What is a successful test case?
Successful test case is one who finds an un-discovered error in the application; test cases are designed having different methodologies like (boundary value analysis, Cause effecting graph, or equivalence partition). Writing test cases which are un-able to cover maximum part of code and obviously have the probability of finding very minimum errors puts question mark in the effectiveness of test cases.
In an organization, development managers use the term “successful test case “ in a different way, it is observed if after executing 50 test cases, 35 test cases find errors in the application while execution, the managers used to say the 35 test cases are not successful and 15 are successful J.
But as we said the test case that finds error in the application is a successful has proven to be a valuable investment and test cases which do not find any error in the application, because designing test cases is a costly activity.
In an organization, development managers use the term “successful test case “ in a different way, it is observed if after executing 50 test cases, 35 test cases find errors in the application while execution, the managers used to say the 35 test cases are not successful and 15 are successful J.
But as we said the test case that finds error in the application is a successful has proven to be a valuable investment and test cases which do not find any error in the application, because designing test cases is a costly activity.
"The test doesn't find a bug. Its the human who finds a bug and the test plays a role in helping the human find it" -- Yours truly
ReplyDeleteA successful test case is one that gives useful and useable information about the product/system under test - at a given point in time (build release x, platform y, etc.)
ReplyDeleteThe success of it is about the information it gives - feature abc works as documented, or feature def doesn't work as documented failing at step n of the test case...
Thanks Pradeep & Simon for sharing your response, Pradeep i have seen your video "myths about testing", in which you have mentioned the same point.
ReplyDeleteThe test doesn't find a bug. Its the human who finds a bug and the test plays a role in helping the human find it" .
Nice way to encourage humand rather than tests :)