feat: add validation command for test cases with variables and enhance test case handling

Author: thomasduft

.vscode/launch.json

@@ -120,6 +120,21 @@
       ],
       "cwd": "${workspaceFolder}/src/testr.Cli",
       "stopAtEntry": false
-    }
+    },
+    {
+      "name": "testR:validate-TC-Login-001",
+      "type": "coreclr",
+      "request": "launch",
+      "preLaunchTask": "build-testR",
+      "program": "${workspaceFolder}/src/testr.Cli/bin/Debug/net9.0/tomware.TestR.dll",
+      "args": [
+        "validate",
+        "TC-Login-001",
+        "-i",
+        "../../samples/Definitions/localhost"
+      ],
+      "cwd": "${workspaceFolder}/src/testr.Cli",
+      "stopAtEntry": false
+    },
   ]
 }

docs/changelogs/51458661596640f28fd7c8354380eadc.cle

@@ -0,0 +1,9 @@
+{
+  "Id": "51458661-5966-40f2-8fd7-c8354380eadc",
+  "IssueId": "",
+  "Prefix": "Fixed",
+  "Tag": "",
+  "Message": "Fixed validation command for test cases that contain variables.",
+  "CreatedAt": "2025-07-02T05:09:47.4358615+00:00",
+  "CreatedBy": "thomasduft"
+}

src/testr.Cli/Commands/RunCommand.cs

@@ -158,19 +158,12 @@ CancellationToken cancellationToken
   {
     _stopwatch.Reset();
     var domain = _domain.ParsedValue;
-    var variables = _variables.HasValue()
-      ? _variables.Values
-        .Where(item => item!.Contains('='))
-        .Select(item => item!.Split('=', 2))
-        .Where(parts => parts.Length == 2)
-        .ToDictionary(parts => parts[0], parts => parts[1])
-      : [];
 
     // Read the Test Case definition
     var testCase = await TestCase.FromTestCaseFileAsync(file, cancellationToken);
     testCase
       .WithDomain(domain)
-      .WithVariables(variables);
+      .WithVariables(VariablesHelper.CreateVariables(_variables.Values));
 
     ConsoleHelper.WriteLineYellow($"Running Test Case: {testCase.Id}");
 

src/testr.Cli/Commands/ValidateCommand.cs

@@ -36,6 +36,9 @@ private async Task<int> ExecuteAsync(CancellationToken cancellationToken)
 
     // 2. Read the Test Case definition
     var testCase = await TestCase.FromTestCaseFileAsync(file, cancellationToken);
+    testCase.WithVariables(
+      VariablesHelper.CreateDummyVariables(testCase.Steps)
+    );
 
     // 3. Validate the Test Case definition
     var testCaseValidator = new TestCaseValidator(testCase);
@@ -54,4 +57,4 @@ private async Task<int> ExecuteAsync(CancellationToken cancellationToken)
 
     return await Task.FromResult(0);
   }
-}
+}

src/testr.Cli/Domain/TestCase.cs

@@ -18,6 +18,7 @@ internal class TestCase
   public string Domain => _domain;
   public bool HasDomain => !string.IsNullOrEmpty(_domain);
   public Dictionary<string, string> Variables { get; set; } = [];
+  public bool HasVariables => Variables.Count > 0;
 
   public TestCase WithDomain(string domain)
   {

src/testr.Cli/Domain/VariablesHelper.cs

@@ -0,0 +1,44 @@
+using System.Text.RegularExpressions;
+
+namespace tomware.TestR;
+
+internal static class VariablesHelper
+{
+  public static Dictionary<string, string> CreateVariables(
+    IReadOnlyList<string?> variables)
+  {
+    if (variables == null || !variables.Any())
+    {
+      return [];
+    }
+
+    return variables
+      .Select(v => v.Split('='))
+      .Where(parts => parts.Length == 2)
+      .ToDictionary(parts => parts[0].Trim(), parts => parts[1].Trim());
+  }
+
+  internal static Dictionary<string, string> CreateDummyVariables(IEnumerable<TestStep> steps)
+  {
+    // For each test step data that contains a variable starting with an
+    // @ sign, create a dummy variable
+    var variables = new Dictionary<string, string>();
+    foreach (var step in steps)
+    {
+      if (string.IsNullOrWhiteSpace(step.TestData))
+      {
+        continue;
+      }
+
+      var matches = Regex.Matches(step.TestData, @"@(\w+)");
+      foreach (Match match in matches)
+      {
+        if (!variables.ContainsKey(match.Groups[1].Value))
+        {
+          variables.Add(match.Groups[1].Value, "dummy-value");
+        }
+      }
+    }
+    return variables;
+  }
+}

src/testr.Tests/TestCaseValidatorTests.cs

@@ -5,7 +5,7 @@ namespace testr.Tests;
 public class TestCaseValidatorTests
 {
   [Fact]
-  public async Task Validate_With4TestSteps_ShouldReturnNoValidationErrors()
+  public async Task Validate_With4TestStepsAndRealVariables_ShouldReturnNoValidationErrors()
   {
     // Arrange
     var file = Path.Combine(Environment.CurrentDirectory, "TestData", "TC-001-Login.md");
@@ -26,6 +26,25 @@ public async Task Validate_With4TestSteps_ShouldReturnNoValidationErrors()
     Assert.True(result.IsValid);
   }
 
+  [Fact]
+  public async Task Validate_With4TestStepsAndDummyVariables_ShouldReturnNoValidationErrors()
+  {
+    // Arrange
+    var file = Path.Combine(Environment.CurrentDirectory, "TestData", "TC-001-Login.md");
+    var testCase = await TestCase
+      .FromTestCaseFileAsync(file, default);
+    testCase.WithVariables(VariablesHelper.CreateDummyVariables(testCase.Steps));
+
+    var validator = new TestCaseValidator(testCase);
+
+    // Act
+    var result = validator.Validate();
+
+    // Assert
+    Assert.NotNull(result);
+    Assert.True(result.IsValid);
+  }
+
   [Fact]
   public async Task Validate_WithNotAllowedType_ShouldReturnOneValidationError()
   {