Data Sources

Data sources allow Testform to query read-only information from external fixtures (JSON/YAML) or inspect existing managed resources without creating new entities.

---

1. Declaring Data Sources in main.yml

data:
  # 1. Compact inline syntax with auto-detection (no wasted lines)
  qa_users: "fixtures/users.json"
  existing_login: "auth/login.case.feature.@tc-1"

  # 2. Or explicit typed blocks matching Terraform style
  local_file:
    qa_catalog: "fixtures/catalog.yml"
  testcase:
    existing_checkout: "checkout/pay.case.feature.@tc-pay"

---

2. Referencing Data Sources (${data.*})

Use the ${data.<name>.<path>} syntax in variables, outputs, and Gherkin steps:

Scenario: Login using data source
  Given user "${data.qa_users.standard_user.username}" navigates to login
  When entering password "${data.qa_users.standard_user.password}"
  Then user identity matches "${data.existing_login.identity}"

And in main.yml:

output:
  login_remote_id:
    value: "${data.existing_login.remoteId}"
  default_user:
    value: "${data.qa_users.standard_user.username}"