You might also use a spreadsheet to define tests if you want to work offline. Or, you might use a spreadsheet to define tests if you are not a Data Validation Option user. For example, business analysts might need to create the test definitions because they are more familiar with the data.

To generate tests from a spreadsheet, compete the following steps:

Export existing table-pair tests.
Add tests to the spreadsheet.
Import the tests from the spreadsheet.
Resolve tests with errors.

Export table-pair tests to generate a spreadsheet that contains column headers, test metadata, and column metadata. If the table pair already has tests defined, the spreadsheet also contains existing test definitions.

After you generate the spreadsheet, you can add tests to the spreadsheet. For each test, enter the test properties in the spreadsheet. The spreadsheet contains restricted values for particular test properties based on the column and test metadata.

You can then import the tests from the spreadsheet into Data Validation Option. When you import tests from a spreadsheet, Data Validation Option lists and validates the test definitions, and shows any errors. For example, an error appears if you use the approximate operator on a string column in a test definition. You cannot apply the approximate operator on string columns. You must resolve the errors or remove the test before you can import the test definitions. To resolve errors, edit the test definition.

Data Validation Option generates a new test for each test definition specified in the spreadsheet. If you import a test that already exists, Data Validation Option generates a duplicate version of the test. Data Validation Option does not update existing tests or remove tests when you import tests from a spreadsheet.