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Address Jesper Schulz-Wedde's review on PR #158

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- use-generateguid-for-unique-test-fixture-values.md: GenerateGUID()
  is a Code[10] number-series value, not a real GUID; truncating it
  with CopyStr for a shorter field cuts off the changing digits. Point
  to GenerateRandomCode/GenerateRandomCodeWithLength/GenerateRandomXMLText
  instead, which verify uniqueness against the actual table.
- Split use-testpage-visible-enabled-to-verify-field-ui-state.md: drop
  its editability claim (the sample opens with OpenView() and asserts
  Enabled(), which verifies enabled state, not editability — Editable()
  and Enabled() are distinct TestField methods). New companion article
  use-testpage-editable-to-verify-field-editability.md covers Editable()
  with OpenEdit() specifically.
- Wire GenerateGUID/CopyStr and TestPage Visible/Enabled/Editable cues
  into al-testing-review.md, and the Item Ledger Entry/Last Shipping No.
  posting cue into al-data-modeling-review.md.

The Item Ledger Entry article itself was independently verified against
current BCApps source and needs no changes.

Co-Authored-By: Claude Sonnet 5 <noreply@anthropic.com>
This commit is contained in:
Michael Dieringer 2026-09-07 21:05:38 +02:00
parent 1028aacd4f
commit e538664a50
9 changed files with 98 additions and 10 deletions
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microsoft/knowledge/testing/use-generateguid-for-unique-test-fixture-values.md
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---
bc-version: [all]
domain: testing
keywords: [generateguid, library-utility, test-fixtures, uniqueness, copystr, maxstrlen]
keywords: [generateguid, library-utility, test-fixtures, uniqueness, generaterandomcode, maxstrlen]
technologies: [al]
countries: [w1]
application-area: [all]
---
# Generate unique test fixture values with LibraryUtility.GenerateGUID()
# Generate unique test fixture values with LibraryUtility helpers, not hardcoded literals
## Description
A fixture helper that assigns a hardcoded literal to a primary-key or descriptive field collides the moment two tests, or two runs of the same test, create that fixture without cleanup, and a literal longer than the field allows raises a truncation or insert error. `LibraryUtility.GenerateGUID()` returns a value that is unique per call and long enough to guarantee no collision; paired with `CopyStr(..., 1, MaxStrLen(Field))` it fits any fixed-length `Code` or `Text` field safely.
A fixture helper that assigns a hardcoded literal to a primary-key or descriptive field collides the moment two tests, or two runs of the same test, create that fixture without cleanup, and a literal longer than the field allows raises a truncation or insert error. `LibraryUtility.GenerateGUID()` is not a real GUID — it is a `Code[10]` number-series value (`GU00000000`–`GU99999999`) — and it returns the full 10 characters unshortened. Truncating it yourself with `CopyStr(..., 1, MaxStrLen(ShorterField))` for a field under 10 characters is unsafe: the changing digits sit at the right end and are exactly what gets cut off, so consecutive calls into a short field can produce the same truncated value. `GenerateGUID()` is only safe as-is for a field that holds the full 10 characters.
## Best Practice
For a fixture field that must be unique across test runs, assign `CopyStr(LibraryUtility.GenerateGUID(), 1, MaxStrLen(TargetField))` rather than a literal string.
For a field that holds the full 10 characters, assign `LibraryUtility.GenerateGUID()` directly. For a shorter or arbitrary-length field, use `LibraryUtility.GenerateRandomCode(FieldNo, TableNo)` (or `GenerateRandomCodeWithLength`/`GenerateRandomXMLText(Length)` for a specific length) instead of truncating a GUID yourself — these generate the value and verify it is actually unique against the target table, rather than relying on the number series alone.
See sample: `use-generateguid-for-unique-test-fixture-values.good.al`.
## Anti Pattern
Hardcoding a fixture value such as `'TEST001'` or a short descriptive literal. It collides across parallel or repeated test runs, and a value longer than the field's length limit is either silently truncated or raises an insert error.
Hardcoding a fixture value such as `'TEST001'` or a short descriptive literal, which collides across parallel or repeated test runs. Equally an anti-pattern: truncating `GenerateGUID()`'s result with `CopyStr(..., 1, MaxStrLen(Field))` for a field shorter than 10 characters — the truncation removes the part of the value that actually varies.
See sample: `use-generateguid-for-unique-test-fixture-values.bad.al`.