Variables

In RVL, variables are useful for storing intermediate results as well as accessing and passing global values to external JavaScript functions.

Variables may be used in Params to Conditions and in Actions.

Declaring

This line declares a variable without any values. Its value may be assigned later:

Flow	Type	Object	Action	ParamName	ParamType	ParamValue
	Variable			MyVar1

Local Variables

By default declared variables are assumed to be local. Local variables may be used only within the current RVL script and not visible from other RVL scripts or JavaScript code.

Global Variables

You may have a JavaScript variable defined in the user Functions file (*.user.js), i.e.:

// Piece from MyTest1.user.js
var globalVar = "Value";

Then in the RVL you may declare globalVar as global and access it (read or assign values). Declaring a variable as global is simple:

Flow	Type	Object	Action	ParamName	ParamType	ParamValue
	Variable		Global	globalVar

Global variables are useful for exchanging and/or sharing data between different RVL scripts or between RVL and JavaScript.

Default Value for Global Variable

Special parameter name defaultValue of the Global variable definition allows setting default value. This may be needed when you don't know if variable was set before calling this script. So the value will only be assigned is variable is currently undefined. Otherwise the Variable keeps its defined value.

This helps to make sheets using global variables to be executable standalone. I.e. you may use Play This Sheet in RVL and be sure that Global variable will have a value.

Assigning

Assignment Expression

This line declares and assigns value 5 to a variable MyVar2:

Flow	Type	Object	Action	ParamName	ParamType	ParamValue
	Variable			MyVar2	number	5

If the variable is declared earlier, then assignment just changes its value. If the variable is not yet declared, then assignment is actually a declaration with assignment.

Action Output

If an action returns a value it can be assigned to a variable via Output.

Flow	Type	Object	Action	ParamName	ParamType	ParamValue
	Variable			OsVersion
	Action	Global	GetOsVersion
	Output				variable	OsVersion

Auto Assignment

There are two auto assigned variables in RVL: LastResult and LastObject. If an action returns some value then it is assigned to LastResult. LastObject is effectively an alias to the last used object in Object column.

Flow	Type	Object	Action	ParamName	ParamType	ParamValue
	Action	Global	GetOsVersion
	Action	Tester	Message		variable	LastResult

This snippet prints OS version to the report.

Using

Any Params value may accept a variable:

...	Type	...	ParamName	ParamType	ParamValue
...	Param		text	variable	MyVar1

Any Params value may accept an expression using variables:

...	Type	...	ParamName	ParamType	ParamValue
...	Param		text	expression	MyVar2 + 4

Any Action may write its return value to a variable using the Output statement:

Flow	Type	Object	Action	ParamName	ParamType	ParamValue
	Action	Global	DoTrim	str	string	text to trim
	Output				variable	MyVar1

The Output value may then be used as a param value in actions, conditions, assertions and expressions.

Variable Actions

One may use an expression to change the value of a variable. Here are several common variable operations that may be used to modify variable values:

1. Increment is an operation where numeric value is increased by 1 or any other specified value. The variable must have a numeric value. Otherwise the result is NaN.

   If no param to Increment is specified then 1 is assumed:

Flow	Type	Object	Action	ParamName	ParamType	ParamValue
	Variable		Increment	numVar

Otherwise it is any value:

Flow	Type	Object	Action	ParamName	ParamType	ParamValue
	Variable		Increment	numVar	number	value

1. Decrement is the same as increment but the value is subtracted from the variable.

2. Append adds the value as text to the specified variable. This operation is useful for constructing text messages:

Flow	Type	Object	Action	ParamName	ParamType	ParamValue
	Variable		Append	textVar	string	Final value:
	Variable		Append	textVar	variable	numVar

In this example if textVar was empty and numVar had value 5 then the final value of textVar is the following text: Final value: 5

Examples

Variables may be declared as Local or Global. Declaration may or may not contain initial value

Variables may accept output from the Action:

Variables may be used as input to the Action: