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Adding Test Data Sources

Data-driven testing is one of the most powerful ways to expand coverage and validate real-world scenarios. In Functionize, you can create data sources to supply your tests with dynamic values—whether that’s login credentials, form inputs, or database records. By linking test actions to a data source, you ensure your tests are more flexible, scalable, and realistic.

Functionize allows you to build data sources in multiple ways: uploading existing files, connecting directly to databases, or generating a template from your automated test.

Adding a New Data Source in the TDM Tab

  1. Navigate to the TDM Tab
    • Open the navigation menu and select TDM.
    • A list of your existing Data Sources will appear.
  2. Add a New Data Source
    • Click Add New Data Source.
  3. Fill in the Details in the pop-up window:
    • Data Source Name → Enter a descriptive name.
    • Type → Choose from CSV, Excel, JSON, DB, or Google Sheet.
      • To use a Google Sheet, add the following email address as a Viewer in the spreadsheet’s sharing settings: fze-tdm-sheets-service-account@wise-arch-107501.iam.gserviceaccount.com
    • File → Upload the data file (if applicable).
    • Skip Blank Spaces → Enable to ignore blank or empty rows in the dataset.
    • Members → Assign editors from your team who can manage this dataset.
    • Click Submit.

Adding a New Data Source in a Test Detail Page

  1. Navigate to the Test Detail Page for the desired test case.
  2. Add a New Data Source
    • Click on the TDM icon on the test detail page.
    • On the "Data Sources: Select Source" pop-up, click "Add a data source".
  3. Fill in the Details in the pop-up window:
    • Data Source Name → Enter a descriptive name.
    • Type → Choose from CSV, Excel, JSON, DB, or Google Sheet.
    • File → Upload the data file (if applicable).
    • Members → Assign editors from your team who can manage this dataset.
    • Click Submit.

Optional Step Modifiers

When defining steps in a Data Source file, you can control how they run:

  • [suppress] → The step will be skipped entirely.
  • [optional] → The step will attempt execution but will not fail the test if it cannot be completed.

Connecting a Database Table

You can connect a Data Source directly to a live database.

  1. Type = DB
    • In the Add New Data Source window, select DB as the type.
  2. Enter Database Details:
    • Name → A descriptive name for the Data Source.
    • Server → Database IP address.
    • Port → The database port number.
    • Database Type → MySQL and SQL Server are supported out-of-the-box; others may require custom setup.
    • DB Name → Name of the database to connect to.
    • Credentials → Username and password.
    • Query → SQL query to select data (tables, columns, etc.).
    • Members → Assign editors.
    • Click Submit.

Managing Data Source Actions

Once created, you can perform the following actions:

  • Edit → Modify data source details.
  • Download Current File → Retrieve the latest dataset.
  • Change File → Replace the dataset with a new version.
  • Manage Members → Add or remove access.
  • Change Owner → Team or Site Admins can transfer ownership (RBAC only).
  • View Test Cases → See which test cases are mapped to this source.
  • Encrypt → Permanently encrypt values in any column.
  • Overload Files → Upload multiple files.
  • Delete → Remove the data source (confirmation required if mapped to tests).

Creating a Data Source for Auto-Mapping

Functionize can generate a data source template from any test case to simplify parameterization.

  1. Download TDM Sample from the Test Details page:
    • Download Template → Full set of test actions (CSV, Excel, JSON).
    • Download Selected Template → Only selected actions.
  2. Prepare the File:
    • Each column corresponds to an action in the test.
    • Do not rename columns or auto-mapping will fail.
    • Add rows of test data as needed (e.g., multiple logins, URLs, names).
    • Blank values will be treated as “blank” during execution.
  3. Save in Accepted Formats → CSV, Excel, DB, Google Sheet, or JSON.

Best Practices

  • Name Data Sources clearly → Helps teams identify datasets quickly.
  • Use encryption for sensitive fields → Such as passwords or PII.
  • Limit editor permissions → Use Members to control who can change datasets.
  • Start with auto-mapping templates → Ensures accuracy and reduces manual setup.

By leveraging data sources in TDM, you can make your automated tests more robust, repeatable, and realistic—reducing manual data setup while improving test coverage.