Testing Forms Processes
Why test processes
By testing, we ensure that the process is doing exactly what it has been designed and configured to do. In turn, this will help us:
- Get into the habit of testing early and often.
- Minimize time spent troubleshooting by testing the process as it is built.
It is a best practice to cultivate a habit of testing while designing processes and build them in incremental steps.
What to test
The most common elements in a process that should be tested to ensure everything is set correctly include (but are not limited to):
- Branches: Verify that every branch of the process is being accessed depending on the logic rules of the gateways used.
- Emails: Confirm that emails are being sent to the correct recipient and that the correct information is included in the message.
- Forms: Verify that the right pieces of information appear at the right step of the process. Ensure that field rules are used correctly, showing the information where it is relevant and hiding it where it is not. See Previewing a Form for more information.
- Applications and servers: Verify connections between forms and other applications, like Workflow or the repository, so those tasks can function as expected.
There may be other complex elements in your process that need to be tested even if not specified here. Click here to read more about the Process Test mode.
How to troubleshoot
In addition to the key testing framework, other tools for troubleshooting can be leveraged.
Monitor: Leverage the instance data to find more information about processes. Error details can be used to find more information. See the Monitoring Forms Process Instances and Error Codes reference pages for more information.
Process Steps: Look at what happens in each process step using form previews in the form designer. For example, when looking at each of the different form fields, is the information displayed from one step to the next? If there are calculations, are they being performed correctly? Is data entered on an early step displayed correctly on later steps?
Routing: Ensure that routing is properly configured and check that the correct use of gateways and conditions as the process moves from start to finish.