Performance Test Scripts Sections

Performance test scripts model the virtual user's expected interaction with the system. A performance test script is usually created within the performance testing tool. The default performance test script generated by the tool needs to be re-factored, parametrized, co-related and unit tested before it can be used in a performance test. Each performance test script contains various sections. It is important to know about these in order to create robust scripts that work correctly.

1. Environment: This section of a performance test script contains the general information related to the entire script. Examples of data in the environment section are repository description of the scripts, protocol used, browser used and time units (e.g. ms) used.

2. Include: It gives the reference of other pre-existing scripts that contain functions, constants and variables used in the current performance test script. Example of an include script is the file containing all browser response status codes (e.g. 200, 404 and 500).

3. Variables: These are used when it is not possible to know the data value in advance. For example, a performance test script modeled to work with any username/ password would use variables to read these values at run-time from a data source (e.g. a CSV file) and subsequently use these variables to perform user actions. Another example is using a variable to store the cookie value, which cannot be predicted in advance. 

The scope of a variable can differ. A variable can be local to a script and a virtual user. Or it can be local to a particular virtual user across all scripts executed by this virtual user. Or the variable can be global in scope across all scripts and all virtual users in the load test.

4. Constants: These are defined once in the performance test script and may be used multiple times in the script. They provide configuration control. A change in a constant value is automatically reflected wherever the constant is used in the entire script.

5. Timers: These are special variables that track the time elapsed between sending a request to the system and loading of the responses received from the system. Timer values are aggregated to determine the response times of an entire user transaction or a part thereof.

6. Code: This is the main section of the performance test script. It contains script instructions that model a user performing a transaction in the system. It also contains the validation checks on the responses given by the system. The code is written in the scripting language generated by the performance testing tool or any scripting language that is supported by the performance testing tool.

7. Waits: These are commonly used to model the pauses given by users between operations in the system. The performance testing tool does nothing during the wait period. Note that if all Wait statements were removed, it would put an unrealistic load on the system due to the non-stop issuing of requests by the user.

8. Comments: These are useful to explain the sections in a performance test script. Comments are especially important in scripts representing lengthy user transactions.