Getting started with Parameterization in Jmeter

Test plan: Consists of series of steps that the end user is trying to perform, and jmeter will reproduce the same with virtual users. Test plan contains one or more thread groups, logic controllers,  listners, assertions, timers etc. Below snapshot represents the structure for adding the elements to the test plan:

Workbench: Provides  temporary storage for the elements, the elements that are added to the workbench are used for the recording purpose.

Note: Test Plan is also known as permanent storage because the elements which are added to the test plan are saved permanently and can be accessed anytime in future whereas workbench provides temporary storage, elements added to it will be vanished once the script is closed.

Thread group: The first step is to add the thread group to the test plan, all the elements such as logic controllers, sampler, timers etc. are added under the thread group, so consider the thread group  as a parent and it’s elements as child. Following items are controlled using thread group:

• Assigning number of users for executions
• Setting up the ramp up time
• Controlling the loop count so as to run the script for specific number of iterations
• Setting up the duration of the test

How to add thread group:

Right Click Test Plan àAdd à Threads (User) à Thread group

Transaction controller: Contains the user actions performed during the recording phase. When the script is recorded, it captures the traffic in the form of http requests, so these requests are placed within individual transaction controllers.

Let’s say, you hit the home page  www.blazedemo.com , requests corresponding to the homepage transaction will be placed inside home page transaction, followed by clicking on find flights, so corresponding requests would be placed inside another transaction named ClickFindFlights. Likewise you can have multiple transactions based on the scenario.

How to add transaction controller:

Right click Thread group àAdd àLogic Controller àTransaction controller

HTTP(S) Test Script Recorder: In order to capture the network traffic for your scenario, add this element inside work bench and define the port number for which it will capture the traffic and the same port number should be assigned to the browser proxy settings as well

At browser level, change the proxy settings: Browser àSettings àProxy

After completing the above settings, you are good to start the script recording.

Step 1: Change the target controller to point to HomePage transaction

Steps 2: Enter www.blazedemo.com  in the browser

On the left, we have selected HomePage as target controller and on the right the recording events are captured in the home page transaction controller. So whatever you will be navigating in the browser you will be able to capture it within transaction controller

Follow step 1 and step 2 for recording other transactions as well

Step 1: Change Target Controller to Click Find Flights

Step 2: In Browser, Click the Find flights button

On the left, we have selected ClickFindFlights as target controller and on the right the recorded events are captured in the ClickFindFlights transaction controller

Same way you can record the other transactions as well and after recording the entire scenario, the test plan would look like:-

While doing a performance test, we generally omit out .css/.js/.ico/jpeg/.png files, so can comment out those requests from our script based on the requirement

Next step will be the parameterization:

Parameterization: It’s a process of managing the user input in order to facilitate it for multiple users or iterations.

So, you need to find the values which were entered by the end user in the application. Such as on the first page, the user selected the departure and the destination city.

Now you have to parameterize the city. For this, you will be using 'CSV Data Set Config'.

Click on Thread group-> Add->Config Element->CSV Data Set Config.

You need to place the CSV Data Set Config at the top of the thread group. Next step will be to configure the CSV Data Set Config.

Filename: Enter the .csv filename along with the entire file path, but, In case,  the .csv file and the script are placed in the same directory/path then you can directly give the csv file name. In this case, we have placed both script and .csv file in the same directory so we have just mentioned City.csv

Variable Names: These are the reference for the values that are placed in the csv file. So, the departure city will be referenced by p_DepartureCity and Destination city will be referenced by p_DestinationCity

CSV Data Set Config Element:

You can also correlate these cities but for now, you can parameterize them. For parameterization, you have to create a csv file and need to place the city names in it with comma “,” as a delimiter

Now go to the parameter that has the static value in the script and replace that parameter value with ${variable_name }

Same way, parameterization will be done for all other user inputs across the script.

Stay tuned for more posts!!!