Test Case: Importance in Software Testing

Test Cases:

Test Cases are considered as one of the most important document of software testing. It is prepared and used by the testing team for the purpose of assuring the quality of software application.

If we look at the Quality point of view, then Test Cases are the conditions through which one assures that the product tested is up to the mark & ready to go live or not.

If we look at the tester’s point of view, Test Cases provide the condition through which he/she Validates & Verifies a particular functionality or feature of the system.

In general we can say that a test case tells us what need to be done to test a system. It gives us the steps which we executes in a system, the input data values which we enter in the system, it also gives us the expected results which should come when we execute a particular test case

Ideal Test Case Format:

One should be very careful while designing a test case format. Different companies design test case format in their own way which suits them. But what is an ideal format for a test case? Let’s have a look

Company Logo							Version:
							Pre Requisite
							Prepared By:
Project Name:							Prepared Date:
Module Name:							Run date:
S.No.	Test Case Id	Description	Test Steps	Input Values	Expected Result	Actual Result	Pass/Fail	Bug Id	Remarks

The above test case format is essential for any good test case it considered all the important field which a test case have. One can add or delete some more field as per their requirements.

Test Cases: Why it is important?

Test cases organize the whole testing process. If the test cases are prepared keeping in mind the requirements of a particular application then they really helps a lot in checking whether the requirements are fulfilled or not. While doing ad hoc testing, one may neglect or skip the functionality or a bug which will definitely be caught when the system or site will be live or when it will be tested from the client’s end and it is going to affect the company’s credibility.

We have heard from Big Brains that no software is bug free. But care should be taken so that all the possible bugs should be eliminated from the system before it goes live. Test cases help a lot in this. With the help of proper test cases, a Quality Assurance/Control Executive should make sure that the system’s features & functionalities should be working fine.

Requirement Analysis: Why it is important for tester?

Requirement analysis or Requirement Engineering:

Requirements analysis, also called requirements engineering, is the process of determining user expectations for a new or modified product. Requirement must be clear, readable, unambiguous.  If we say requirement clear that mean there is no confusion .If we say readable that mean any non-technical person need to be understand requirement .There is no any unnecessary technical term and It is easy to understand.  If there is bigger requirement that need to be split in small requirements and need to be work on it. Requirements analysis is an important aspect of project management.

Requirements analysis involves frequent communication with system users to determine specific feature expectations, resolution of conflict or ambiguity in requirements as demanded by the various users or groups of users.

Importance of Requirement for tester:

Requirement analysis is very crucial part in testing and it is core activity of the tester to analyze and understand the requirement very deeply & clearly. The requirement specification may be classified in two broad categories Functional Specification and Business Specification. Tester should be focus on the functional specification. The Requirements are key factor for the tester to prepare the test cases.

Requirement should be traceable with different level that means it can be traceable to design level, coding or testing level.  And it is very important for the requirement Traceability Matrix. When we say traceable in testing that mean each Requirement have their own test cases. That requirement needs to be traceable to their respective test cases.

Communication is more important, if you do not understand any requirement ask the question until you understand requirements clearly.

If a testing team not getting proper requirement or not understand it properly then they are unable to test the application accurately.

Change in requirement: Sometimes it happens the requirement get change so in that case it has to be defined process for receiving the new requirement and Ensure that the new requirement request is it approval from all stakeholder.