Test Data Profile Properties

You can modify an object's properties from its property sheet. To open a test data profile property sheet, double-click its Browser entry in the Test Data Profiles folder.

The General tab contains the following properties:

Property

Description

Name

Specifies the name of the item which should be clear and meaningful, and should convey the item's purpose to non-technical users

Code

Specifies the technical name of the item used for generating code or scripts, which may be abbreviated, and should not generally include spaces

Comment

Specifies a descriptive label for the test data profile.

Stereotype

Sub-classification used to extend the semantics of an object without changing its structure; it can be predefined or user-defined

Class

Specifies the kind of data to be generated from the profile. You can choose between:


  • Number - to populate numerical columns
  • Character - to populate text columns
  • Date & Time - to populate date columns

Generation source

Specifies from where PowerDesigner will draw the data to populate the columns associated with the profile. You can choose between:


  • Automatic - PowerDesigner generates the data based on the parameters you set on the Detail tab.
  • List - PowerDesigner draws the data from the list you define on the Details tab.
  • Database - PowerDesigner draws the data using a query from a live database connection that you specify on the Details tab.
  • File - PowerDesigner draws the data from the CSV file that you specify on the Details tab.

Test Data Profile Property Sheet Detail Tab - Automatic Number Data

If you have selected to automatically generate number data on the General tab, you must define the following properties on the Detail tab:

Property

Description

Type

Specifies whether the data is to be generated randomly or sequentially.

Range

Specifies the range of numbers to generate from and, if a sequential type is specified, the step value to use when traversing the range.

Decimal numbers

Specifies that the numbers to be generated are decimal, and the number of digits after the decimal point to generate.

Test Data Profile Property Sheet Detail Tab - Automatic Character Data

If you have selected to automatically generate character data on the General tab, you must define the following properties on the Detail tab:

Property

Description

Valid characters

Specifies the characters that can be generated (by default, all alphanumeric characters and spaces), separated by commas.

You can specify:


  • Single characters or strings of characters - surrounded by double quotes. For example, "a", "bcd", "e".
  • Character intervals - in which the boundary characters are surrounded by single quotes and separated by a dash. For example, 'a'-'z', 'A'-'Z'

To allow any character, select the All checkbox.

Invalid characters

Specifies the characters that cannot be generated, using the same syntax as for the valid characters. To disallow accented characters, select the No accents checkbox.

Mask

Specifies the mask characters used to tell users what kind of character they must enter in a given context. By default the test data profile uses the following mask characters:


  • A - Letter
  • 9 - Number
  • ? - Any character

Case

Specifies the case in which to generate the data. If you select Lower or Mixed case, select the First Uppercase checkbox to require that each word begin with a capital letter.

Length

Specifies the length of character strings to generate. You can specify either an exact required length or a range.

Test Data Profile Property Sheet Detail Tab - Automatic Date & Time Data

If you have selected to automatically generate date and time data on the General tab, you must define the following properties on the Detail tab:

Property

Description

Date range

Specifies the upper and lower limits of the date range within which data can be generated.

Time range

Specifies the upper and lower limits of the time range within which data can be generated.

Step

Specifies step values for use when traversing the date and time ranges, if sequential values are generated.

Values

Specifies whether the values are to be generated randomly or sequentially.

Test Data Profile Property Sheet Detail Tab - List Data

If you have selected to provide list data on the General tab, enter as many value-label pairs as necessary on the Detail tab.

Test Data Profile Property Sheet Detail Tab - Database Data

If you have selected to provide data from a database on the General tab, you must define the following properties on the Detail tab:

Property

Description

Data Source

Specifies the data source from which to draw data for the profile. Click the Select a Data Source tool to the right of this field to open a separate dialog on which you can specify your connection parameters.

Login and Password

Specifies the login and password to use when connecting to the data source.

Table, Column, and Query

Specifies the table and column from which the data will be drawn. By default, a query selecting distinct values from the column is used.

Test Data Profile Property Sheet Detail Tab - File Data

If you have selected to provide data from a file on the General tab, you must define the following properties on the Detail tab:

Property

Description

File

Specifies the file from which to draw data for the profile.

Type

Specifies whether the values are to be drawn randomly or sequentially.