RVL Sheets¶

An RVL script may contain one or more sheets distributed across one or more workbooks.

Screenshot

Sheets

Transcript

Workbook with 4 sheets: RVL, Browsers, Users, Login

Active Sheet: RVL

Flow	Type	Object	Action	ParamName	ParamType	ParamValue
	Action	RVL	DoPlaySheet	sheetName	string	Browsers

A sheet is an atomic building block for implementing test frameworks and sharing logic.

For example, there may be a sheet called Login that can be reused by CreateNewBook, CreateExistingBook, and other test scenarios that require Login logic.

The default sheet name is RVL. You can rename it and add more sheets.

An RVL sheet is executable when it has 7 predefined Columns. A workbook may contain both executable and data sheets.

Besides regular executable and data sheets, RVL also supports common sheets.
These sheets provide a way to centralize shared variables, maps, and repository definitions so they can be reused across multiple sheets.
See Common Sheets for details.

Calling Sheets¶

You can make calls between scripts using RVL.DoPlayScript and RVL.DoPlaySheet.

Passing Parameters¶

You can pass parameters between sheets. See Passing Input Parameters.

Passing Maps¶

You can pass a Map between sheets as input parameters.

For example, here we pass a map FullLoginData:

Screenshot

Pass Map

Transcript

Sheet name: LoginAll

Flow	Type	Object	Action	ParamName	ParamType	ParamValue
Map	Rows	FullLoginData
	User	Password
	user3	password3
	user4	password4
	user5	password5
End	of Map
	Action	RVL	DoPlaySheet	sheetName	string	Login
	Param			UserLogins	expression	FullLoginData

as a value to override the map UserLogins on the Login sheet:

Screenshot

Pass Map

Transcript

Sheet name: Login

Flow	Type	Object	Action	ParamName	ParamType	ParamValue

Map	Rows	UserLogins
	User	Password
	user1	password1
End	of Map

Loop	Map	UserLogins
#	Loop body
	Action	Tester	Message	message	string	User:
	Param			message	UserLogins	User
	Param			message	string	/
	Param			message	UserLogins	Password
End	of Loop

Preamble¶

Each RVL sheet may begin with a preamble—a section containing common data definitions such as variables, maps, and repository imports. The preamble is executed before any actions, assertions, loops, or conditions in the sheet. This ensures that all necessary data and objects are available for the main script logic.

The preamble ends at the first row containing an action, assertion, loop, or condition. For example:

Flow	Type	Object	Action	ParamName	ParamType	ParamValue
	Variable		Login	string	librarian
	Variable	Global	g_password	string	librarian
	Map	Rows	MyMap1
	Col	Col1	Col2	Col3
	r1	r11	r12	r13
End	of Map
	Action	Tester	Message	message	string	Starting Script

See Sheet Preamble for more details.

Variables in Sheets¶

Variables can be declared in the preamble or anywhere in the sheet. They are used to store intermediate results, pass data between actions, and share values with JavaScript code. Variables may be local (visible only within the sheet) or global (shared across sheets and scripts).

Example variable declaration:

Flow	Type	Object	Action	ParamName	ParamType	ParamValue
	Variable			MyVar1

Global variable with default value:

Flow	Type	Object	Action	ParamName	ParamType	ParamValue
	Variable	Global		g_loginName
	Param			defaultValue	string	librarian

See Variables for more information.

Importing Repositories¶

To use objects from external repositories in a sheet, declare a Repository entry in the preamble. This imports objects and makes them available for use in actions.

Example:

Flow	Type	Object	Action	ParamName	ParamType	ParamValue
	Repository	Nav/		%WORKDIR%\TestCases\Views\Nav\Objects.js

Objects from the repository can then be referenced in the sheet using their prefixed names (e.g., "Nav/Authors").

See Repository for more details.

RVL File¶

The default file format for RVL scripts is an Excel workbook, which makes it easier to combine data with script logic. Any RVL file has the .rvl.xlsx extension and can be opened directly in MS Excel.

Common Sheets¶

A common sheet in RVL is a special sheet within an .rvl.xlsx workbook whose name starts with #, such as #Common, #Vars, or #Maps. Common sheets are used to define shared data—variables, maps, and repositories—that are accessible from all other sheets in the same workbook. So each time you are creating an RVL sheet whose name starts with # you are adding a common sheet.

Key characteristics:

Preamble only: Common sheets may only contain preamble content (see Preamble). This means you can define Variables, Maps, and Repositories, but you cannot include actions, assertions, loops, or conditions.
Global visibility: Any variable, map, or repository defined in a common sheet is automatically visible and accessible in all other sheets within the same .rvl.xlsx file.
Local variable sharing: The value of a local variable defined in a common sheet is shared between sequential script calls within the same workbook. For example, if the main sheet assigns a value to a local variable defined in #Vars and then calls another sheet, the new sheet will see the updated value.
Reset on external call: If a sheet is played indirectly (e.g., from another RVL script or via JavaScript using RVL.DoPlayScript), all local variable values are reset to their defaults as defined in the common sheet.
Map state sharing: If a map is defined in a common sheet and is used or iterated in one sheet, its state (such as the current row) is shared with other sheets called within the same script. This allows for coordinated data-driven flows across multiple sheets.

Example: Suppose you have a #Vars sheet with the following content:

Flow	Type	Object	Action	ParamName	ParamType	ParamValue
	Variable			Age	number	30

If the main sheet assigns Age = 38 and then calls another sheet, the called sheet will see Age = 38. However, if the sheet is played from another script, Age will be reset to 30.

Common sheets are a powerful way to centralize and share configuration, test data, and object repositories across multiple test flows in a single RVL workbook.

Common.rvl.xlsx¶

The Common.rvl.xlsx file is a special workbook that extends the concept of common sheets to the entire testing framework.

There is typically one Common.rvl.xlsx per testing framework.
Once defined, it is automatically attached to every RVL sheet in the framework. All variables, maps, and repositories declared in it are therefore available globally.
Unlike per-workbook common sheets, all sheet names inside Common.rvl.xlsx are treated as preambles regardless of their actual names.
The logic is the same as with Common Sheets, but at the framework level instead of within a single .rvl.xlsx.
A Common.rvl.xlsx can be created directly from the Object tree → Shared → New Common.rvl.xlsx context menu.

This makes Common.rvl.xlsx the central location for defining framework-wide defaults, shared test data, and reusable repositories, ensuring consistency across all RVL scripts.