Expression Type

Expression type. Available options:

  • unspecified

  • XPath

  • Flat expression

This field is optional for all interfaces where there is a single type of output. However, for interfaces that output might be both XML and flat file, it is mandatory to specify the expression type.

XPath

Expression

Path pointing to the field/node where the exception should be applied.

//ORDER/DATE/text()  (XPATH expression) or

START_TAG(BGM+220+)&&END_TAG(+)&& (Flat file expression) or

$.order.date (JSONPath expression)

REGEX(BGM\+220\+(.*)\+) (REGEX expression)

Rule

Rule to be applied to the field.

 

  • Warning

Marks the compared fields with yellow color as a "warning".

 

  • Warning when different based on variable replacement

In case compared values are different Int4 Suite compares them with specified variable. If reference/current value pair from comparison matches variable values result is marked as "warning".

Variable name used for checking the values has to be specified in the Processing Parameter column.

 

  • Warning when different based on value mapping object

In case compared values are different Int4 Suite compares them with specified values in the Mapping Object. If reference/current value pair from comparison matches mapping values result is marked as "warning".

Mapping Object name used for checking the values has to be specified in the Processing Parameter column.

 

  • Ignore

Even if it is different in the content, it is not highlighted.

 

Parameter

Used in correlation with Warning Rules.

 

Execution Settings

Parameter name

Description

Example

Debug Log

Int4 Suite will provide additional, more technical information in Test Execution Report during the running of the test cases if this parameter is set. Therefore, it is recommended to set this option initially and deactivate it when object definition is confirmed after executing the first test cases

 

Display wait popup before validation

Wait Flag indicating if Int4 Suite should stop test case execution after sending test case message to middleware. Int4 Suite will show the confirmation box, and the user will decide to continue. This setting can execute manual follow-up actions before running the next test case or checking the validations.

This setup works only with Execute via SAP GUI option of execution

 

Delay between execution and validation

Parameter name

Description

Example

For each test case

Delay (in seconds) between test case execution ( sending message) and checking the results.

10

Once per test run

Delay (in seconds) between test run execution ( sending messages) and checking the results.

60

Number Ranges

The number ranges allow generating new values for variables. Those values are used to substitute original document numbers or other values in reference messages.

The number range used to replace the source system document number should always be configured to not overwrite the original number. It means that documents generated by Int4 Suite should have their own subset of the original document number. Usually, it might be a subset of the upper limit of the original number range.

It is essential that automated testing with Int4 Suite consume numbers that the source system will generate during manual testing. Additionally, if testing environment data is refreshed from the production system, more documents would be created in the testing environment. If the Int4 Suite number were configured in the same range, it would start creating duplicates.

For example, the original number range for document numbers from the source system is 560000 - 590000. It would be wise to set the Int4 Suite number range from 590000 to 600000. However, suppose the SAP backend system uses an external number range. It is essential to stay in the original range. In that case, the Int4 Suite number range may be set as 585000-590000, which gives space for 5000 testing documents. Using range from upper interval reduces the risk that the number will be overwritten.

Additionally, the good practice is to use prefixes or suffixes that will quickly separate source system documents and the ones created by Int4 Suite. It should always be used when there is no document number validation by the SAP backend.

Each Object Definition can contain an unlimited number of number ranges. This way, each variable declared in an object can use its specific number range.

 

Parameter name

Description

Example

Number range

Provide a name for the number range. This name would be passed as a parameter in variable processing for actions that will generate values from it.

NUM_RAN

Prefix

The alphanumeric characters to be appended at the beginning of the document number to separate original documents from source systems and the one created during Int4 Suite testing (optional).

INT4_

Low value

The first number of our range.

1

High value

The last number of our range.

999999

Current value

When the number range is used during testing, it would increment per each use.

23

Suffix

The alphanumeric characters to be appended at the end of the document number to separate original documents from source systems and the one created during Int4 Suite testing (optional).

_TEST

Add zeros

If this box is checked, zeros will be automatically appended to the beginning of the document number, such as 000500.

 

Incr. per Test Run

If this indicator is selected, the number range is incrementing once per test run. If multiple test cases with the same Automation Object exist in the test run, they will receive the same value.

 

Data Scrambling

A scramble list is a part of an automation object. For compliance purposes, for example, GDPR purposes, it's required to hide some of the test case fields. Thanks to the anonymizer feature, it's possible to select fields that hold sensitive values and decide what action should be taken to prevent them from being compromised.

Parameter name

Description

Example

Rule Type

Rule type. Available options:

  • Test Case Creation - in case you want to scramble data during the creation of a test case

  • Runtime - in case you want to scramble data during runtime - when the interface is executed, and additional data is loaded to test case data.

Test Case Creation

Rule

Specify scrambling rule name for identification.

NAME

Method

Choose a scrambling method from a list. Available methods:

  • CONSTANT Replace value with constant
    The current value will contain the constant passed in the parameter. The constant should be provided as is without any brackets.

  • GUID Generate GUID

    Generate random value in a GUID format. 

  • RANDOM Generate a random value

    Generates a random value. The value of the parameter defines the upper limit of the range. It is also possible to generate negative numbers. For example, passing -100 in parameter will generate random numbers from -1 to -100

  • HASH create a hash based on value
    Calculates a hash based on the given value using algorithm passed in parameter (default 'SHA1').

  • MASK - replace each character with constant
    Replace each character with a constant passed in parameter. For example, passing X in the parameter will replace scrambled data with X signs.

  • CUSTOM - create custom method
    create a CUSTOM method (implementing an interface /INT4/IFTT_IF_DATA_SCRMBL_METH).

HASH

Expression Type

Expression type. Available options:

  • unspecified

  • XPath

  • Flat expression

This field is optional for all interfaces where there is a single type of output. However, for interfaces that output might be both XML and flat file, it is mandatory to specify the expression type.

XPath

Expression

Path pointing to the field/node where the exception should be applied.

//ORDER/DATE/text()  (XPATH expression) or

START_TAG(BGM+220+)&&END_TAG(+)&& (Flat file expression) or

$.order.date (JSONPath expression)

REGEX(BGM\+220\+(.*)\+) (REGEX expression)

Parameter

Specify Processing Parameter suitable for a chosen scrambling method.

X (for Mask method), SHA1 (for HASH Method)

Parameters

Parameter name

Description

Example

HTTP RFC Destination

Type G RFC destination pointing to server where the tested endpoint is deployed.
For landscape dependent RFC destinations use Execution System Line instead.

REST_01_HTTP_DEST

Direct HTTP URL

Relative URL pointing to endpoint

/ecc_salesordercrtrc1

HTTP Header

Optional list of HTTP headers to be added to the request

Content-Type=text/xml

APIKey={API_KEY}

Do not fail TC if DB reference not found

This flag determines if in the situation when DB validation for reference messages have not been found whether it should be treated as Error or Successful message.

Checked or 'X' - if reference document is not found test case will not be failed

Unchecked or '' - if reference document is not found test case will be failed (default setting)

Show XML in the original order (unsorted)

This flag determines if the lines of the file in the XML Comparison Report should be displayed in the original order or should be sorted alphabetically for a specific nodes.

Checked or 'X' - payload will not be sorted on the report

Unchecked or '' - payload will be sorted alphabetically (default value)

 

XSLT Transformations

XSLT Transformation can be applied on both Input and Output payloads and it is stored in a reference test case of type XSLT Transformation. To call XSLT Transformation during Test Case execution, Test Case number that is of type XSLT Transformation needs to be provided as an input to one of the below parameters.

Parameter name

Description

Execute XSLT on input payload

Run XSLT Transformation on input payload before any other execution steps

Execute XSLT on input payload after variable replacement

Run XSLT Transformation on input payload after variables are replaced with new values

Execute default oData XSLT on input payload

If this checkbox is set, the predefined XSLT transformation is executed to change XML input into oData JSon format

Execute XSLT on ref. output payload

Run XSLT Transformation on output reference message (output stored in Test Case as reference)

Execute XSLT on cur. output payload

Run XSLT Transformation on current output message (output generated during Test Case execution)

Example usage of XSLT transformations can be found here XSLT transformation examples | Different order of XML nodes in a new solution.

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