REQ: Nested table templates

[teunisnl]

What:

|table template|T1   |
|echo          |@{P3}|
|echo          |@{P1}|

|table template|T2   |
|T1                  |
|echo          |@{P2}|

|script|echo fixture|

|T2      |
|P1|P2|P3|
|1 |2 |3 |

Why:
Alot more flexible, and less maintaining of tests;
Downside would be that names have to be unique over multiple templates
(current main reason need to add products, but in other test I need to remove products too, would like reuse the adding part)

Current work around:

|table template|T1   |
|echo          |@{P3}|
|echo          |@{P1}|

|table template       |T2         |
|T1                  ;|@{P3}|@{P1}|
|echo                 |@{P2}      |

|script|echo fixture|

|T2      |
|P1|P2|P3|
|1 |2 |3 |

[fhoeben]

I see why this can be useful. Would it be acceptable if:

• order of table template definition is important (i.e. template used as nested has to be defined first)
• call to nested table template must end with ';' (e.g. not T1 but T1;)
• no explicit parameters are allowed

[fhoeben]

I believe I can address this request. But I fear a FitNesse update is needed. See unclebob/fitnesse#1103

[fhoeben]

Given the 3 limitations stated above I created a rough version of a fix
https://github.com/fhoeben/hsac-fitnesse-plugin/tree/tableTemplateNested

Test would work something like:

|table template|T0                  |
|check         |clone symbol|@{P0}|0|
|$P6=          |clone symbol|@{P1}  |

|table template|T1                  |
|check         |clone symbol|@{P3}|3|
|$P4=          |clone symbol|@{P1}  |
|T0;                                |

|table template|T2                |
|T1;                              |
|$P5=          |clone symbol|@{P2}|


|script|

|T2                     |
|P0|P1|P2|P3|P4?|P5?|P6?|
|0 |1 |2 |3 |1  |2  |1  |

Would that work?

[teunisv]

This is for totally acceptable, an improvement would be to remove the limitation:

order of table template definition is important (i.e. template used as nested has to be defined first)

Is my assumption right that this also requires that the nested table templates would need to be defined in the same scenariolibrary ?

[fhoeben]

I don't think I know straight away how to remove that limitation. I believe I need to determine the parameters when the table is parsed, which requires the 'called table' to be parsed before this one.

I don't think it has to be in the same scenario library. I believe a higher level scenario library (i.e. in a parent suite) would also work.

[teunisv]

The current solution is enough for me;
if at another point the order limitation can be removed that would be an great improvement,
but for readability i think current required order is actually better.

[teunisv]

I believe I can address this request. But I fear a FitNesse update is needed. See unclebob/fitnesse#1103

https://bintray.com/fitnesse/release/fitnesse/20171015 ?

[fhoeben]

I implemented a workaround (by using some reflection) so the change is not REQUIRED.
But I believe a new release is around the corner...