This topic explains how to work with projects and .tst files, which are saved in XML format.
Sections include:
Working with Projects
Saving a Project File
Any changes that you make to project properties, test suites, and so on are automatically saved to the project. Projects will remain open until you explicitly close them.
Closing a Project File
When you close a project file, SOAtest will close all related trees and settings. Closed projects are shown in the Navigator, but not in the Test Case Explorer.
To close the current project and all related setting:
- In the Navigator, right-click the project, and choose Close Project from the shortcut menu.
Opening a Project File
When you open a project file, all associated trees, settings, and reports will be restored.
To open a project file:
- In the Navigator, right-click the project, and choose Open Project from the shortcut menu.
Working with Test (.tst) Files
Opening .tst Files
By default, .tst files are closed. All open .tst files are loaded into memory.
There are two ways to open a .tst file:
- Double click the .tst file’s Test Case Explorer node
- Right-click the .tst file’s Test Case Explorer node, then choose Open Test (.tst) File from the shortcut menu.
Closed .tst files have the following "closed box" icon: 
Open .tst files have the following "open box" icon: 
Closing .tst Files
There are two ways to close a .tst file:
- Double click the .tst file’s Test Case Explorer node
- Right-click the .tst file’s Test Case Explorer node, then choose Close Test (.tst) File from the shortcut menu.
Understanding a .tst File’s XML Format
When SOAtest .tst files are saved in XML format, they can be parsed to get test suite and test information into a custom framework.
The following table describes how some of the most commonly-used tools are represented:
| Artifact | Element Name | Parent Element |
|---|---|---|
| Root element | SOAtestProject | None |
| Test Suite | Test Suite | TestSuite (if nested under other Test Suites) |
| Test or a Test Suite name | name | Any of the other listed elements |
| Environments | EnvironmentConfiguration | TestSuite |
| Data Sources | DataSource | TestSuite/SOAPRPCToolTest |
| Messaging Client | HTTPClient | TestSuite/HTTPClientToolTest |
| Browser Playback Tool | BrowserTestingTool | TestSuite/ToolTest |
| DB Tool | DbTool | TestSuite/ToolTest |
| Extension Tool | MethodTool | TestSuite/ToolTest |
| Call Back Tool | CallBackTool | TestSuite/CallBackToolTest |
Moreover, the following list describes common, specially named elements that will appear in the XML project file. The fields are named so that you can exclude parts of it and make the search more general. For example, to search for any WSDL, you could search & replace for "_WSDLLocation>http://mywsdl</", for just SOAP Client WSDLs, you could search for "<SOAPClient_WSDLLocation>http:/mywsdl</SOAPClient_WSDLLocation>"
WSDL fields:
- SOAPClient_WSDLLocation
- ClientTester_WSDLLocation
- WSITool_WSDLLocation
Schema fields:
- SOAPClient_SchemaLocation
- ClientTester_SchemaLocation
- MessagingClient_SchemaLocation
Endpoint fields:
- SOAPClient_CustomEndpoint
- SOAPClient_UDDIServiceKey
- MessagingClient_Endpoint
Literal (XML) fields:
- SOAPClient_LiteralMessage
- ClientTester_LiteralMessage
- MessagingClient_LiteralMessage
XPath Fields:
- XMLDatabank_ExtractXPath
- XMLDatabank_AlterXPath
- XMLTransformer_ExtractXPath
- XMLTransformer_AlterXPath
- Assertion_XPath
Diff Tool Regression Controls:
- DiffTool_RegressionControl
BrowserTestingTool fields:
- BrowserTestingTool_NavigateURL - the url field for a Navigate action
- BrowserTestingTool_WindowName - the window name field for any action
- BrowserTestingTool_LocatorAttributeValue - the attribute value field for any action set to an Element Properties locator
- BrowserTestingTool_LocatorXPath - the xpath field for any action set to an XPath locator
- BrowserTestingTool_TypeValue - the value field for a type action
- BrowserTestingTool_OtherValue - the value field for an "other" action
- BrowserTestingTool_NewBrowserURL - the url field for a NewBrowser action
BrowserDataBank:
- BrowserDataBank_LocatorAttributeValue - the attribute value field for any extraction set to an Element Properties locator
- BrowserDataBank_LocatorXPath - the xpath field for any extraction set to an XPath locator
- BrowserDataBank_WindowName - the window name field for any extraction
BrowserValidationTool:
- BrowserValidationTool_LocatorAttributeValue - the attribute value field for any validation set to an Element Properties locator
- BrowserValidationTool_LocatorXPath - the xpath field for any validation set to an XPath locator
- BrowserValidationTool_WindowName - the window name field for any validation
- BrowserValidationTool_ExpectedValue - the expected value field for any validation
