Questions tagged [test-design]
Use for questions about designing tests, specifically selecting test techniques to use in specific circumstances.
59 questions
17
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7
answers
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How can I structure Selenium tests in a way that minimizes the maintenance work?
What is the best way to build/structure the tests in a way that will minimize the work needed to keep the tests up to date as the product changes and improves?
18
votes
5
answers
2k
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What Are Some Examples of Why Explicitly Sleep Statements Are Bad?
I've read various places that explicit sleep statements are bad practice in automated tests, even if I've used them occasionally. They can be annoying (creating unnecessary waiting in tests) but I can'...
63
votes
17
answers
29k
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How should a Software Tester deal with missed Defects/bugs in Production?
I work as a QA/test engineer in a small software company. It is an e-commerce based product. I was assigned a few projects by my manager. I mostly do functional/blackbox testing. Before the production ...
21
votes
2
answers
1k
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Systematic approaches to selection of test data
I've used Phadke's design of experiments approach to select parameter values for testing (software) systems.
In a nutshell, the approach uses minimum, typical and maximum values of test (method) ...
2
votes
2
answers
232
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Is there a dancing pony on the screen? (Visual testing)
Motivated by this talk about the accidental unexpected pony dancing on the screen.
We currently have a rather rich subset of end-to-end tests for our AngularJS applications. And, we do get a lot of ...
22
votes
6
answers
13k
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Is an inverted test pyramid really an anti-pattern?
I know that the inverted test pyramid, i.e., having more end-to-end tests than unit tests is an anti-pattern.
However, I've started to think, what could be advantage of having less unit tests then ...
13
votes
5
answers
385
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Heuristics for identifying "one-time" tests?
I understand the importance of having good "regression tests" to ensure fixed bugs don't get reintroduced. But I think it's possible to go too far and end up with a massive "regression test suite" for ...
29
votes
10
answers
9k
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How can developers be assured that their software is fault free?
For example when creating software for critical real time applications, like those used in aviation, how certain are you that it's going to run without problems? Are you 100% certain or are you >90% ...
13
votes
5
answers
3k
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Are Mind Maps useful as a testing tool?
I don’t know much about Mind maps but I’ve seen expert testers (James Bach and Michael Bolton) use them to plan out their test strategy – usually in a demonstration. It seems like a plausible way to ...
9
votes
4
answers
7k
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Please suggest some ideas to test an IVR system?
I have to test an DTMF tones via keypad with toll free number, which has a company IVR automated response system. The IVR allows the user to login to the system and user can know account balance, talk ...
7
votes
5
answers
628
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How to test a system alone with very little experience?
I have little experience with testing and I'm being hired to work on a team where I am the only tester. I'm struggling to find the best approach for the process. Being alone should I write down a test ...
4
votes
2
answers
414
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What are some good thinking tools that a tester can use to generate ideas? [closed]
As a tester I want to generate more out of the box ideas, so that I can test all positive as well as negative test scenarios and find most critical defects before the product is released.
Are there ...
4
votes
1
answer
7k
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Software Tester Job Interview: Case studies on Test Design
Case Studies during job interview is a great technique which allows to find out how the candidate would behave in different situation.
For instance, the following case:
Given a developer ...
3
votes
4
answers
2k
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When should a Test Case be marked as "No Apply"?
When executing test cases when should we mark a test case as 'No Apply'. When the test conditions/requirement is not clear or when its not feasible/possible to perm a test. Also why not mark a test ...
49
votes
16
answers
16k
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Can a Manual Tester survive in software industry without learning Automation?
I mean to say is that if I dislike coding and don't understand complex code, then will I be able to survive as a QA. Or do I need to learn test automation to grow position and pay in my career, as I ...
44
votes
12
answers
10k
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What should Testers do if they are not able to find good defects in the product?
I work as manual/black-box tester. My responsibility primarily includes functional testing of a web application and to some extent database testing using sql server, based on the functional ...
23
votes
9
answers
5k
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Should application and automated test languages match?
If an application is written in a certain language, e.g. Python, Ruby, Clojure, etc. should Quality Engineers use the same language to write the tests?
Should this be a decision that we can apply ...
17
votes
8
answers
59k
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Difference between requirement, use case, and scenario?
I've taken a class on software testing best practices and test design. In the content, they have a model that basically shows that the three items are derived in this way:
Requirements > Use case &...
16
votes
4
answers
322
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What techniques are available to determine which browsers to test?
When websites being deployed to the internet are about to go live, the age old question always comes up. "Which browsers should I test?"
I am not asking that question because it will soon become ...
15
votes
4
answers
3k
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Test strategy to bring automated tests from UI to lower(API/Unit) layers?
Background/Problem Statement: Recently I came across a project team, which is having thousands of UI automated tests covering all kind of manual tests including positive, negative etc., and obviously ...
14
votes
1
answer
4k
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Is Selenium's LoadableComponent a good solution as test design pattern?
I need to refactor my Selenium tests, and come across their LoadableComponent wiki page. I began trying to use it, though I couldn't really understand what is it good for. I took a look at their ...
13
votes
3
answers
6k
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Random test data: How to do it right?
Several months ago I started an experiment in test automation. Each test, before it starts, picks up random test data. For instance, when my test requires a user with administration privileges, I draw ...
12
votes
6
answers
37k
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Test Suite vs. Test Plan
I am having a difficult time pinning down an official description of what a test suite is compared to a test plan.
In Test Computer Software they don't even mention suites. (I assume because the book ...
12
votes
9
answers
4k
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Tools for Server application testing [closed]
I'm currently working (almost finishing) a Java project that consists on a server application and some client applications on the same network, that will communicate with the server only to request ...
12
votes
4
answers
7k
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Is there a guide for systematic way of writing test scenarios?
Are there best practices in coming up with effective test scenarios? Are there documented test scenarios that can be reused across different systems?
11
votes
7
answers
30k
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How to test a toaster? (interview question)
I want to know how we should approach for testing real world objects. The problem that I faced before is to get the list of use cases from the interviewer. Whenever I asked what the real world object ...
10
votes
3
answers
403
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What criteria do I apply to a highly complex development project to warrant getting "real world" data?
Both the product I used to work on and the one I'm working on now have a fairly large and complex matrix of possible configurations, work-flows, and data scenarios. The one product had, no joke, ...
9
votes
4
answers
2k
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How to implement qa test process for large scale application?
There is a large scale application with thousands of functional points and which never had any QA team or person. So when a QA person or team starts working with this type of product what should be ...
8
votes
8
answers
4k
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Are there specific coding guidelines for test automation?
Details
Currently we are trying to find more ways to write better code. Of course, this does not exclude our automated test cases. We are already testing in the dev environment with SonarCube and ...
8
votes
6
answers
3k
views
What is Scenario Testing and how to create complex test scenario's?
Is there any general approach or methodology to create complex user scenarios for any application or is it completely context-driven.
Are there some general test ideas/patterns/strategies to create ...
7
votes
1
answer
322
views
What are the first steps a tester should perform when using combinational testing?
Hypothetically, lets assume that I am testing the "Search and compare flights" functionality of this website*, and I want to apply a combinational testing technique.
Where should a tester start this ...
7
votes
6
answers
12k
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How to test dynamic GPS location in mobile
How to test my application for GPS location without travelling in real-time?
Problem behind my query :
I am in need to test a travel-based application where your location will change according to the ...
7
votes
3
answers
802
views
Is page object a framework or design pattern?
Currently I'm using page object design pattern with testing.
6
votes
5
answers
559
views
Test automation | Are we focusing more on automation than testing?
Take a very specified example of web application testing with selenium: It seems obvious that (almost) everyone is suggesting using element ID as the best locator strategy, and that your GUI-...
6
votes
4
answers
12k
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How to write proper Test Case steps?
I am beginner in writing test cases. I am working on a live mobile testing project.
Consider a test case to login to a Mobile application:
Test case Description:
To verify that user is able ...
5
votes
1
answer
342
views
How to identify and justify how many test cases is enough when you have a potentially huge number of combinations?
I'm working on a form builder project.
Users can drag and drop elements to build questionnaires.
If we simplify and say there is only 3 form elements that can be used:
Numeric answer, with ...
5
votes
9
answers
58k
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Test data to test form input fields?
I am testing web based user profiles forms which have multiple fields like input box, radio buttons, checkboxes, combo-boxes, alphanumeric fields etc.
what are some good tests that I can run to find ...
5
votes
2
answers
551
views
Should A Formal Test Plan For Dynamic String Testing Include All Combinations?
Situation:
Large enterprise web application
Formal test plan in HP Application Lifecycle Management (née Quality Center)
Many dynamic text strings in the web application with several variables
An ...
4
votes
2
answers
589
views
Black box testing methods without knowledge
I stumbled upon some black box techniques (1), but I don't really get how it works. I found sources saying that black box techniques are techniques in which you input something in a program and check ...
4
votes
5
answers
397
views
Where to start when testing web pages with large number of options
I have inherited a web application that has no useful requirements/specifications, and no tests. The page that I am currently looking at sets the configuration options for the application and consists ...
4
votes
6
answers
11k
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How to categorize defects?
Many project managers and other non-tester roles search for proper categorization according to severity (A-B-C) of the defects and they search for description how to distinguish between each category. ...
4
votes
2
answers
426
views
Using a system test framework that handles test dependencies
To explain better, if test B depends on test A, then
if test A fails, then test B should not be run and fail implicitly
if test A produces some output, then it should be available for test B
I can ...
4
votes
2
answers
707
views
How to use fictitious people and personas in testing?
I've recently stumbled upon the concept of "Personas":
A persona, first introduced by Alan Cooper, defines an archetypical
user of a system, an example of the kind of person who would interact
...
4
votes
3
answers
2k
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What are some Problem solving techniques that can be used in testing? [closed]
What are some Problem solving techniques that can be used in testing. For example I need to think of all the test ideas to test a module ..administrator module for instance.
How can I improve test ...
4
votes
3
answers
2k
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How to break down a single test case that covers an entire process into multiple interconnected tests?
I have a particular end to end test scenario which am trying to automate using Selenium Webdriver. If I automate the whole scenario into one test case, the test case is going to take a minimum of 25 ...
3
votes
5
answers
3k
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When to use White box Testing in a software or a website?
In a software or an website, when to use white box testing technique?
3
votes
3
answers
308
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How to abstract data classes to be more object oriented?
I have run into problems keeping my tests as object-oriented as possible. I have had to rewrite large portions of my code multiple times now, and I feel that there is a better approach to what I'm ...
2
votes
2
answers
1k
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What are the best practices for Integration Testing of a middle-ware?
I want to know about the best practices of Integration Testing for a middle-ware product. It includes several backends and also I want to test it over multiple platforms. The features of Clustering is ...
2
votes
3
answers
250
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Best way to communicate scenarios to be tested to the QA team
After finishing coding a new module for a web app, the team leader told me to inform the QA team to log in the dev version of the app and test all the possible scenarios.
The obvious answer here, ...
2
votes
2
answers
8k
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What are Selenium, JUnit, Ant and JScover and how they are combined?
I am given a javascript function which takes as input some numbers and returns the max, as a part of a project at the university, and I have to test it, using Selenium, JUnit, Ant and JScover. I have ...