Topic: Scenario Testing

Introduction

As with many terms, scenario means different things to different people in the world of software testing. In TETware we use test scenarios to tell the test case controller which test cases to process and how to process them. The scenarios are stored in a scenario file. The file may contain one or more scenarios, and they may be cross-referenced. The file is written is a simple, but powerful, scenario language.

The scenario language is used to define the scenarios. Each scenario consists of a scenario name, the first word in a scenario, that may be followed by scenario elements. These elements may be simple elements or directives. Comments may also be included to describe the test scenarios and their purpose.

Definition

Scenario testing is a software testing activity that uses scenario tests, or simply

scenarios, which are based on a hypothetical story to help a person think through a complex problem or system. They can be as simple as a diagram for a testing environment or they could be a description written in prose. The ideal scenario has four key characteristics.
It is a story that is motivating, credible, complex, and easy to evaluate. These tests are usually different from test cases in that test cases are single steps and scenarios cover a number of steps. Test suites and scenarios can be used in concert for complete system testing.

How to Define Test Scenarios

During Diagnostic Profiling, a user defines a number of tests that may be applied to the design in run-time. The definition of these tests become an intrinsic part of the Diagnostic Knowledge Base. Several different test scenarios may be applicable to run-time environments. One of the main purposes of the Maintenance Simulator is to evaluate test effectiveness of various test scenarios. To define a Test Scenario, press the Test Scenario button from the main screen. A new screen will appear, as shown below.

At the leftmost window are the list of Test Scenarios that have been already defined for this model. The middle box contains a list of all of the tests that have been defined in the currently loaded diagnostic knowledge base. To define a Test Scenario, highlight those tests which you wish to include in the scenario from the middle box, and press add selected tests. The selected tests will appear in the rightmost list box. You must save the test scenario. Point and click on the box at the top of the Test Scenarios list. Type in a name describing the test scenario that you have just defined, and press the Save Scenario button. The event will now be saved and will appear in the Test Scenarios list. You can delete test scenarios and retrieve test scenarios using the so-named buttons.

To return to the Maintenance Simulator screen, press the Maintenance Simulator button.

Simple Elements

Simple scenario elements include:

• the scenario information line, this is text enclosed in double quotes which is printed to the journal file.  It may then be picked up by a report writer or written to a database.
   

• The test case name, with an optional list of invocable components which gives the user the flexibility to select only certain tests from a group of tests
  

 
• A referenced scenario name, so we can call another scenario from within a scenario.
   
• Include file name, which contains the test case names and the scenario information lines to they don't have to be entered into every scenario file, and a single change will update all our scenarios.

Edited by Mithi25 - 01Aug2009 at 5:23am