To avoid chaos during tests (English version)

Published 8 april 2015 | English version | By Gerben de la Rambelje

Author: Eric Spaargaren  ● erics70@kpnmail.nl

On March 2015 the theme during the test evening was bounded or unbounded tests. It seemed to be an interest subject because there were a lot of TestNet members during that evening. There are some different ways to design software tests and is has more angles. During this evening the topic was bounded or unbounded tests or is it structure or unstructured testing?

We can make the following proposition:

Bounded tests = structured testing

Unbounded tests = unstructured testing

With the usage of bounded tests there are always test methods involved. Concerning unbounded tests there is always the usage of different kind of test techniques or it could be possible a test technique will not be used.

Structured testing or unstructured testing

With the usage of structured testing all  test faces will be used with all subjects of the Waterfall method as software development methodology. With unstructured testing will be used all parts from a certain Framework an example is the Agile methods. Because Agile is a new methods we could ask the question whether the structured Tmap is still the method to use. Or is it even possible to use parts of Tmap on an unstructured way. Or should we use Tmap less and have look on what way testing will be used by the context drive world.

An example that both ways will arise in the practice, I have noticed by myself as test consultant. I have executed an assignment at a Ministry whereby bounded testing was essential. But even at an next test project at a ministry was unbounded testing essential. With the usage of unbounded testing will be used mainly the following test techniques: Exploratory testing or Error guessing.

Workshop 1: (bounded testing)

The goal was to make a choice out of the following test techniques:

DCT (Data Combination Test techniques)

PCT (Process Cyclus Test techniques)

EVT (Elementaire Compare tests)

SYN (Syntactical Test Techniques)

SEM (Syntactical Test Techniques)

There has been given a dataflow diagram with the assignment to use a test technique which has been presented in the assumption above. With the help of this scheme we were busy to create logical test scenario’s and physical test scenario’s. In this case we can speak about bounded testing.

Workshop 2: (unbounded testing)

With workshop 2 there has been given to examples of “unbounded testing”:

1.     Exploratory testing

2.     Error guessing

Hereby we applied in the team “Exploratory testing” and we used for testing the internet site of “the Belastingdienst”.  Concerning this way of testing we could use different way of choices to execute the tests. We can say, that we used other types of test than when we compare the results with the first workshop. That’s the reason we found other findings during these tests.  

Conclusion:

·         With bounded test techniques there will be written specific test cases with the given decision points.

·         With unbounded test techniques there will be done other tests and another way of working and testing will be used.

·         By using bounded and unbounded test technique other types of findings can be found.

·         When tests will be combined with each other it is possible to use both test techniques, bounded and unbounded. But be aware that by using the loggin with Exploratory testing the main test cases will be used.

·         Based on the experience and usage of “Exploratory testing” it’s also possible to use regression tests, but the condition is that the test sheet must be well organized.