## Creating a test-as-code test

Click the **Create a test** button on the Tests view or the **Get started with test-as-code tests** button if the Tests view is empty. This opens the test creation modal:

{{< img src="test-creation-modal.png" alt="Test creation modal" >}}

Once you've selected your package, click the **Create** button to configure your test

{{< alert warning >}}
Gatling Enterprise Edition has a hard limit for run durations of 7 days and will stop any test running for longer than that.
This limit exists for both performance reasons (to avoid data growing too large to be presented in the dashboard) and security
reasons (to avoid a forgotten test running forever).
{{< /alert >}}

### Set the general parameters

In this step, define the test's general parameters:

- **Name**: the name that will appear in the tests table.
- **Package**: the actual package the test runs.
- **Test**: the test to run from this package.

### Configure the load generator locations {#locations-configuration}

Configure the Gatling Enterprise Edition load generator location(s).

You can use: 
- managed locations provided by Gatling Enterprise Edition
- [private locations]({{< ref "/reference/deploy/private-locations/introduction" >}})
- [dedicated IP addresses]({{< ref "dedicated-ips" >}}) for your managed load generators.

{{< alert info >}}
It is not possible to mix managed, private locations, and dedicated IPs in the same test.
{{< /alert >}}

Managed location load generators have the following specifications:

- 4 cores
- 8GB of RAM
- bandwidth up to 10 Gbit/s

Gatling Enterprise Edition managed locations are available in the following regions:

- AP Pacific (Hong kong)
- AP Pacific (Tokyo)
- AP Pacific (Mumbai)
- AP SouthEast (Sydney)
- Europe (Dublin)
- Europe (London)
- Europe (Paris)
- SA East (São Paulo)
- US East (N. Virginia)
- US West (N. California)
- US West (Oregon)

If you want to use private locations, please refer to the [specific documentation]({{< ref "/reference/deploy/private-locations/introduction" >}}).

To get the best results from your test you should select the load generator locations that best match your user base.

{{< img src="step2.png" alt="Create test" >}}

- **Location**: defines the locations to be used when initiating the Gatling Enterprise Edition load generators.
- **Number of load generators**: number of load generators for this location.
- **Weight distribution**: by default, every load generator will produce the same load. If enabled, you must set the weight in % for each location (e.g. the first location does 20% of the requests, and the second does 80%). The sum of all weights must be 100%.

You can add several locations with different numbers of load generators to run your test.

After this step, you can save the test, or continue with optional configurations.
 
### Apply optional configurations

The following configurations are optional, further details about the available options and how configure each option are available in the [Optional configurations for tests]({{< ref "/reference/run-tests/tests/optional-config">}}) documentation.

- Set load generator parameters
- Set acceptance criteria
- Specify a time window
- Add stop criteria

### Save and launch your test

Once you've configured your no-code test, click the **Save and Launch** button to save your test and start the test.