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:
- Examining the testing as well as the system environment.
- Examining the software system or application under test (SUT and
AUT).
- 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:
- Open and log on the project for which the testing process is going
on.
- Make sure that the test plan module is on display and if it is not
click on the test plan module to do so.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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
