Mindmaps: Lightweight Documentation for Testing

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Using mindmaps Lightweight documentation for testing

Florin Ursu

Using Mindmaps – lightweight documentation for testing

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Documentation

A lot of it

NO Documentation!

Some Documentation

What will I test?

What are my priorities?

What did I test?

What did I NOT test?

What are my observations?

Risks?

Did I find any issues?

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What are the mindmaps?

▪ Mind mapping techniques have been around for a while, with origins going back several hundred years.

▪ Mind mapping in testing has become popular in recent years as it assists in lateral thinking and allows complex information to be presented in a simplified visual form, making important relationships visible. This can assist teams with key tasks including: ·  Creating test plans; ·  Designing test scenarios; ·  Choosing effective test data.

Which tool did we adopt for DME?

▪ The tool I chose for mindmaps is MindMaple · Cross platform: PC, Mac, iOS ·  FREE (paid version also available with some non

essential additions) · Ability to export to Microsoft Office · Accepts attachments and notes · Visually integrate important task details

http://www.mindmaple.com/

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▪  "Mind map": A mainly-hierarchical diagram used to organize information, ideas and understanding of a topic. It is a type of diagram that can aid visual thinking, learning, planning and creativity.

▪  A mind map is a diagram for representing tasks, words, concepts, or items linked to and arranged around a central concept or subject.

▪  A mind map uses a non-linear graphical layout that allows the user to build an intuitive framework around a central concept. A mind map can turn long list of monotonous information into a colorful, memorable and highly organized diagram that works in line with your brain's natural way of doing things.

Historical use ▪  “Visual mapping” can be traced back to 3rd Century CE by Greek philosopher

Porphyry of Tyre’s Tree of Porphyry ▪  692 CE - graphical representation of the outline of the Bible ▪  1527 - Dante’s Divine Comedy published by Panganino & Alessandro Paganin ▪  16th Century - “Treatise on the virtues of excellence, and how one may acquire

them.” by d’Anguerrande ▪  1664 – religious visual representation by John Bunyan, of Pilgrim’s Progress fame ▪  1957 – Walt Disney produced a visual representation of his business model and

relationships between organizational units ▪  1974 – Tony Buzan on BBC television series “Use Your Head” introduced the term

“Mind Map”

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Mind Mapping in Software Testing Where can you use mind mapping in software testing? ▪  Test Planning ▪  Test Strategy design ▪  Test Plan design ▪  Test Case Design ▪  Test Data planning ▪  ** ANYWHERE ** where thought, creativity, analysis, design, planning,

etc. is required

▪  In our team, we use mindmaps for: ·  Structuring test plans ·  Presenting test plans to stakeholders ·  Prioritizing tests ·  Exporting to test cases ·  Presenting test results and highlight:

·  Completion percentage ·  Level of confidence ·  Risks

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Intuitively we might build a mindmap like this

Standardizations adopted

▪  Format – Growth Direction – Right ▪  Style – Branch Shape – More – Rounded Elbow/Outside

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Conventions adopted

▪  Priorities ▪  Percentage of completion ▪  Resources ▪  Pass/Fail Test Cases

·  Trickle Down quality indicators

I see what you did there….

Documentation

A lot of it

NO Documentation!

Some Documentation

What will I test?

What are my priorities?

What did I test?

What did I NOT test?

What are my observations?

Risks?

Did I find any issues?

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Example mindmaps

▪ Creating a mindmap – Mindmapple demo ·  Initial mindmap

·  Priorities ·  Resources

·  Testing results mindmap ·  Priorities ·  Resources ·  Completion level ·  Level of confidence

▪ Example mindmap

Group Exercise Create the mindmap needed for testing a basic calculator to the level that it can be presented to the stakeholders.