Using XML for Test Case Definition, Storage and Presentation

Michael Ensminger (mensming@ieee.org)

Motivation

• Why use XML / XSL for test management?– Personnel experience– Tool availability– Easily processed, extended, transformed– As a way to explore web services

– Separate the presentation from the underlying data

XML / XSL Basics

• XML Documents example

– Well formed– Valid

• Defining the structure– Data Type Definition (DTD) example

– XML Schema example

• Extensible Stylesheet Language for Transformations (XSLT) XSL, html

How to Store XML Data?

• Flat File (stylesheet extensions)

• Relational Database (simple db schema)

• XML Database– XML extensions to traditional databases– XML specific databases

Simple Test Case XML / XSL

• Minimal Test Case Contains:– Unique Identifier– Short description of purpose– Setup / pre-conditions– Expected results

• Sample simple test case XML document (ex. A, B)

• DTD definition of structure of simple test case• Sample transformation to HTML (ex. A, B)

• Simple test case XSL • Schema definition of structure of simple test

case

Full Featured Test Suite XML / XSL

• Expand definition of document to be a suite of test cases

• Sample full featured test suite XML document• XML Schema definition of full featured test

suite document

• Example transformation to HTML of test suite• Full Test Suite XSL

Other Uses for XML / XSL in Test Management

• Test execution resultsSample XML Full Detail XSL Full Detail HTML

Summary XSL Summary HTMLBugs Entered XSL Bugs Entered HTMLFailed Test Cases XSL

Failed Test Cases HTML

• Transform into SQL statementsSample XML A Insert XSL Insert SQL A, BSample XML B Update XSL Update SQL A, B

• Other test documentation• Automation

Next Steps

• Flesh out test suite definition, execution results, etc.

• Develop database backend

• Interface for inserting and updating test cases, updating execution results, etc.

Questions / Contact Info

• Questions?

• Paper, slides and examples available at http://www.meesqa.com/pnsqc_2002/pnsqc_2002.html

Michael Ensmingermensming@ieee.org