Assume a scenario where the device returns a CLI response that contains the following table:
Port Description Status Speed Duplex Vlan Fo 0/0 Down 40000 Mbit Auto -- Fo 0/4 ** Tom Up 40000 Mbit Full -- Fo 0/8 ** Jane Down 40000 Mbit Auto -- Fo 0/12 Down 40000 Mbit Auto -- Te 0/16 ** Harry Down 10000 Mbit Auto --
As the content of the Description column includes spaces, we cannot use spaces to delineate columns when we identify this table in the Response Map, and instead we use column widths to specify the columns.
Now, what happens if in a later version, the device returns the following table instead:
Port Description Status Speed Duplex Vlan Fo 0/0 Down 40000 Mbit Auto -- Fo 0/4 ** Tom owns this Up 40000 Mbit Full -- Fo 0/8 ** John owns this Down 40000 Mbit Auto -- Fo 0/12 Down 40000 Mbit Auto -- Te 0/16 ** Harry owns this Down 10000 Mbit Auto --
Notice that the overall format of the table is the same; the only difference is that the column width of the Description column is now bigger. In this case how can you modify the earlier Response Map to account for both tables – while ensuring the original set of queries return correct value depending on which table is in the response?
The trick is to treat both the tables as separate tables and teach iTest how to locate the tables using the column headers. So in the Response Map, you would have 2 tables with the following values in the table/Locating Table/Start/Banner Contains field:
Table 1: Port Description Status Speed Duplex Vlan Table 2: Port Description Status Speed Duplex Vlan
This allows iTest to correctly identify which ever table is sent back by the response. For each of these tables, you would specify the correct (and different) column widths.
See the attached response map for an example.
