Use external Data for Testing (Excel sheet, XML files, Property file)

Excel Sheets

Using Apache POI, test data can be read row-by-row from an Excel file, ideal for large sets of structured test data maintained by testers or business analysts.

XML Files

XML is useful for hierarchical or structured configuration data, parsed in Java using libraries like DOM or JAXB.

Property Files

Simple key-value files (.properties) are ideal for configuration like environment URLs or credentials, loaded easily with Java's built-in Properties class.

Why Use External Data at All

Keeping data outside the code makes it editable without recompiling scripts, and lets the same automation run against different environments or data sets simply by swapping the external file.