Getting Started with Variables

In Certify, variables are necessary for Business Process Certification because they represent the data you want to use in your processes. Variables contain a specific type of value that is acted on or stored for future comparison against another value.

The most common use of variables is data-driven testing, where process execution loops through a series of data values. You can also use variables to store or verify system data. Some examples include a system date or machine name or when specific data for a user is required, such as user ID or password to sign in to an external system or application.

Preparing to Use Variables

When preparing to use variables, review your existing processes and identify where variables can replace static data. As a best practice, create a table or spreadsheet showing all processes and the variable. This method helps you when you create recordsets for your processes. For information about recordsets, see Understanding Recordsets.

Once you have identified all variables, then you need to determine the type of variable you are using:

System
Project
Process (Local)
User

For more information about variable types, see Types of Certify Variables.

Variable Data Types

Each type of variable contains the following data types:

Data Type	Description
Text	Text type consists of alphanumeric and special characters. The maximum length is 65,535 (64K) characters.
Number	Number type consists of integers, floating point values, and exponential notations.
Date	Date type consists of any combination of month, day, and year in any Certify-supported format. Date variables default to today's date. You can apply a specific date mask to a date variable to display the date in a specified format.