Testing REDCap Auto-Populate Fields can be simple or complex, depending on the feature you are testing. This document presents a few tests you can run and describes resources you might use in those tests.
To simplify this process, an example project and testing data sets are provided in the examples folder.
test_project.xml is a longitudinal project with 8 events and forms. Each form is enabled as a survey. There is data in the Baseline and Visit 1 events. Visits 2 and 3 and Unscheduled Visit 1-3 are all empty. The event matrix allows longitudinal collection for most forms.
Each of the forms test_categorical_data and test_dates use action tags from Auto-Populate Fields on some of their fields. Most fields use the @DEFAULT-FROM-PREVIOUS-EVENT action tag. birthday_mdy_from_ymd copies its data from the birthday_ymd field on the previous event. birthday_mdy_from_ymd_static uses the @DEFAULT_0 tag to set a static value of '2019-06-29'.
visit_2_arm_1_data.csv has data just for the visit 2 event
unschedule_visit_1_arm_1_data.csv has data just for the Unscheduled Visit 1 event. Its data differs from the Visit 2 data.
Consider running each of these tests described here to validate the module is behaving correctly. For each test, create a test project from the project XML file, then enable the Auto-Populate Fields module.
To test the @DEFAULT-FROM-PREVIOUS-EVENT action tag, first test a field that uses it without naming another field. Note a field that has that action tag, look at the last filled event on the form that has the field, note or set a value for that field. Then open that form on the next event, the value from the previous event should be set on the new event.
Next, find a field (e.g., birthday_mdy_from_ymd) that uses @DEFAULT-FROM-PREVIOUS-EVENT="some_field_name". Note the value of some_field_name on event N. On event N, open the form that has the field with @DEFAULT-FROM-PREVIOUS-EVENT="some_field_name". The value should be pre-filled with the value for some_field_name on event N.
Test @DEFAULT-FROM-PREVIOUS-EVENT with Enable chronological previous event detection enabled. In the module-level configuration, check Enable chronological previous event detection. Locate a field on Visit 2 that uses @DEFAULT-FROM-PREVIOUS-EVENT. Set the value on visit 2. On Unscheduled Visit 1, note the value from visit 2 being prefilled. Set a higher value on Unscheduled Visit 1. Open the form on visit 3. The field should pre-fill with the higher value from Unscheduled Visit 1. Set an even higher value. Open Unscheduled Visit 2 and note the prefilled value. It should be the highest value, the value from Visit 3.