Testing
Systematic testing is vital if you are to be confident that your workbook is performing the correct calculations. XLSior allows you to define a set of tests for each workbook and run them automatically. Testing thus becomes a pain free exercise, meaning that it is more likely to happen.The basic idea of testing is to perform controlled execution of the workbook, and to check that it behaves as expected. The testing in XLSior is directed at the workbook calculations: it cannot be used to test macros (except user-defined functions), user forms, or the following Excel utilities:
- Pivot tables or pivot charts
- Goal seeker
- Solver
- Scenarios
Overview
You can define as many tests as you like. Each test is defined on a test sheet, and consists of test data and test conditions.
The test data consist of substitutions that are to made on the spreadsheet: which cells should be set to which values. When a test is run, the test data is substituted, then the workbook is recalculated and the test conditions are evaluated. Finally, all cells affected by the substitution of test data are set back to their original values or formulae and the workbook is recalculated again.
After testing, the calculations in the main workbook are unchanged. The results of running the tests are recorded on sheet X~TestResults, which summarises all the tests, and on the individual sheets on which they were defined.
Any sheets on which data is to be substituted as part of a test will be unprotected by XLSior during the testing process. You will be asked for passwords if necessary. Also, all test sheets will be unprotected. These sheets will remain unprotected after the tests have finished.