DateFunctions Function Type

DateFunctions enable you to generate and manipulate dates dynamically in various formats. Whether you need to schedule future events, simulate historical data, or validate timestamps, DateFunctions provides precise control and flexibility for date-generation tasks. They are ideal for applications in scheduling, data analysis, and date-based simulations.

Prerequisites

Before utilising the different data generator functions, it's essential to understand basic concepts such as creating Test Cases and Test Steps and adding data generators in test steps.

Selecting DateFunctions as a Function Type for Data Generator

1. Use NLP to create a new step in the test case and include a placeholder for test data.
2. Click on the test data placeholder. From the Test Data Types dropdown menu, select the ! Data Generator option.
3. On the ! Data Generators overlay screen, select the Type to Default. This will enable you to use a collection of built-in test data generators.
4. Select DateFunctions from the Function Type dropdown list.

Future

• Allows you to generate dates up to a specified number of days in the future from a given reference date.
• Simulating future interactions or events based on a specific starting point, such as upcoming meetings or planned activities, is useful.

Future

• Enables you to generate dates up to a specified number of days in the future from today's date.
• Generate dates for future events or reminders with specifying a reference date, making it ideal.

Current

• Allows you to generate today's date in the specified format.
• This is useful when timestamping, or a specific format requires today's date.

Here's a comprehensive example using the provided code template. The examples for all DateFunctions are presented in a tabular format:

Between

• Enables you to generate dates within a specified range.
• It is helpful in scenarios where you need to generate dates for a defined period, such as scheduling appointments or analyzing trends within a specific timeframe.

Past

• Allows you to generate past dates relative to the current date.
• This function helps create historical records, such as back at events or unanalyzed over a past period.

Here's a comprehensive example using the provided code template. The examples for all DateFunctions are presented in a tabular format:

Past

• Allows you to generate past dates relative to a specified reference date.
• It is ideal when you need to anchor your past dates to a specific point in time, which can be helpful for historical simulations or data analysis starting from a particular date.

Birthday

• Allows you to generate random dates formatted as birthdays.
• Ideal for scenarios that require random date generation, such as populating test data or simulating user profiles with birthdates.

Date Before Today

• Allows you to generate a date of a specified number of days before today.
• Generating historical dates relative to the current date is helpful for data analysis or scheduling based on past events.

Date After Today

• Allows you to generate a date that is a specified number of days after today's date.
• You can use it to calculate future dates relative to the current date, such as when you schedule future tasks or events.

Date Before Given Today

• Allows you to generate a date that is a specified number of days before a given reference date.
• It is helpful for scenarios where you need to calculate deadlines or events relative to a specific date in the past.

Date After Given Today

• Allows you to generate a date that is a specified number of days after a given reference date.
• It helps project dates or events forward from a specific reference point, such as milestones or project deadlines.