ABT Foundations • Module 7
Test Data Strategies
Managing the data that drives your tests
Module 7 of 30
"Dear Marilyn,
Our tests use hardcoded data that's always getting stale. We have users that don't exist anymore, products that were discontinued. How do we keep test data fresh?
— Data Decay Victim"
Marilyn Responds:
Hardcoded test data is a time bomb. It works today, fails tomorrow, and nobody knows why.
ABT separates test logic from test data completely. Tests define what data they need; the framework provides it. This could be from files, databases, APIs, or generated on the fly.
When data is external, tests become timeless.
Data Strategies
ABT supports multiple data strategies:
- Static Data — Fixed values for deterministic tests
- Dynamic Data — Generated at runtime for variety
- Seeded Data — Created before tests, cleaned after
- Production Snapshots — Real data, anonymized for testing
Quick Check: Module 7
Question: Why should test data be separated from test logic?
a) To make tests run faster
b) To allow the same test to run with different data sets
c) To reduce the size of test files
d) To comply with regulations
(Answer: b — Separation allows data-driven testing: one test definition, many data variations.)