Test Requirements

David Capocci, CQA, CSTE

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Test Requirements:The Basis of Testing


Sr. QA Systems Analyst

SAFECO Corporation

[email protected]


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Agenda• Defining Test Requirements (TR)

– What, Why, Where

• Fitting TR’s into the testing picture– What’s within our testing process– Generating TR’s

• Organizing & Decomposing TR’s

• Test Requirements Hierarchy Samples

• Setting the stage for measuring test coverage


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Background• “Test Requirements Hierarchy” is a term coined

from Rational’s SQA Team Test software.• The principle of identifying, organizing, and

measuring test requirements is universal to many test processes and methodologies

• Much of this in-service is distilled from:• Rational methodologies (we are an SQA Team Test

house after all)

• QAI Workbench model

• Seminar topics from– 19th annual International Software Testing Conference

– Star ‘98 West Conference

• Ed Kit’s “Software Testing in the Real World”


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Test Requirements

• What exactly is a Test Requirement?

• Why identify Test Requirements?

• Where does a Test Requirement come from?

Defining TR’s: What, Why, Where


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What exactly is a Test Requirement?

Identifies the “WHAT” of testingWhat needs to be tested, ANDWhat are you going to validate about it

Includes both normal and error conditionsCovers business rules, functionality, non-

functional standardsDo NOT have case specific data values

assigned to them yet (data appears in test cases, the “How” of testing) examples…



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Example 1: Testing the inserting of a record to a table

“Validate that you can insert an entry”

“Validate that insertion fails if entry already present”

“Validate that insertion fails if table already full”

“Validate that you can insert an entry to an empty table (initial)”

• These are test requirements NOT tests because they do not describe the data element being inserted

• The data is irrelevant at this level, it will appear in the test cases used to cover these test requirements

• “Validate you can insert ‘John Doe’” is a test case not a test requirement

Test Requirements Identified (among others):



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Why identify Test Requirements? It’s what QC “owns” in our workbench:

Requirements-based or Function-based testing It’s the basis for establishing the completion of testingHelps determine the scale of the testing effortGoverns the types of resources you will needServes to identify automation strategies you can useBecomes a roadmap for your testing effortCan be a tool for leverage and dialog with developers

and business analystsDev Team can sign off on them (Verification!)



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Where does a TR come from?Traditional: Business Requirements,

functionality, internal logic…Marketing specs, Functional specs, Technical specs

Reality:“Interview Analysis”, Non-Functional Checklists

(standards & compliance), Use Cases (from business scenarios and users), Discovery during testing, any other deliverables from previous workbenches (diagrams, modeling, flowcharts, etc.)



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How do Test Requirements relate to the Test Plan?

Traditionally, the Test Plan has represented “what” was going to be tested, even including test cases.

Paradigm is shifting: Test Plan should relate what your testing process (and deliverables) will be for a particular project.

A Test Plan should build confidence in the testing process for a project, making approaches clear.

A Test Plan can include the Test RequirementsHowever, if the Test Requirements are too lengthy,

they should become their own document: A Test Requirements Hierarchy Defining TR’s: What, Why, Where


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Agenda

• Defining TR’s: What, Why, Where






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Drilling down: Where test requirements fit into the picture

BusinessRequirement

TestRequirement

TestScenarios/Cases

TestProcedure/Script

Fitting TR’s into the testing picture

Generates

1

M

Generates

1

M

Executes/Runs

1

M


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Drilling Down

BusinessRequirement

TestRequirement

TestScenarios/Cases



First, Let’s look

at this relationship:

What’s within our

testing process

Then we’ll look

at this relationship:

Gernerating TR’s

from what feeds into

our testing process


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ATM Example: Practice Writing Test Requirements

Business Requirements:

- “ATM must do withdrawals”

- “Withdrawals are between $20-$300”

- “Withdrawals are in $20 multiples”

Group Exercise!

1. Limit the scope to these 3 requirements.

2. What will you validate (test for)?

3. Are there any implied requirements that may not be written out?

What’s within our testing process


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Example 2: Testing Withdrawals on an ATM

“Validate that a withdrawal option is available”

"Validate that a withdrawal of a multiple of $20, between $20-$300 can be done"

"Validate that <$20 is not allowed"

"Validate that >$300 is not allowed"

"Validate that $20 multiples >$300 is not allowed"

"Validate that non-$20 multiples between $20-$300 not allowed"

"Validate strange numeric amounts/combinations not allowed (all zero's, all 9's, 20.0000)"

“Validate that the withdrawal received is equal to the amount requested”

"Validate that a valid withdrawal amount must be below the account balance”• These are test requirements NOT tests because they do not describe the data element being

used (like $20, $40, $60, $1)• The data is irrelevant at this level, it will appear in the test cases used to cover these test

requirements

Test Requirements Identified (among others):



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Test Scenarios/Cases for - “Validate that a withdrawal of a multiple of $20,

between $20-$300 can be done”

Case # P/F $ entered ExpectedResults

ActualResults

WD01 Pass 20 $20 withdrawnWD02 Pass 40 $40 withdrawnWD03 Pass 60 $60 withdrawnWD04 Pass 80 $80 withdrawn

WD05 Pass 100 $100 withdrawn: : : :

WD13 Pass 260 $260 withdrawnWD14 Pass 280 $280 withdrawnWD15 Pass 300 $300 withdrawn



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Test Procedure & Script for previous example

Step 1: Insert Card

Step 2: Enter PIN

Step 3: Select Withdraw option

Step 4: Enter dollar amount

Step 5: Validate amount received

Do until EOF ‘until end of data file

Input data record

Senddata CARDINFO to “Cardfield”

Senddata “Enter”

Senddata PIN to “PINFfield”


Senddata “W” to “SelectionField”

Senddata AMOUNT to “DollarField”


If ErrorMsg > 0 then print ErrorMsg

Print “DollarAMTgiven”

Loop

Procedure: Script: (in pseudo-code )


ThinkThinkManual !

Manual !ThinkThink

Automated

Automated

!!


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Agenda







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The Workbench Concept

DODO Check

Standards

Tools

Rework

Entrance

CriteriaExit Criteria

Product Input

Product Output

Generating TR’s

Our workbench is called “Generating Test Requirements”


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Entrance Criteria for Business Requirements to generate Test Requirements

Visible ?Clear? (unambiguous)Complete?Consistent? (conflicting requirements must be prioritized)Reasonable? (achievable)Measurable? (quantifiable)Modifiable? (will it change or is it stable?)Traceable? (the source is known)Dependent requirements identified?Testable? (given current environment, resources, skills)

Generating TR’s


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Exit Criteria for Test RequirementsCan another tester create test cases/scenarios from these?Does a Test Requirement specify what is being tested and what

about it we are validating? (Clear?) Are the Test Requirements…

- Complete?

- Consistent? (conflicting requirements must be prioritized)

- Reasonable? (achievable)

- Measurable? (quantifiable for measuring test coverage)

- Modifiable? (will it change or is it stable?)

- Traceable? (the source is known)

- Testable? (given current environment, resources, skills)

Do the test requirements cover the complete scope of the project?Are all the test requirements verified and signed off by the

Development Team?Generating TR’s


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When creating Test Requirements (“Do”)...• Use “action” verbs & words

- “Validate that…”- “Check for…”- “Test that…”

• Trace them back to the source• Remember that different applications arrange in

different ways- Think of MF, batch, C/S, web, e-commerce, GUI, etc.- Use “testing considerations” checklists that generally cover what kinds of

things should be considered when testing your specific situation

• Make your Test Requirements document a “living document”

Generating TR’s


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Also...• Maintain a level of balance between too much &

too little- Too High level: won’t be useful, vague, can’t generate test cases from it.

- Too low level: Over-process, over documentation, no productivity

- General rule: 5-7 levels deep in an outline format

• Organize them!- Outline/Hierarchy format recommended

- Look at how the BA breaks down the project into areas

- Look at how the PA breaks down the project into areas

- Organize by functional areas

- Organize by “types” of testing (Function vs. System vs. Non-Functional)

Generating TR’s


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Agenda

• Defining TR’s: What, Why, Where• Fitting TR’s into the testing picture

– What’s within our testing process

– Generating TR’s


• Test Requirements Hierarchy Samples• Setting the stage for measuring test coverage


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Distinguishing the types of testing….

I. Function-Based Tests

II. User Interface Tests

III. Security Tests

IV. Installation Tests

V. Configuration Tests

VI. Performance Tests (Response)

VII. Load Tests (simultaneous users, lots of small transactions)

VIII. Volume Tests (Big transactions)

IX. Stress Tests (breaking point: memory, resources)

X. Resource Usage Tests

XI. Documentation Tests

XII. Compatibility Tests

XIII. Recovery Tests

XIV. Serviceability Tests

and others…

*III - XIV are all “Systems-based tests”

Organizing TR’s


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Organizing by Functional areas….

• Most testers perform function-based, or requirements-based tests

- Tests on functionality that the system will provide

- Usually scenario/case based- includes normal and alternate (invalid) cases

Organizing TR’s


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Organizing by Functional areas….

• Most testers also perform User Interface Style Tests

- These are generally separate from the functionality that the software will provide

- Usually encompass the architectural standards & compliance (like Windows Design Standards)

- Also includes tests of navigation, menus, admin functions (like printing, saving)

Organizing TR’s


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Agenda

• Defining TR’s: What, Why, Where• Fitting TR’s into the testing picture

– What’s within our testing process

– Generating TR’s


• Test Requirements Hierarchy Samples• Setting the stage for measuring test coverage


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Remember this?…Drilling down

BusinessR equirem ent

TestRequirement

TestScenarios/Cases




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Decomposing: Drilling down within a Test Requirement

BusinessRequirement

TestRequirement

TestScenarios/Cases



Keep the

function-based

perspective

in mind!

Business Function

Tasks within theFunction

Data Entry Typesfor transactions

Transactions toperform a task

Field Validation


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Test Requirement Decomposition

Business Function

Tasks with in theFunction

D ata Entry Typesfor transactions


F ie ld Validation

The "what" that the software is in tended todo, like "Rent a Car to a custom er"

The tasks involved: 1) query car rates,2) check custom er policy coverages, ....

The database transactions necessaryto perform the task.

The edits on the data included w ith inthe d ifferent types

The types of data entry thetransaction can process: Add,

Change, Delete, Inquire

Decomposing TR’s


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BusinessFunction

Tasks within theFunction

Data Entry Typesfor transactions


Field Validation

High level Functional Areas:

usually from

“Functional Spec” type

docs, or BA work

Lower level

Functional Areas:

usually from

“Technical Spec” type

docs regarding

internal logic,

or PA workDecomposing TR’s


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• You can start on the high level functional areas early into the project & build in lower level areas as they become available

• Any level can contain a test requirement which can also be made up of (or broken down into) lower level test requirements

Decomposing TR’s


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Business Function Level• Try to identify “groups” of functions or

functions connected by similar themesfile management functions, printing functions, help

functions, car rental functions, reservation functions, ticket purchase functions, claim reporting functions

• Be sure all areas of the system are covered. If something is left out or doesn’t fit into a group, it becomes its own group.

• It may be easier to identify functional areas by “window” instead of by function.

Decomposing TR’sFunction Task TransactionTrans Data

Type

Field

Validation


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Business Function Level

• At this level, the idea is seeing the connections, integration, and interactions of the system’s functionality.

• May not necessarily be identifying a test requirement at this level as much as just identifying the functional area.

Decomposing TR’sFunction Task TransactionTrans Data

Type

Field

Validation


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Task Level

• Break down each Function area into the tasks within the function

• For complex tasks, it is possible to break them down further into sub-tasks

• Some Business Functions can not decompose into further tasks (example: Check Writing function)

Decomposing TR’sFunctio

nTask Transaction

Trans Data

Type

Field

Validation


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Transaction Level• From this level down, we start to address

the internal things that occur to make the functions and tasks happen

• Identify any logical transactions that ties the task to the database or any other transactions necessary to perform the task.

• Identify any data processing, calculation, data formatting type transactions

Note: A screen or window may cause the execution of several different logical transactions


n Task Transaction Trans Data

Type

Field

Validation


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Transaction Data Type Level

• Identify which of the four types the transaction can become: Add, Change, Delete, Inquire

• It is entirely possible that a transaction can be multiple types.

• If a transaction is only one type, you can wrap this level up into the higher level.


n Task Transaction

Trans Data

TypeField

Validation


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Field Validation Level• Most testers like to jump directly to this

level. It’s the most obvious at times.

• Field validation covers all edits & cross edits on fields and data.

• Be careful of the detail you document at this level. Remember the separation between test requirement and test case.


n Task TransactionTrans Data

Type

Field

Validation


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Field Validation Level• Not all test requirements (especially at this

level) fit well to be documented in this manner.- Example: Testing all the stated properties of windows

objects

- Use “Validate that the properties of all the objects in this window match the properties listed on the Object Properties Reference Table in Appendix B upon initialization of the window”

- Don’t list each property check as a separate test requirement if it can be summarize under one test requirement

- This is a judgement call YOU make for your given project.


n Task TransactionTrans Data

Type

Field

Validation


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Example 3: Rental Car Application

1. Validate that a Rental can occur.

1.1 Check Customer policy coverage

1.2 Query Car availability

1.3 Query Car rates

1.4 Open a Rental ticket

1.4.1 Validate that a customer record can be entered

1.4.2 Validate that credit card approval is obtained

1.4.3 Validate that status on the car record is changed

from “waiting” to “rented”

2. Billing Function

3. Reservation Function

Let’s look at

the lower levels

for this one

Decomposing TR’s

Then we’ll try it

on this one


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1.4.1 Validate that a customer record can be entered

1.4.1.1 Validate that a new customer can be added to the customer table

1.4.1.1.1 Validate that the first name is all alpha

1.4.1.1.2 Validate that the age is > 21.

1.4.1.1.3 Validate that the phone number is numeric

1.4.1.1.4 Validate area code is an existing area code number.

1.4.1.2 Validate changing an existing customerDecomposing TR’s


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…fill in the lower level test requirements!

First, Identify any sub-areas (further tasks, or even

separate transactions within this)

Then, Identify the lowest level field validation test

requirements (think about what is typically

involved with credit card authorizations)

Decomposing TR’s


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What did you come up with?1. Validate that a Rental can occur.



_________________________________________

_________________________________________

_________________________________________

_________________________________________

_________________________________________

_________________________________________

_________________________________________

_________________________________________

Decomposing TR’s


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Possible Test Requirements...1. Validate that a Rental can occur.



1.4.2.1 Validate the expiration date is a valid future date

1.4.2.2 Validate the expiration date is not within 1 month of

expiring.

1.4.2.3 Validate that the CC# is 12 digits

1.4.2.4 Validate that the $ amount is <= credit balance available

1.4.2.5 Validate that an authorization # is received.

Decomposing TR’s

Function

Task Transaction


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Agenda







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TRH Samples

Let’s look at a few examples of how test requirements can be organized:

- Sample 1: Excerpt from a Personal Finance app

- Sample 2: actually organizing Function requirements, but good representative of the concept

- Sample 3: QBS, from Rational’s sample project (adds types of testing into the hierarchy)

- Sample 4: another view of the Personal Finance app

- Sample 5: A mainframe batch system


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Test Coverage Measures

• Test Requirements are the “what” of testing & are the basis for establishing the completion of testing

• TR’s give us the point of measurement for test coverage

• Each TR should receive a Priority, Risk, and Weight

• Each TR should be tracked for Verification () and Validation (%)

Test Coverage Measures


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Summary & Recap• Defined: What, Why, Where

• Described: How TR’s “fit” into the big picture

• Decomposed: Organizing TRs & Generate TR’s into a measurable format

• Demonstrated: Sampling some TRH

• Determined: The Measurement Connection

Documents

Test Requirements