Testing Individual Tools

​

Introduction

• Verify your understanding of a tool’s functionality.
• Experiment with different input values and observe the results.
• Confirm that a tool is working as expected in your Salesforce environment.
• Troubleshoot issues by isolating tool behavior.

​

Using the ACP Tool Explorer for Testing

​

Steps for Testing a Tool:

1. Navigate to the ACP Tool Explorer:
   • As described in “Exploring Available Tools,” open the ACP Tool Explorer from the Salesforce App Launcher or your designated access point.
2. Select a Tool:
   • Browse or search for the tool you wish to test.
   • Click on the tool to view its details.
3. Access the Testing Interface:
   • Within the tool’s detail view, look for a “Test,” “Execute,” or “Run Tool” section or button. This interface will typically provide input fields for each of the tool’s parameters.
4. Provide Input Parameters:
   • Carefully fill in the values for the tool’s input parameters, as detailed in “Understanding Tool Inputs and Outputs.”
   • Pay attention to required versus optional fields and the expected data types.
   • For complex inputs like JSON objects or lists, ensure the formatting is correct.
5. Execute the Tool:
   • Once you’ve entered the inputs, click the “Test,” “Execute,” or “Run” button.
   • The Tool Explorer will send these inputs to the ACP and invoke the selected tool.
6. Observe the Output:
   • After the tool executes, the Tool Explorer will display the output parameters returned by the tool.
   • Examine the output to see if the tool behaved as expected.
     • Check success flags or status indicators.
     • Review any data returned (e.g., record IDs, query results).
     • If an error occurred, inspect error_message or error_code fields for diagnostic information.

​

Example: Testing slack_send_message

• Inputs you might provide:
  • channel_id: (e.g., “C012345XYZ”) - The ID of a test Slack channel.
  • text: (e.g., “Hello from ACP Tool Explorer! This is a test.”)
  • as_user (optional): (e.g., false or leave blank)
• Expected Outputs (on success):
  • success: true
  • message_ts: A Slack timestamp string (e.g., “1678886400.000123”)
  • error_message: null or empty

• success: false
• message_ts: null
• error_message: (e.g., “Error: Channel not found”)

​

Important Considerations for Testing

• Environment: Be aware of the environment you are testing in (e.g., Sandbox, Production). Tests, especially those that create or modify data, can have real effects. Prefer testing in non-production environments whenever possible.
• Permissions: Ensure the user you are logged in as (or the user configured for the ACP connection) has the necessary permissions in the target system (e.g., permission to post in a Slack channel, create a Salesforce record, etc.).
• Data Sensitivity: Avoid using sensitive or personally identifiable information (PII) in your tests, especially if logging is enabled or if testing against production systems.
• Idempotency: Understand if a tool is idempotent (meaning running it multiple times with the same inputs produces the same result without unintended side effects). For example, querying data is usually idempotent, but creating a new record is not.
• Rate Limits: Be mindful of API rate limits on target systems if performing many tests in rapid succession.

​

What if a Tool Doesn’t Have a UI for Testing?

• Developer Console (for Apex-based tools): Salesforce developers might test Apex-level tool invocations using Anonymous Apex in the Developer Console.
• API Testing Tools (e.g., Postman): If ACP tools are exposed via an API layer, tools like Postman could be used, but this is less common for end-user testing.
• Building a Simple Flow: You could build a very simple Salesforce Flow that calls the tool with fixed inputs to test its behavior.

​

Conclusion