A test case is abstracted into a re-useable script or other declarative form that expresses the intent of a task rather that defining how the test will be performed. Tools translate the declarative test into a series of steps corresponding to code that implements the action indicated in the declarative test. The schema for the tests can be dynamic. New forms of test cases can take advantage of new actions so that the library of actions can be extended. Libraries are interchangeable. Test cases can be generated using a state machine. New test cases can be composed dynamically using a state machine to create new test cases.