Dictionary Objects

A Dictionary object stores the items (data key, item pairs) in the array. Each item is associated with a unique key. The key is used to retrieve an individual item and is usually an integer or a string, but can be anything except an array.

Advantages: it Can be used as “Global variable” declaration, so that any test can access the values from it in the run time. We can store and retrieve any number of run time values from dictionary.

It is one of the Parameterization techniques we can use in QTP/UFT.

Disadvantages: we can not specify the values in the design time like Data table , Action parameters, environment variable, So it is useful only in Run time , not design time

Methods of dictionary object:

1. Add Method - Adds a key and item pair to a Dictionary object.

odict.add "Currency", "Rupee"

2. Exists Method - Returns true if a specified key exists in the Dictionary object, false if it does not.

odict.exists(“country”)   ‘will return true  for dictionary defined in above examples.

3. Items Method - Returns an array containing all the items in a Dictionary

object.aite = odict.items(“country”)

4. Keys Method - Returns an array containing all existing keys in a Dictionary

object.aite = odict.keys(1)

5. Remove Method - Removes a key, item pair from a Dictionary

object.odict.remove("Currency")

6. RemoveAll Method - The RemoveAll method removes all key, item pairs from a Dictionary

object.odict.removeAll()

Properties of Dictionary object:

1. Count Property - Returns the number of items in a collection or Dictionary.

object.Intcount = odict.count

2. Item Property - Sets or returns an item for a specified key in a Dictionary object. For collections, returns an item based on the specified

 key.ItemVal = odict.Item("Capital")   ‘ gets value of the key

odict.Item("Capital") = “MUMBAI”     ‘ sets value of  the key.

3. Key Property - Sets a key in a Dictionary

object.odict.Key("Capital") = "City"

odict.item(“City”)    ‘will now give value of item stored in key Capital before.

Overview:

'To Create a dictionary ,Scripting.Dictionary object should be created

Set objDictionaryName = Createobject("Scripting.Dictionary")

'To add a dictionary item

objDictionaryName.Add(Key,Item)

'To Retrieve an Item

objDictionaryName.Item(key)

'To retrieve the count of items in dictionary

objDictionaryName.count

'To check if a Key exists in a Dictionary

objDictionaryName.Key

‘Removes the key and its items from the dictionary

objDictionaryName.Remove(key)

'Removes all the keys and Items available in dictionary

objDictionaryName.RemoveAll

'Returns the array collection of Keys available in Dictionary

objDictionaryName.Keys

'Performs the type of comparison needed on the key

They are two types of comparison modes –

1)vbTextCompare - in this mode text case sensitivity is ignored 

2)vbBinaryCompare - in this mode text case sensitivity will be taken into consideration.

              objDictionaryName.CompareMode = vbTextCompare

Example-1:

Simple Script to retrieve all Keys of dictionary and replace the keyword Keys with Items to get all the list of items in dictionary.

‘Create Dictionary Object

Set o1 = createobject("Scripting.dictionary")

‘Add Object to Dictionary

o1.Add "QTP","Fucntional Testing Tool"

o1.Add "Load Runner","Performance Testing tool"

o1.Add "Service Test","Speciality in WebSerices"

o1.Add "Sprinter","ALM Connection needed"

‘To get Array

arrDict = o1.Keys

For i = 0 To Ubound(arrDict)

    msgbox arrDict(i)

Next

‘To get the Key and Item pair

For i = 0 To Ubound(arrDict)

    msgbox "Key - '" & arrDict(i) & "' Item - '" & o1.Item(arrDict(i)) & "'"

Next

Example-2:

strKey = "R2014010175489"

strItemVal = "Mike Tuffer"

Set objDict = Createobject("Scripting.Dictionary")

objDict.Add strKey,strItemVal

'result - output ItemVal contain the "Mike Tuffer"

outputItemVal = objDict.Item(strKey)

print outputItemVal

'Result - intDictItemsCount contains the number of items already available in Dictionary in the current case it is "1"

intDictItemsCount = objDict.Count

'Checks if key is available in the dictionary

If objDict.Exists(strKey) then

    reporter.ReportEvent micPass,"Check Dictionaryfor key " & strKey,"Dictionary contains the key " & strKey

    else

    reporter.ReportEvent micFail,"Check Dictionaryfor key " & strKey,"Dictionary does not contains the key " & strKey

End if

‘Returns you the array collection of Keys available in Dictionary

objDict.Keys

'Removes the "R2014010175489" and its item "Mike Tuffer" from the dictionary

objDict.Remove(strKey)