What Is Test Design Specification

Test runners utilize test specification strings to determine which tests to execute. These specifications are written instructions on which test suites to include or exclude. The importance of documentation during the process of software testing is well known. Along with providing various advantages, these documents also assist software testers in the process of testing and establish great transparency among the team members and various stakeholders.

• As a tester you need to use test design techniques which are identified in the test strategy or test plan.
• However, to achieve the result, many things must flow correctly in creating specifications to make perfect sense.
• Other than these test designs, one may also encounter exploratory test designs or decision table-based test designs, etc.
• In this process, the testers can understand the test cases by reading the test specifications.

Other than these test designs, one may also encounter exploratory test designs or decision table-based test designs, etc. However, these sub-divisions do not come under mainstream test design techniques. This example has only a few combinations and so it can quickly be done manually. You may even need to derive more than 50 thousand combinations depending on parameters and variables. It is better to use an online test design tool for pairwise test design to manage such cases. The ideology behind pairwise test design – Errors are most probable to occur when pairs are used instead of single inputs.

Steps of test design

If one more train is added, 60 combinations can be devised, and the number increases exponentially. Going exhaustive is not advisable due to a large number of inputs, therefore. In the state transition system, define states as the current stage you are on in an application. For example, if you are currently on the Login screen, term it “login state.” From this state, travel to other states or be in the same state depending on the type of input you receive.

I know that computer science people are fond of scary-sounding names, but this concept is quite simple. It refers to how a given system goes from one state to another after some action happens. Having covered the “what,” “why,” “who,” and “when” of test design, the only major question left for us to tackle is the “how.” Now we’ll cover three techniques for test design. Here we explore different types of Selenium locators and learn how they are used with different automation testing. The final point concerns any privacy or security considerations pertinent to using the Test Case Specification. You must include the complete information for the software application for which you are preparing the Test Case Specification.

What are the best test design techniques?

As a tester you need to use test design techniques which are identified in the test strategy or test plan. It identifies the test cases by elaborating the test conditions identified in test analysis phase or from test basis. To sum up, Test Case Specification defines the exact set up and inputs for one Test Case.

Every test result must be accompanied by the following information as per applicability. You need to identify if any pre-requisite conditions are mandatory before implementing the test case or script. Here, it is essential to discuss the following considerations as per applicability. Based on the test case or script level, you can refer to the item description and definition from one of many sources. Each numbered “Test Case Specification” defines the exact setup and inputs for one test case.

In practice, more test design techniques should be applied together for complex specifications. You’re probably familiar with the concept of test automation, its benefits, and its relationship with manual testing in a well-balanced quality strategy. Irshad Ahamed is an optimistic and versatile software professional and a technical writer who brings to the table around four years of robust working experience in various companies. Deliver excellence at work and implement expertise and skills appropriately required whenever. Adaptive towards changing technology and upgrading necessary skills needed in the profession. You have to display a summary of the relationship of this document to other pertinent documents.

Test designs depend on the type of test cases the tester wants to write. This means as a tester, you won’t be able to figure out the input types, input values, input constraints, etc., except knowing the stages the application flows in and the outcome you receive. But since the testing team may find defects in the app, it may need to be sent back for a little more development or code trimming from a few places. Historical data of your previous developments help setting the best set of test design techniques to reach a cost optimum and high quality together. In lack of historical data some assumptions can be made, which should be refined for subsequent projects.

You can even test your mobile apps on both real device cloud and Android Emulators, and iOS Simulators based on your project requirements. You need to specify the conditions that indicate an inconclusive result, due to which it would become essential to conduct re-testing. You should know the conditions for which you must interpret the output as indicative of abnormalities in the input test data, test procedures, or test data files or database. The final point is to note the permissible indications for the test’s results, status, control, and readiness to conduct the next test case or script.

To ensure efficient software testing, having correct, detailed, and precise test specifications is mandatory. The QA team writes the test specifications for every test case at the unit level. The significance of these test specifications test design definition is that they enable the testers to clearly digest the goal of the test case and further implement it with precision toward success. Those who develop tests can use the previous test specifications again to develop new test versions.