Suite

A Suite is the conceptual and structural entry point of Probato. It represents a feature, use case, or business flow that will be validated through a set of test scenarios. In Probato’s mental model, the Suite occupies the highest level of the hierarchy, being responsible for defining the context in which tests will be executed.

A Suite does not describe test steps or execution logic. It defines the validation intent.

The Role of the Suite in Probato

A Suite is responsible for:

• Grouping Scripts related to the same feature
• Defining global preconditions for scenarios
• Serving as the discovery entry point for JUnit 5
• Orchestrating the execution of multiple Scripts

It does not contain test execution logic.

A Suite describes what will be validated, not how to validate it.

Where the Suite Fits in the Mental Model

In Probato’s conceptual flow, the Suite encapsulates all elements required to validate a complete feature.

Conceptual model

Suite
 ├── SQL (global state / feature preconditions)
 ├── NoSQL (global state / feature preconditions)
 └── Script
      ├── Dataset (execution data)
      ├── SQL (scenario-specific state)
      ├── NoSQL (scenario-specific state)
      ├── Precondition
      │     └── Page Object
      │           ├── Action
      │           └── Param
      ├── Procedure
      │     └── Page Object
      │           ├── Action
      │           └── Param
      └── Postcondition
            └── Page Object
                  ├── Action
                  └── Param

Everything that belongs to the Suite must be common to all scenarios (Scripts) it groups. If something varies between scenarios, it does not belong in the Suite.

Suite Responsibilities

Semantic Organization

The Suite provides a semantic organization of tests, aligned with the business view of the system.

Examples of Suites:

• User Authentication
• Customer Registration
• Purchase Flow
• Password Recovery

Each Suite represents a clear validation intent, easily understood by developers, QAs, and technical stakeholders.

Grouping of Scripts

A Suite may contain one or multiple Scripts, each representing a distinct scenario of the same feature.

For example, for the authentication feature:

• Login with valid credentials
• Login with invalid credentials
• Login with a blocked user

Although the behaviors differ, they all belong to the same Suite because they validate the same business flow.

Definition of Global State (Database)

A Suite may define global database state, typically through SQL scripts.

This state:

• Is applied before Script execution
• Is shared by all scenarios in the Suite
• Must not contain data specific to a single Script

This approach ensures:

• Predictable executions
• Reproducible tests
• Isolation between distinct features

Scenario-specific state must be defined at the Script level.

What Should NOT Be in a Suite

To maintain clarity and predictability of the model, a Suite must not:

• Contain test logic
• Interact with Page Objects
• Perform validations
• Depend on scenario-specific data

These responsibilities belong to lower levels of the hierarchy and must be kept out of the Suite.

Relationship Between the Suite and JUnit 5

In Probato, the Suite is the element that JUnit 5 discovers and executes.

From the Suite, the framework:

• Identifies declared Scripts
• Dynamically executes each Script
• Automatically applies datasets and configurations

This model enables:

• Native CI/CD pipeline integration
• Parallel scenario execution
• Report generation compatible with the JUnit ecosystem

All of this happens without requiring the Suite to contain imperative execution code.

Best Practices

• Create small Suites focused on a single feature
• Avoid mixing unrelated flows within the same Suite
• Use global state only when truly necessary
• Prefer multiple cohesive Suites over a large, generic one

Next Step

After understanding the role of the Suite, the next concept to study is Script, which describes individual test scenarios.

➡️ Continue to Script.