Step Origin in Scenario Business Process

In ACCELQ, a Scenario represents an automated test that corresponds to a business process. It consists of a series of Steps, each Step being an Action. Every Step in a Scenario has an attribute called "Step Origin," which indicates the application screen or page where that particular Step is executing. When you read a Step in association with its Origin, it provides a complete picture of what the Step is accomplishing within the business process. From an ACCELQ asset perspective, "Step Origin" is a "Context."

For example, the Step represented in the following image is executing the "Navigate to Funds Transfer" Action on the "QBank Home Page."

The Importance of Step Origin

1. Business Process Clarity: A Step Origin provides complete clarity from a business process standpoint, and it is recommended to always keep it accurate. It helps in understanding the precise context in which a Step is executed within the overall process flow.
2. Context Synchronization: If you have set up Context Synchronization criteria for your Contexts in the Project, the system will try to validate the presence of the Synch criteria in the application at the beginning of each Step's execution, based on the Step Origin Context. If a Step is pointing to an incorrect Step Origin in the Scenario, you might experience failures due to Synch criteria mismatches. Maintaining accurate Step Origins ensures that Context Synchronization works as expected.

How is the Step Origin Set?

During Scenario development in the Design Studio, when you are adding Actions, the system attempts to automatically detect and assign an appropriate Step Origin where possible. If the Step Origin cannot be automatically detected with confidence, you will be prompted to choose or create a Context as the Step Origin.

Once the entire flow is built in the Design Studio, the system performs further validation when you "Finalize" the Scenario. If any discrepancies are detected, you will be prompted to verify or update the Step Origin.

Modifying Step Origin

After the Scenario is completed, if needed, you may update the Step Origin from the Business Process View. Click on the "..." option at the Step level (in the Business Process view) and choose to change the Step Origin.

After the Scenario is completed, you may update the Step Origin from the Business Process View if needed. Click on the "..." option at the Step level (in the Business Process view) and choose to change the Step Origin. You may be prompted to reconfirm that the step preceding this step lands the application on the page you have set as the Step Origin for the current step.

Maintaining Step Origin Consistency

"Step Origin" is an essential characteristic that provides the necessary clarity to understand the business process within a Scenario. When editing the Step Origin, the system may ask for confirmations on any related Steps to ensure overall consistency is maintained throughout the Scenario.

By keeping Step Origins accurate, you can enhance the readability, maintainability, and reliability of your ACCELQ automation assets, ensuring they truly reflect the intended business processes.

Note about Init and Lib Actions

It's important to note that the Step Origin concept does not apply to certain types of Steps within a Scenario.

The Init Action, which is commonly used to initiate the flow by launching the browser or application, does not have a Step Origin associated with it, as it is not tied to a specific application screen or page.

Similarly, Lib Actions, which encapsulate generic business logic not specific to any application context, such as database operations or utility functions, also do not require a Step Origin. These Actions are designed to be reusable across different Contexts and Scenarios.

When a Step within a Scenario is composed of an Init Action or a Lib Action, the Step Origin field is not applicable, as these Actions do not directly interact with or represent a particular application screen or page within the business process flow.