Page Comparison

Var Assigner “Assign a Variable”

Dots in front Boxes ASSIGN a Var to something.

HTTP REQUEST HEADER: This first ASSIGN icon above the HTTP Request Header and it Assigns Var to an HTTP Header Field

Var Extractors “Extract a Variable”

Boxes in front of Dot EXTRACT a value to a Var.

HTTP RESPONSE HEADER: This first EXTRACT icon, Extracts the Var from the Header Field

Blue Left Arrow indicates that the value of the variable has been extracted.

Red Right Arrow inside the search result means that a (variable) string has been sent. 

The Magnifier icon will change depending on the function it’s next to

“Var Extract Details” next to Blue Left Arrow displays more details about how the variable was extracted.

“Var Assign Details” next to Red Right Arrow displays more details about how the variable was extracted.

“Modify Input File Properties” next to Input File.

“Modify User Input Field Properties” next to User Input Field.

The Verify Input File Parsing Button displays a preview of how the input file will be parsed during load test execution.

Replace HTTP Response Content: directly modify the recorded data.

Download Response Content to a File

Expand the view of the HTTP Response Content

Var Finder: Supports finding and handling dynamically-exchanged session parameters easily.

Enable dynamic URL rewriting button in the Var Handler

Described in the J2EE URL Rewriting Section.

Define New Stand-Alone Var

Variables are usually defined implicitly by creating Input Files, User Input Fields, using the Var Finder, or extracting values using the Var Handler.

However, it is also possible to define variables directly for special-purpose use. Depending on the scope, directly-defined variables can have special initial values set during the load test by the load test program itself.

Declare External Resources

This menu allows you to declare additional external resources needed when executing a load test. Typically such external resources are Java library files (*.jar files) used by self-developed plug-ins or JUnit load test plug-ins, or Google Protobuf FileDescriptorSets (*.desc files) used to parse G-PROTOBUF messages. However, also any other file types can be declared.

Review the recorded values

Try to judge which values could be dynamically-exchanged session parameters. If the value contains a long number or a cryptic hexadecimal string, it has a good chance of being a dynamically-exchange session parameter.

In the example above, the various parameter names containing ViewState are dynamically-exchanged session parameters. But the one “ctl00$MainContent$TeamNamesDropDownList=AC Milan” is not because the value “AC Milan” had been entered manually into forms, via the drop-down list, during the recording of the web surfing session.

Auto-Extract the dynamically-exchanged session parameters

This succeeds in approximately 50% of all cases.

To do this, click the

“Click here to perform automatic handling for dynamically-exchanged session parameter” icon at the left of the parameter name.

Success

If you receive a success message, there is nothing more to do for this parameter. In this example, the levid var was successfully created with the auto-extraction. Note the 2 with the left blue arrow; a var extraction.

The corresponding definitions inside the Var Handler are automatically created.

Error

On the other hand, if you receive an error message, you must manually extract the dynamically-exchanged session parameter (see the next subchapter).

In this example, the parameter __VIEWSTATE could be handled automatically. The other parameters (d & t) must be extracted manually since these parameters are listed more than once (i.e., the same name with different values); the extraction must also be done more than once for each distinct value.

1. Choose any URL detail menu.

2. Click the Enable Dynamic URL Rewriting button in the Var Handler.

3. Enter the name of the URL rewriting parameter in the field Rewrite Parameter

4. Enter an arbitrary variable name in the field Map to Var Name

5. Use the option automatically for the field Dynamic Handling.

After URL rewriting has been enabled, the Var Handler shows only the first extraction of the URL rewriting parameter - but not its assignment. This is normal behavior because the assignment in succeeding URL calls will be done automatically later in the load test without additional configuration.

It's also possible that the URL rewriting parameter's value can change during the web surfing session, for example, after logging in to the web application or after logging out. In this case, you will see two or more extractors for the URL rewriting parameter inside the Var Handler.