3.14.3. Using references for data in Test Cases
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### 3.14.3. Using references for data in Test Cases

- If there are parameters in a Test Case that you want to change when you reuse it, you can enter a reference instead of a concrete value. Deciding which data to parametrize is an important decision in test creation.

  | Press »CTRL+SPACE« to get content assist in the Properties View for certain parameters.

- To enter a reference for a parameter, in the Properties View, enter a reference name, preceded by an equals sign: =REF_NAME.

  | Reference names may only consist of letters (standard ASCII characters), numbers and underscores. You cannot use spaces in reference names or any mutated vowels.

- Press »ENTER«. A yellow arrow will appear next to the parameter field in the Properties View.

  | It helps to choose names that are meaningful so that you know what sort of data to enter later. Instead of =TEXT, you could use =CATEGORY_NAME, for example.

- You will see that the reference becomes a parameter of the parent Test Case. It appears in the Test Case Browser next to the parent Test Case in square brackets.

- You will be able to enter data for this parameter when you reuse the Test Case.

  | You can enter data for it now if you want to – this is essentially like having default data. They appear when you reuse the Test Case, but you can overwrite them (Section 3.14.13, “Overwriting data for Test Cases and Test Suites”).

For information on editing and deleting referenced parameters from Test Cases, see the following Section 3.14.4, “Using the edit parameters dialog to add, edit and delete references”.