The Common Test framework uses configuration files to describe data related to a test or a test plant. The configuration data makes it possible to change properties without changing the test program itself. Configuration data can for example be:
A config file can contain any number of elements of the type:
{Key,Value}.
where
Key = atom() Value = term() | [{Key,Value}]
From inside a test suite, one can require a variable to exist before a test case can be run, and read the value of a variable.
require is a statement that can be part of the test suite default data or test case info function. If the required variable is not available, the test is skipped. There is also a function ct:require/[1,2] which can be called from inside a test suite in order to check if a specific variable is available. The return value from the function must then be checked and appropriate actions taken explicitly by the test case.
A require statement should look like this: {require,Required} or {require,Name,Required}. The arguments Name and Required are the same as the arguments to ct:require/[1,2] which are described in the reference manual for ct.
To read the value of a config variable, use the function get_config/[1,2] which is also described in the reference manual for ct.
A config file for usning telnet to communicate with a unix host could look like this:
{unix,[{telnet,"durin.du.uab"}, {username,"someuser"}, {password,"somepassword"}]}.