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File Actions

File Actions Driver​

  • In order to perform file operations programmatically, you will need an instance of FileActions
import com.shaft.cli.FileActions;

FileActions fileActions = FileActions.getInstance();

Upon executing this line, SHAFT ENGINE provides you with a singleton instance to perform various file manipulation operations. This is essential for test data management, file-based validations, and automated file handling workflows.

File Actions​

The FileActions class handles file system operations, allowing you to create, read, write, copy, and delete files as part of your automated test flows.

Read File​

readFromFile​

String content = fileActions.readFromFile("/path/to/file.txt");
  • Reads and returns the complete contents of a file as a string.
  • Works with text files, configuration files, and other readable file formats.
  • The file path can be absolute or relative to your project directory.

Example:

String testData = fileActions.readFromFile("src/test/resources/testData.txt");
System.out.println(testData);

Write to File​

writeToFile​

fileActions.writeToFile("/path/to/file.txt", "File content here");
  • Writes the specified content to a file.
  • Creates a new file if it doesn't exist.
  • Overwrites the file content if it already exists.
  • Takes two parameters: file path and content string.

Example:

String reportData = "Test Results: All tests passed";
fileActions.writeToFile("reports/test_summary.txt", reportData);

Copy File​

copyFile​

fileActions.copyFile("/path/to/source.txt", "/path/to/destination.txt");
  • Copies a file from the source path to the destination path.
  • Creates destination directories if they don't exist.
  • Useful for backing up files or duplicating test data.
  • Takes two parameters: source file path and destination file path.

Example:

// Backup configuration before test
fileActions.copyFile("config/settings.json", "config/settings.backup.json");

Delete File​

deleteFile​

fileActions.deleteFile("/path/to/file.txt");
  • Deletes the file at the specified path.
  • Useful for cleanup operations or removing temporary files.
  • No error is thrown if the file doesn't exist (safe deletion).

Example:

// Cleanup after test
fileActions.deleteFile("temp/temp_data.txt");

Common Use Cases​

Test Data Management​

Use file actions to manage test data files:

@BeforeClass
void setupTestData() {
    // Copy fresh test data for each test run
    fileActions.copyFile(
        "src/test/resources/original_data.json",
        "target/test_data.json"
    );
}

@Test
void processTestData() {
    String testData = fileActions.readFromFile("target/test_data.json");
    // Process and use test data
    processData(testData);
}

@AfterClass
void cleanupTestData() {
    fileActions.deleteFile("target/test_data.json");
}

Configuration File Handling​

Read and modify configuration files:

@Test
void updateConfiguration() {
    // Read current config
    String config = fileActions.readFromFile("config/app.properties");
    
    // Modify config
    String updatedConfig = config.replace("debug=false", "debug=true");
    
    // Write updated config
    fileActions.writeToFile("config/app.properties", updatedConfig);
}

Report Generation​

Generate custom reports or logs:

@AfterMethod
void generateTestReport(ITestResult result) {
    String reportContent = String.format(
        "Test: %s\nStatus: %s\nTime: %s\n",
        result.getName(),
        result.getStatus(),
        new Date()
    );
    
    fileActions.writeToFile(
        "reports/" + result.getName() + "_report.txt",
        reportContent
    );
}

File Validation​

Combine with file validations to verify file operations:

@Test
void validateFileOperations() {
    // Create a file
    String content = "Test content";
    fileActions.writeToFile("test.txt", content);
    
    // Validate file exists and has correct content
    Validations.assertThat()
        .file(".", "test.txt")
        .exists()
        .perform();
    
    String readContent = fileActions.readFromFile("test.txt");
    Validations.assertThat()
        .object(readContent)
        .isEqualTo(content)
        .perform();
    
    // Cleanup
    fileActions.deleteFile("test.txt");
}

Working with Different File Types​

Text Files​

// Read and write plain text
String text = fileActions.readFromFile("data.txt");
fileActions.writeToFile("output.txt", "Plain text content");

Configuration Files​

// Handle properties, JSON, XML, YAML files
String properties = fileActions.readFromFile("config.properties");
String jsonData = fileActions.readFromFile("data.json");
String xmlData = fileActions.readFromFile("config.xml");

Test Data Files​

// Read test data from various formats
String csvData = fileActions.readFromFile("testData.csv");
String testScript = fileActions.readFromFile("testScript.sql");

File Path Handling​

Absolute Paths​

fileActions.readFromFile("/home/user/project/data/file.txt");  // Linux/Mac
fileActions.readFromFile("C:\\Users\\username\\project\\data\\file.txt");  // Windows

Relative Paths​

fileActions.readFromFile("src/test/resources/data.txt");
fileActions.readFromFile("target/reports/summary.txt");

Project-relative Paths​

// Relative to project root
fileActions.readFromFile("testData/input.txt");
fileActions.writeToFile("output/results.txt", data);

Best Practices​

  • File Path Validation: Ensure file paths are correct and accessible
  • Error Handling: Wrap file operations in try-catch blocks for production code
  • Resource Cleanup: Always delete temporary files after test execution
  • Path Separators: Use forward slashes (/) for cross-platform compatibility, or use File.separator
  • Encoding: Be aware of file encoding when reading/writing non-ASCII characters
  • File Permissions: Ensure your test execution environment has necessary file system permissions
  • Backup Important Files: Use copyFile to backup files before modifying them in tests

Integration with File Validations​

File Actions work seamlessly with SHAFT's File Validations:

// Perform file action
fileActions.writeToFile("test.txt", "Hello SHAFT");

// Validate the result
Validations.assertThat()
    .file(".", "test.txt")
    .exists()
    .perform();

Validations.assertThat()
    .file(".", "test.txt")
    .content()
    .contains("Hello SHAFT")
    .perform();

For more information on file validations, see the File Validations section.

As you skim through the console output, you will notice the comprehensive reporting SHAFT provides for each file operation, making it easy to track and debug file-related test activities.