A project is an entity created by the Eclipse IDE. They can contain any number of SOAtest-specific .tst files, as well as source files that you want to analyze with SOAtest and any other resources that make sense for your environment.

You can use projects to organize your .tst files within the workspace. You can share them through a source control repository or by using the Import / Export feature.

Each .tst file within a project can include any number of test suites/scenarios, tools, and inputs. The organization and structure is up to you. To keep file size down and to improve maintainability, we recommend using one .tst file for each distinct testing requirement.

In this section:

Creating New Projects

Multiple .tst files can be grouped into a single project.

First, we will create a new project based on existing test suites.

1. Choose File > New > Project then select Project from Existing SOAtest Test Suites in the wizard that opens.
   
2. Click Next.
3. Enter Examples in the Project Name field.
4. Specify the location of the project’s test suites by clicking Browse, then navigating to <SOATEST_INSTALLATION_DIRECTORY>/examples/tests.
   
5. Click Finish.

The Examples project will be added to the Test Case Explorer. It will contain multiple test (.tst) files.

You can also create new projects by selecting different commands from the new project wizard. To see all available New Project options, choose File > New > Other and look under the SOAtest folder.

Opening and Closing .tst Files

By default, .tst files are closed. Once a .tst file is open, it will be loaded into memory.

Closed .tst files have the following "closed box" icon: 

Open .tst files have the following "open box" icon: 

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.

Creating New Test (.tst) Files

We recommend that you create a separate test (.tst) file for each distinct testing requirement. There are two ways to create a new test (.tst) file.

• Right click the project node and select Add New > Test (.tst) File from the shortcut menu.
  
• Choose File > New > Test (.tst) File.
  

The wizard will guide you through the test creation process, then add a .tst file containing the generated tests. 

As you go through the subsequent tutorial lessons, you will learn how to create different kinds of tests.