Implement "Parameter loop"

 What about using a data driven loop and excel for your parameters? As long as you loop from beginning to end, if you need to adjust or add more, just change the data in the excel sheet. This sounds like it's exactly what you're asking for and requires little maintenance. 

cunderw I think you're right. But I also think that by adding this (sort of ) function(s) to TC, the work of a tester could be done faster. What I mean is, that by implementing this 'intelligence', TC could even be a better tool for testing things faster. And, when needed for additional, thorough testing, tester can make use of  external data sheets.

Hope it's clear what I am pointing to.

You could even just have a table variable with the needed data and loop through that. The functionality is already there really, just the terminology is not called parameter loop. What you're wanting is to loop through a set of data. 

cunderw Correct once again, with the remark that I'd think TC could provide some sort 'default looping' so that it's not necessary to create/maintain external data files to quickly test against empty param values.. That would speed up testing (which becomes more and more relevant in Agile/ Continious deployment environments).

It's not internal, the table variable type exists inside test complete just like parameters do. No external file required. Perhaps I'm not understanding exactly what you're asking?

cunderw Could be that we have some misunderstanding. Check this thread for more clarification on it.

Do you think you can create a solution for it without the need to scripting and/or use external data files?

Interesting idea.. so, TC would have to be "smart" to adjust the loop for the parameters based upon the parameters on the test without needing user intervention, yes?

tristaanogre Correct.

Question: While it will update the length of the loop based upon the parameter count, how would TC know how to populate the added parameter? For example, if you have 5 string parameters and add a 6th, what data should be populated for the 6th parameter? I mean, obviously TC could be smart to somehow detect whether the param is a string, a numeric, or some other thing, but the values need to be meaningful to the keyword test in order for the test to not just fail outright because the string is an unmapped value or the numeric is out of range. You will still, probably, need to do some manual intervention in order to indicate the data to be populated... which is back to the DataDriven scenario where you would specify a table to loop through that you have control over.

tristaanogre when you extend the amount of parameter list you must declare its (the new) parameter including its type. Nothing new there. And during test execution, TC is looping through the parameters (including the new one), which uses its normal value (existing functionality), and the 'special value' (new functionality), e.g. 'null'.

The main thing TC has to do in this feature, prior to test execution count the number of params, and during execution insert the value specified by the tester.