execute Goatfiles

[zekroTJA]

Besides the use of Goatfiles, which effectively merges the referenced Goatfile definitions with the current Goatfiles definitions, execute could be use to independently run a Goatfile like a function, passing in a list of parameters and receiving back a list of return values.

Syntax Proposal

One proposed syntax could look as following.

Syntax Definition

ExecuteExpression :
execute StringLiteral ExecuteSignature?

ExecuteSignature :
( ParameterAssignment* ) ReturnsValueSignature?

ParameterAssignment :
LF* Literal = Value LF*

ReturnsValueSignature :
return ( ReturnValueAssignment* )

ReturnValueAssignment :
LF* Literal as Literal LF*

Example

execute ../doStuff (
    username="{{.username}}" 
    password="{{.password}}"
    n=1
) return (
    response as response1
)

Implementation

A called Goatfile is executed like a completely separate Goatfile in a batch. It uses it's own state complemented by the parameters passed in. Therefore, a called Goatfile can also have it's own setup and teardown procedures which will behave like in a plain Goatfile execution. Variables specified in the return block are then passed from the resulting state to the state of the currently executed Goatfile.

Each call block would be handled as an Action. So execution order is reserved.