Доклад Алексея Виноградова и Войтеха Барты на конференции SQA Days-20. 24-26 ноября 2016. Минск www.sqadays.com

1. Are test cases dead?
The second life with lean test cases
Alexei Vinogradov
Vojtech Barta

2. Alexei Vinogradov
IT-Consultant
testing, test management, test
automation, coaching
email: alexei@vinogradov-it.de
skype: alexejv
twitter: @i_vino
blog: http://qa-blog.alexei-vinogradov.de
https://www.softwerkskammer.org/groups/testing

3. http://radio-qa.com

5. Vojtěch Barta
QA, Trainer, Agile guy, photographer
email: bartavoj@gmail.com
website: bartavoj.cz

7. What is a Test Case?
• Test Cases are for testers to execute functional testing in the most
efficient way providing following information if relevant
• Pre-condition
• Description
• Steps
• Post-condition
• Test Data
• …. Anything else you need...
• All of these are optional, specially Steps

8. Positive motivation
• Functional testing requires structure
• Plan
• Execute
• Track the progress
• Report results
• Repeat

9. Wrong motivation
• Lack of knowledge
• Bad Requirements
• Trust Issues

10. Do we need them?

11. Overview
• Proposition of Lean Test Cases (LTC)
• What is different on LTC from TC
• Examples of LTC
• Comparison to Checklists & Explorative
• LTC and Agile
• LTC and large scale projects

12. Lean Test Cases
Lean test cases (LTC) are the written test ideas
that can be executed by a tester who knows and
understands the System Under Test (SUT)
Not yet

13. Lean Test Cases
like classic Test Cases, but without
• (formal) preconditions
• steps
• (formal) postconditions
• (very often) input values

14. Classic Test Cases
Example: (Calculator App) - simple addition
• Preconditions: the app is started, no operation is active, display
is showing 0.
• Steps:
1. press „2“. Expected: 2 is displayed
2. press „+“. Expected: 2 is displayed
3. press „5“, Expected: 5 is displayed
4. press „=„, Expected: 7 is displayed
• Postcondition: „7“ is still displayed and will be used for the next
operation.

15. Lean Test Cases
Examples: (Calculator App)
• It must be possible to add 2 numbers
• It must be possible to multiply 2 numbers

16. Lean Test Cases
Examples: (Calculator App)
• It must be possible to add the number to
displayed value from previous operation
(with informal precondition)

17. Lean Test Cases
Examples: (Calculator App)
• After pressing „M+“ the result of „memory“-cell
is added to the number showing. The result is
not displayed, but stays as a new value of
„memory“-cell
(with informal postcondition)

18. Lean Test Cases
Examples: (Traffic Lights App)
• 2 lights at the crossing switch from Red <->
Green:
1. Light 1: Red Light 2: Green
2. Light 1: Red Light 2: Yellow
3. Light 1: Red Light 2: Red
4. Light 1: Red+Yellow Light 2: Red
5. Light 1: Green Light 2: Red
(with test data)

19. LTC vs Classic Test Cases
Similar to test cases:
• manage in TestCase Management Tools
• add meta-data (creation date, links to reqs,
creator, priority, functional sets etc.)
• test coverage
• regression testing

20. LTC vs Checklists
Format of any given lean test case is similar to
the format of one checklist entry, but:
• LTC not a list, but „database“ of tests
• LTC share similarities with classic TC,
Checklists - not

21. LTC vs Explorative
Similarity:
• input test data „generated“ during execution
Difference:
• LTC - test design before execution,
Explorative - during

22. LTC in Agile
• create after user story is defined
• acceptance criterias + more
• share with developers and PO ASAP
• get feedback from developers and PO

23. LTC in Agile
• assign LTC to test automation levels (Module,
Integration, EndToEnd)
LTC-1
LTC-2
LTC-3
..
LTC-N

24. LTC in Agile
• manage formally or not - up to team
• let’em test! (it works)

25. LTC in large projects
• even more important to switch to LTC
• help to find bad requirements
• enforce to gather knowledge about project
• works very well with clear user stories

26. Lean Test Cases: Tips
• in some situations use classic test cases with
steps ( if very complex logic, etc)
• structure your (many) tests
• make the best use of your test case
management tools

27. Lean test cases: benefits
• time (faster)
• cost (cheaper)

28. • easier to read for not-testers
Lean test cases: benefits

29. • less maintenance
Lean test cases: benefits

30. • more interesting to
execute
Lean test cases: benefits

31. Lean test cases: summary
• test design more effective and more efficient
• better quality of test execution (more use of
humans cognitive abilities)
• can be used for wide variety of projects

32. Summary
Test cases are dead!
Long Live (Lean) Test Cases!

33. Have fun at SQA Days 20!
Photo: Sekhar, India ©

34. The End.
Questions?
skype: alexejv
email: alexei@vinogradov-it.de
twitter: @i_vino