Execute a Test Run offline using Excel

You can export Test Runs to Microsoft Excel, manually execute test cases and associated Test Steps offline/externally, and then import the results into Polarion via the Excel file previously exported. This approach automatically creates test records in the system for all exported Test Case items. The approach can be useful if you use external testers who do not have access to your Polarion system.

You can also use the same method to manually record the results of externally-run automated tests in an exported Excel file, importing the results back to Polarion. However, if you use automated testing tools, you may prefer to set up automated import of automated test results into Polarion. See Integrating with External Testing Tools for more information.

Before you begin

On export, all Test Cases selected for the test run are exported. The export includes any Test Cases from other projects selected via the Project Span field of the Test Run or the underlying Test Run Template. On import, Test Records are created for all the previously exported Test Cases. If Test Case selection spans across different projects, the following limitations currently apply:

  • The Excel export template must be stored in the project that contains the Test Run or in the Repository scope.

  • If the Test Run selects Test Cases from multiple projects (selected via the Project Span field of the Test Run or the underlying Test Run Template), then all the projects containing Test Cases and the project containing the Test Run must have the same Test Steps columns defined and the same ID for the Test Steps field of all Test Case type Work Items selected. (This assumes that the Test Steps field of Test Cases is exported to Excel.)

These limitations may be removed in a future Polarion release.

Exporting test cases to Excel

Begin the external testing process by exporting the Test Run to be executed externally to a Microsoft Excel workbook file.

  1. Open the project containing the Test Run you want to execute externally.

  2. In Navigation, select Test Runs. On the Test Runs page, select the Test Run you want to manually execute (or for which you want to manually record results of external automated tests).

    All relevant Test Cases should already be selected. If not, select them as described in Select (Planning) Test Cases.

  3. In the Test Run detail, click Export Tests to Excel and save the exported Excel file to your local file system. The default file name is the name of the Test Run. You can optionally save with a different name without affecting subsequent re-import of test results.

You can send the exported file to someone else who will actually perform the manual tests (or manually record the results of externally-run automated tests). The tester can execute each of the Test Cases of the Test Run in whatever way that is normally done, performing the steps by hand or running some tool and logging the result of each Test Case in the Excel file. When manually executing tests, as each Test Case is executed, the tester logs the result of each test step in the Step Verdict column of the Excel sheet for each Test Case and records the overall result of each Test Case in the Test Verdict column. Testers can optionally add or change the content of the Comment column. These columns, and those for logging results, are the only ones external users can edit. All others are protected.

Importing test results from Excel

After all tests for the Test Run have been performed and their results entered and saved in the Excel file, the tester returns the file to the Polarion user who exported the Test Run (or any user with the same permissions), who then imports the results file back to Polarion so that the results can be recorded and tracked.

  • If you make changes to the Excel file before importing, be sure all changes are saved before initiating the import.

  • Open the same project from which the Test Run was exported, if you do not already have it open.

  • On the Test Runs page of Navigation, select the Test Run from which the Test Cases were exported to Excel.

  • In the lower pane of the Test Run page, click the Import Results from Excel link.

  • In the Import Results from Excel dialog box, click Browse and select the previously exported Excel file on your local file system.

    If you select the Retest previously executed Test Cases option, test records in the Excel file will overwrite any test records that may already exist in Polarion. If cleared, any existing test records in Polarion are preserved and those in the Excel file are ignored.

  • Click Preview. If changes are detected, a preview appears. Click Import to complete the import process. If no changes are detected, the dialog informs you and you can click Cancel.

Tip:

If your project is configured to require an electronic signature for Test Case execution, you are prompted to provide your e-signature. A signature must be provided for the process to finish. Nothing is imported if you cancel the import without providing the requested signature.

When the process is finished, the dialog informs you of the result: successful import or import failure. Assuming success, it displays statistics about the number of Test Cases executed and the number that passed. In every case, there is a link to the import log file which displays the process log in a new browser instance.

A successful import creates a new Test Run record. You can access records via the (Actions) menu button in the header of the Test Run detail pane on the Test Runs page.

Note:

Adding new Test Cases in an Excel workbook exported for external test case execution is not allowed in the exported file. If you want to use Excel to define new Test Cases, use the Import from Excel feature to define new test cases in Excel and import them into a Polarion project.

Test export templates

Polarion provides a default template for exporting Test Cases to Microsoft Excel for external testing. It should be sufficient for most situations. However, administrators can download the default template file which can then be used as the basis for one or more custom export templates. One customization that may be desirable when exporting Test Runs that select Test Cases from multiple projects is to show the source Project of Test Cases in a dedicated column.

An administrator can upload customized template files, which users can subsequently select as templates for exporting Test Runs to Excel. For information, see Configure Test Export Templates.