Test a draft version of a workbook
As a workbook designer, you might've came across the need to test a newer version of a workbook or a completely new workbook with real content item data. To do so, you'd have to upload it first to iCL Portal and publish it to make it available in iCL Filler, but then all inspectors can access it too, which you probably want to avoid when a workbook is still in test phase. We introduced a solution for this: test mode 🚀
Test mode allows you to access unpublished versions of a workbook in iCL Filler. This way you can test a version of a workbook and detect any possible issues with it before actually publishing it and making it available for all users.
In this guide, you can learn everything about test mode - how to access it, what features it enables, and why it's good in practice.
1 Enable test mode on iCL Portal
First, we will go through the necessary steps on iCL Portal.
1.1 Enable test mode for a new workbook
First imagine the following scenario: you have started working on a brand new project and have created a workbook from scratch. You've already tested it on the test portal and everything seems fine, you just want to do a final test with real data before you release it to all inspectors. The next few steps will show you how to test this workbook.
First of all, you'll need a workbook to test. So let's create a simple workbook or 💾 download one from here.
Navigate to the Workbooks page on iCL Portal and upload the workbook.
Remember, the essence of test mode is to evaluate an unpublished version of a workbook, so please refrain from publishing it during this phase.
Now, you have to add this workbook to your team.
Note that there is a rocket icon next to the name of the workbook. It indicates that it is an unpublished workbook. Adding it to your team will automatically enable test mode for this workbook.
1.2 Enable test mode for an existing workbook
Another common scenario is that there is a workbook already in use, but you have implemented some improvements on it which you'd like to test. You can use test mode in this case as well.
To mimic this case, we now publish our previously uploaded workbook. To do so, navigate to the Workbooks page on iCL Portal and select the workbook. Publish it using the globe button.
Now, when you navigate to the workbooks of your team, you can notice that the rocket has disappeared next to the workbook's name.
Open the workbook in iCL Designer and modify something in it, then save it. This version will act as the newer version that we want to test. However, do not upload it yet! We need to enable test mode before we upload the new version.
In the team's workbooks page, select the workbook and hit the little rocket icon. Confirm that you want to enable test mode.
Test mode is now enabled for this workbook. Notice that the rocket icon reappeared next to the name.
You can now upload the newer version.
You can see that the newer version is not published, so it's not available for most users. How can it be made available for some users now? Keep reading. 😉
1.3 Give permissions to your user
There is one last but very important step to complete on iCL Portal. Only users with specific roles can access test mode in iCL Filler.
Users must have either "Tester" or "Designer" role to access unpublished versions of workbooks in iCL Filler.
You - as a workbook designer - should have "Designer" role. Probably you already have, but to check it follow these steps:
- Navigate to Settings > Users and find your user.
- Click "Edit" and make sure that "Designer" is selected.
- Save.
For more information on how to use test mode on iCL Portal, check out our more detailed documentation.
2 Test unpublished workbook versions in iCL Filler
Let's jump into iCL Filler now.
2.1 Turn on test mode in the Settings
The first thing you have to do is to navigate to the Settings and scroll down to the very bottom to the "developer options".
Enable test mode.
If a user reports that they cannot see this switch, that means that they do not have the sufficient roles for test mode. In that case, make sure that the user have "Tester" or "Designer" roles.
2.2 Start an inspection with an unpublished version
Start a new inspection with our test workbook.
The first thing to notice is, that in the list of workbooks you can see not only the latest version but all the unpublished versions as well.
When you select the workbook to start the inspection, a window will pop up where you can select the version you want to start the inspection with.
The rocket icon next to the version number implies that it's a draft version which has not been published yet.
Choose the published version.
2.5 Switch version of an inspection
In test mode, you can switch versions of inspections.
In the Inspections list, open the options menu of your inspection.
Choose "Switch version". You can choose between all available test versions except the one that is currently the version of the inspection. You can of course also switch to the latest published version.
2.4 Clone an ongoing inspection with an unpublished version
However, you may want to leave the ongoing inspection untouched.
For example, let's imagine that a user (who is a tester) has an ongoing inspection in production, where she filled in hundreds of fields already. Obviously you cannot just use a real inspection to test a potentially buggy version, so you must leave her inspection untouched. But you also don't want to waste your or her time filling hundreds of question again. So what can you do then to test your newer version?
You can clone the inspection. After the cloning is successfully done, you could just use the "Switch version" option that you've just learned.
However, we made it even easier for you. When you duplicate an inspection in test mode, you can select the version of the duplicate, reaching your goal in one step.
And there is more... in test mode, you can duplicate any inspection - even the ones where duplication is not allowed in the workbook.
If a workbook cannot be duplicated by default, but can only be cloned because of the test mode, a rocket icon will appear next to the "Duplicate" option name. This indicates that it can only be duplicated because of the test mode.
Pretty cool.
2.6 Start a task with an unpublished version
You can also select version when starting a task in test mode.
Navigate back to iCL Portal and create a task using your test workbook. Then simply start the task in iCL Filler. You will notice that the version selection window will pop up, just like by starting or cloning an inspection.
2.7 Reopen an inspection
There is one more very powerful feature that you can access in test mode. It allows you to reopen inspections that normally cannot be reopened.
Let's complete the inspection that we've started at the beginning of this guide. After the inspection is successfully completed and sent, click the 3 dots next to its name. You can then reopen it, even though we did not allow to reopen in iCL Designer for this workbook.
If a workbook cannot be reopened by default, but can only be reopened because of the test mode, a rocket icon will appear next to the "Reopen" option name. This indicates that it can only be reopened because of the test mode.
As test mode is very powerful, use it with care. We recommend that you only assign the role Tester to experienced users.
3 Canary testing
Even when you test your workbooks very thoroughly, there may still be issues that only appear in a live situation. However, using a trick, you can provide a draft workbook to a normal inspector, so they can perform an inspection using that new version and report back any issues, before you roll out that new version to all users.
When you start a task, you can select any version of a workbook - even an unpublished one. As always, the rocket icon indicates an unpublished version of a workbook.
You can assign this task to any user even if they do not have Tester permissions.