How to develop a test plan tree in Test Director?

Testing a software system or application is not a child’s play rather it requires whole lot of focus, organization, management and vigor. Testing phases or tasks such as specification of the testing requirements, planning and execution of the tests, tracking of the defects are made quite easy with the test director. 

In this article we shall discuss about how the test plan trees can be developed using the test director. After the all of the testing requirements have been defined, the testing goals need to be determined by carrying out various activities such as:

1. Examining the testing as well as the system environment.
2. Examining the software system or application under test (SUT and AUT).
3. Examining the testing process

- These three activities are particularly carried out so that the testing strategy designed to achieve the testing goals can be outlined. 

- After testing goals are determined, one proceeds to build a test plan tree. 

- The purpose of this test plan tree is to hierarchically divide the software system or application under testing in to smaller testing units or one can call them ‘subjects’.

- For each subject or unit in the test plan tree some tests are defined consisting of steps. 

- Next, the actions to be performed on the application as well as the expected results are defined for each of those steps. 

- Addition of parameters to the test step adds to its flexibility. 

Now how to keep track of the relationships shared by the testing requirements and tests? 

- Just add links between the two corresponding things.

- Other than being simple, another benefit of adding links is that you can be assured of the compliance with the requirements in all the stages of the testing process. 

- After getting done with this, you decide which all tests you want to get automated. 

- If you see the application as a whole unit to be tested it seems like a very big thing. 

- Here, in the test director, the application is divided into smaller units based up on its functionality with the help of the test plan module. 

- Test plan tree serves all this purpose and is referred to as the graphical representation of the test plan.

- Here the tests are displayed on the basis of the hierarchical relationship in their functions. 

- After all the subjects in the test plan tree have been defined the next step involves creating step for each and adding them to the tree.

- The below mentioned are the steps to be followed:

1. Open and log on the project for which the testing process is going on.
2. Make sure that the test plan module is on display and if it is not click on the test plan module to do so.
3. Now you need to add a subject folder to the test plan tree by clicking on the new folder button. Give a name and description for the folder and hit OK button. You will see a new subject folder under the main subject folder in the test plan tree.
4. Next step is to add a test to the folder we created above by clicking on the new test button. Give a name for test and click OK. You will require to fill in the following details like level, review status and priority. This test then will be added to the test plan tree.
5. Go to the details tab and you can fill up the following details:

a)   Test name

b)   Test designer

c)   Creation date

d)   Test status etc.

e)   description