The integrated test framework of the present invention includes a test
framework runtime that executes test scripts and that also allows a
script to identify a variation tool called a "data provider" that is
responsible for providing data to the test framework runtime and
controlling the iteration of the runtime through the variations. The
script also identifies the type of data set from which the data provider
should obtain the data from which the variations are derived and the
location of the data set. Multiple variation data providers may be used
in conjunction with an adapter layer that coordinates the iteration of
each variation data provider and creates an aggregated variation over
multiple varying parameters of different scope.