You have been asked to automate a set of functional tests at system Test level...

For the scenario of automating functional tests at the system test level via the Command Line Interface (CLI) of the SUT, with the requirements for fast and cheap maintenance, low cost for adding new tests, and high independence from the automation tool, the most suitable scripting technique is Data-driven scripting. This approach externalizes test data from the scripts into separate data files or repositories, allowing for the reuse of test scripts with different sets of data. Data-driven scripting is ideal for meeting the specified requirements because it enables rapid execution of a large number of test cases by merely changing the input data, without the need to alter the scripts themselves. This significantly reduces maintenance costs and the effort required to add new tests, as the core script remains the same. Moreover, this technique enhances the independence of the automated tests from the specific tools used, as the focus is on the data and the generic actions performed by the scripts, making it the most suitable choice for the described needs.