background image
<< Renaming or Copying a User-Defined Data Type | Creating a Datapool Outside Rational Test >>
<< Renaming or Copying a User-Defined Data Type | Creating a Datapool Outside Rational Test >>

Generate enough datapool rows

Creating a Datapool Outside Rational Test
325
Datapool Structure
A datapool is stored in a text file with a .
csv
extension. The file has the following
characteristics:
s
Each row contains one record.
s
Each record contains datapool field values delimited by a field separator. Any
character can be used for the field separator. Some common field separators are as
follows:
Comma ( , ). This is typically the default in the U.S. and the U.K.
Semicolon ( ; ). This is typically the default in most other countries.
Colon ( : ).
Pipe ( | ).
Slash ( / ).
The field separator can consist of up to three single-byte ASCII characters or one
multi-byte character.
Note:
To view or change the field separator, click
Start > Settings > Control Panel
,
double-click the
Regional Settings
icon, and then click the
Number
tab.
List
separator
contains the separator characters.
s
Each column in a datapool file contains a list of datapool field values.
s
Field values can contain spaces.
s
A single value can contain a separator character if the value is enclosed in double
quotes. For example, "Jones, Robert" is a single value in a record, not two.
The quotes are used only when the value is stored in the datapool file. The quotes
are not part of the value that is supplied to your application.
s
A single value can contain embedded strings. For example, "Jones, Robert "Bob""
is a single value in a record, not two.
s
Each record ends with a line feed.
s
Datapool column names are stored in a .
spc
file. (Robot and TestManager edit the
.
spc
file. Never edit the .
spc
file directly.)
s
The datapool name that is stored in the datastore is the same as the root datapool
file name (without the .
csv
extension). The maximum length of a datapool name is
40 characters.