--- title: "Xray 7.3.0 Release Notes" canonical: "https://docs.getxray.app/space/XRAY/301503356/Xray%207.3.0%20Release%20Notes" format: markdown --- > Macro (rw-ui-expands-macro) > > > Macro (rw-expand) > > > Macro (toc) **October 23rd, 2023** The Xray team is proud to announce the release of **Xray 7.3.0**. We are excited to announce the latest update of our software, which includes two new features: **Time Tracking** and **Test Parameterization (Automated Tests)**. With Time Tracking, you can monitor and optimize the performance of your test execution. With Test Parameterization, you can automate and customize your automated testing scenarios for different data sets. These features will help you improve your efficiency and the quality of your data analysis. ![image](media://10b67960-4771-4941-8263-48f26dcb96db) # Upgrade Notes ## Upgrading Xray to 7 ### Upgrading from Versions < 3.2.x **If you are upgrading from a version lower than 3.2**, this implies that an upgrade task will run to pre-calculate historical data. This one-time action will run in the background so that Xray remains available during the upgrade. A  **re-index **operation of your Jira instance is required to make the internal data searchable and usable by Xray. > ⚠️ Please be aware that this upgrade task will run immediately after updating Xray. As this operation can take some time and use a considerable amount of server resources, we suggest scheduling the upgrade of Xray outside of business hours. It is always possible to cancel the recalculation operation in the Xray configuration section → Custom Fields → Maintenance. ### Upgrading from Versions 3.2.x and 3.3.x **If upgrading from v3.2.x or v3.3.x to v7**, you must recalculate data in the Xray configuration section → Custom Fields. This recalculation is necessary because of the huge improvement in the amount of data that Xray needs to add to the table and the Lucene indexes. > ⚠️ As this operation can take some time and use a considerable amount of server resources, we suggest scheduling the upgrade of Xray and recalculating the custom fields outside of business hours. ## Downgrading from Xray 7 ### Downgrading to any Version Downgrading from Xray 7.x.x to a previous version may have the following side effects: After creating some specific data using Test Case Versions, the user may have some glitches when downgrading to a specific version of Xray. - On a Test Issue, multiple manual Test versions with steps, when downgrading the Test Issue will show all steps from all the versions. - On a Test Issue, multiple manual Test versions with specific datasets, when downgrading the Test Issue will show the parameters from all the datasets. - On a Test issue, having different Test versions linked to the same precondition issue when downgrading, the Test Issue will show an integrity error instead of showing the precondition table (Figure 1). ![Figure 1 - Table](media://2aeac0a6-bb1c-4e0d-9bc4-79c9468a6159) And the precondition will show the warning of being linked to an archived Test (Figure 2). ![Figure 2 - Preconditions](media://6c4267ae-2232-4430-9360-460940d6dfa0) # Release Highlights  ## Test Parameterization for Automated Tests ### Maximise your coverage with Test Parameterization Testers frequently have multiple data sets for one Test, but creating individual tests for each data set takes time and effort. With data-driven testing, you can keep data separate from Tests and execute different combinations of Test data to generate results efficiently (Figure 3). ![Figure 3 - Parameterization](media://0336075d-8cbe-4397-9820-791374b6bb93) You can quickly define a large number of Tests with different output values and reuse your data sets. Data-driven Testing increases your coverage, eliminates repetitive Tests, and most importantly, saves significant time on Test execution.  ### Benefits of Data-driven Testing and Test Parameterization - Tests are easier to understand, maintain, and manage. - Execute the same test several times with different input,s which reduces test cases you have to create. - Reduces manual effort on execution. - Time efficient, saving time on creating repetitive Test cases. - Better organization of Tests and results. - Reduces duplicate and redundant Testing. Xray now added parameterized Tests feature to the automated tests, that executes the same Test with different input values, multiple times, without ever having to clone or replicate it. With this feature, you can minimise repetitive Test cases, save time on execution, and increase your Test coverage.  Learn more [here](https://old-docs.getxray.app/display/XRAY/Parameterized+Tests). ## Time Tracking Time Tracking is an important Test management feature, as it helps Testing teams track output and forecast future Test plans (Figure 4). ![Figure 4 - Time tracking](media://0d21c4f7-05fd-41d5-ba81-a303dcc5a541) To help track Test execution time, a Test run contains timestamps that automatically log the start and finish date. Users were previously able to choose to change the start date manually, but they could not stop and resume the execution as needed. This prevented the total time spent on a given Test run from reflecting the actual time spent by the user executing the entire Test.  With this new Time Tracking feature, our users can now pause and resume test execution directly on the Test Run screen, providing greater flexibility and reliability over the time tracking process. Learn more [here](https://docs.getxray.app/display/XRAY/Execute+Tests#ExecuteTests-Timer). # Just One More, yet Important, thing Documentation is always important, and sometimes you may miss it. We included further tutorials to show how to migrate from other test management tools, to foster adoption of Xray in your teams. Lastly, we consolidated helpful tips for facilitating compliance with our suite of tools using an e-commerce platform as an exercise to talk about standards, guidelines, key risks, and mitigation strategies.  Here's a summary of all the relevant articles that we've added and updated recently: - **Tutorials, Tips, and Tricks** - **[TTT: Migration](https://getxraydocs.atlassian.net/wiki/spaces/XRAY/pages/301697292)** - [Importing qTest test cases using Test Case Importer](https://getxraydocs.atlassian.net/wiki/spaces/XRAY/pages/301472181) - **[TTT: Process](https://getxraydocs.atlassian.net/wiki/spaces/XRAY/pages/301664969)** - [Building an e-commerce platform - key risks and Xray mitigation strategies](https://getxraydocs.atlassian.net/wiki/spaces/XRAY/pages/301503980) # All New Features and Bug Fixes in this Release | **Key** | **Summary** | **T** | **Created** | **P** | **Status** | **Resolution** | | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | | [XRAY-9306](https://jira.getxray.app/browse/XRAY-9306?src=confmacro) | [When importing Robot files, the content of the property Documentation should be copied to the Test's Description.](https://jira.getxray.app/browse/XRAY-9306?src=confmacro) | ![Improvement]() | Jun 29, 2023 | ![Minor]() | Closed | Fixed | | [XRAY-9560](https://jira.getxray.app/browse/XRAY-9560?src=confmacro) | [Specific Character Sequence [^ causes Xray to rise up CPU levels of Instance](https://jira.getxray.app/browse/XRAY-9560?src=confmacro) | ![Bug]() | Oct 19, 2023 | ![Critical]() | Closed | Fixed | | [XRAY-9549](https://jira.getxray.app/browse/XRAY-9549?src=confmacro) | [Character Sequence !$.()-:]@[^`_{;}/ causes Xray to rise up CPU levels of Instance](https://jira.getxray.app/browse/XRAY-9549?src=confmacro) | ![Bug]() | Oct 17, 2023 | ![Critical]() | Closed | Fixed | | [XRAY-9497](https://jira.getxray.app/browse/XRAY-9497?src=confmacro) | [Overall Requirement Coverage shows "No data found"](https://jira.getxray.app/browse/XRAY-9497?src=confmacro) | ![Bug]() | Oct 02, 2023 | ![Critical]() | Closed | Fixed |