Test Case Vocabulary

Stepping back, models have generally been the basis for software design since testing existed, and just as mental models adapt on-the-fly best-practice modelling blends individual thought into collaborative work.

A deeper dive, then, into the baseline grammar for best practice modelling, we present a basic flow in the context of an ATM transaction. From that, the best practice when modelling out a systems behaviours leads to teams being more tactical in approach.

To reiterate: tactically creating models that use baseline grammar: nodes, task blocks, conditions, considering both an invalid plus valid end node, use best-practice modelling to sharpen & share diverse thinking with teams to model out and derive effective test cases.

Voice over script and narration: Ben Riley, CIO, Curiosity Software

About the series: art of modelling The art of modelling series from Curiosity Software – boost foundation thinking around the art of modelling for test case creation as a starting point, told through a series of 90sec–2min clips.

Why focus on the ‘art of modelling’ rather than just getting stuck in with the software? We listened to customers and evolved this feedback to take deeper dives but also stepping back to explore universal best practices. The outcome is this series to focus on bringing a holistic alignment across projects for all stakeholders including testers, business users, SMEs, developers, SDETS, manual testers and end-users.

Everyone across a team can model so positing a language of best practices, towards developing an art of modelling, this boosts collaborative effort.

To benefit from team intelligences around test design and generation, be sure first to make early investigations which will ultimately transform good individual contributions into an aligned collaborative effort.

Such early investigations of a system with aligned collaborative effort, be it around test design and generation of data combinations, user interface journeys or exposing complexity, the outcome enables exploratory modelling, one that’s iterative.

Stepping back, let’s define exploratory modelling relative to the process of enquiring, applying and informing. Around enquiring orbits the idea of imperfect sources of knowledge from which a perspective can be decided as a leaping off point. The main question being: what are your main concerns?

Then comes modelling out that enquiry from which you can adjust test cases according to the coverage to reveal complexity, ambiguity or gaps. This helps flush out anomalies and challenges the sources of knowledge to produce better run results and test execution.

So best practice includes the need to enquire, model, inform and apply to derive effective test design and generation that suits the diversity of thinking within your team.

Voice over script and narration: Ben Riley, CIO, Curiosity Software

About the series: art of modelling The art of modelling series from Curiosity Software – boost foundation thinking around the art of modelling for test case creation as a starting point, told through a series of 90sec–2min clips.

Why focus on the ‘art of modelling’ rather than just getting stuck in with the software? We listened to customers and evolved this feedback to take deeper dives, but also stepping back to explore universal best practices.

The outcome is this series to focus on bringing a holistic alignment across projects for all stakeholders including testers, business users, SMEs, developers, SDETS, manual testers and end-users. Everyone across a team can model so positing a language of best practices, towards developing an art of modelling, this boosts collaborative effort.