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Generating Dynamic Dates in Your Tests

You might need to create past or future dates inside your tests, like when you are testing a check-in or check-out date. Instead of entering dates as static values, which may need to be updated periodically, you can create dynamic dates.

Creating a dynamic date in API Testing is a simple solution for this sort of situation.

What You'll Need​

Create a Future Date​

  1. Open the Composer and add a Set component.

  2. Enter/select the following:

    • Variable (the variable name) - for example futureDate

    • Mode (the variable type) - for example String

    • Value - for example ${D.format(D.plusDays(D.nowMillis(),35), 'yyyy-MM-DD')}

      The SET Variable window

    Here's the meaning of the expression written in the Value field:

    ${D.format(D.plusDays(D.nowMillis(),35), 'yyyy-MM-DD')}
    • D.nowMillis() - Returns the current Unix epoch in milliseconds.
    • D.plusDays() - Returns the provided milliseconds, plus the provided number of days (in the example, 35 days were added to today's date).
    • D.format() - Creates a timestamp with the given format, using the current timezone (in the example, yyyy-MM-DD).

  3. Now, you can invoke the variable in your test.

Create a Past Date​

In the same way, you can also create a Past Date (starting from today's date). Follow the steps for Create a Future Date, but replace the string D.plusDays() with D.minusDays():

${D.format(D.minusDays(D.nowMillis(),35), 'yyyy-MM-DD')}
  • D.minusDays() - Returns the provided milliseconds, minus the provided number of days (in the example, 35 days were subtracted from today's date).

Create a Date with a Time Zone​

If you need to create a date based on a specified time zone:

${D.format(D.plusDays(D.nowMillis(),35), 'yyyy-MM-DD','America/New_York')}
  • D.format() - Creates a timestamp with the given format, based on the provided time zone ID (the example uses the same date as before, but uses New York as the time zone).

Convert a Timestamp in Unix Time in Milliseconds​

To convert a timestamp from a payload response to milliseconds:

${D.parse(1649094357)}
  • D.parse() - Parses the provided timestamp and converts it to milliseconds.

For more information about how to play with dates, see the D Extension and Expression Language Extensions to see the whole extension library.