What is the difference between @Factory and @DataProvider annotation?
1 Like
Hey Toby,
Here’s is the key diffrenece between @Factory and @DataProvider annotations.
+------------------------+--------------------------------------------------------+
| Annotation | Functionality |
+------------------------+--------------------------------------------------------+
| @Factory | Creates instances of the test class and executes all |
| | test methods with distinct sets of data. |
+------------------------+--------------------------------------------------------+
| @DataProvider | Bound to individual test methods, runs specific |
| | methods multiple times with varying input data. |
+------------------------+--------------------------------------------------------+
In TestNG, the job of the ‘@Factory ’ annotation is to create instances of the test class and execute all the test methods in that class with a different set of data each time. This allows you to create different scenarios for testing.
The ‘ @DataProvider’ annotation, on the other hand, is associated with particular test methods. It allows you to run these test methods multiple times with different input data. This focused approach ensures that each test method is tested under different conditions, increasing the test coverage and reliability of the test suite.
Thank you for your question! We’re eager to help, so feel free to ask us anything else.