In an Agile environment, development and QA testing services are tightly woven, resulting in an efficient testing process and ultimately, a high-quality product. A good test case is the foundation of this “hand-in-hand” relationship. To create a test case, the objectives of the product are translated into test conditions. These conditions describe an input, action, or event, along with an expected response or output. If this expected output is achieved, the test case has verified the proper function of the product.
These are just a few of the ways that test cases can benefit a development team:
- They help developers understand the full functionality and integration of their code.
- Developers can use test cases to map their code, since they are drafted using product requirements.
- They can help developers understand the navigational flow of the product’s various pages.
- Test cases can be named high or low priority, helping developers to prioritize their work and deliver functionality to QA earlier.
- The various types of data in a test case will help developers write code to account for different user scenarios.
- The included environment details help developers know which configurations their code must support.
- Expected result of a test case helps provide insight about user experience.
As you can see, test cases show functionality from a user standpoint, providing a holistic view of the product and improving collaboration between teams. Keep these three guidelines in mind as you draft your test cases:
- Strive for simplicity and relevance.
Your test cases should be clear and easy to understand, and relate directly to the original coding requirements of the function or module being developed. Based on the test cases you provide, the development team should be able to analyze all of the forthcoming changes, issues, or enhancements. If the test cases are simple and relevant, it saves the development team’s time. - Put them in the end user’s shoes.
Developers should gain insight from your test cases. Write test cases that incorporate the end user’s experience, including how they view the product and what they expect from it. A rich understanding of the product and the purpose it is built to serve will help add value to both development and QA teams. - Aim to inform.
Test cases should help developers understand the environment and the prerequisites for the functionality being developed. When using an Agile approach, the development team will also get an understanding of changes or updated functionality. Learn more about the Agile process in our “7 Best Practices for Successful Offshore Agile QA” whitepaper. As you aim to inform developers and help them make their product better, you will gain their respect and be able to incorporate better QA in to the development process.
Follow the above guidelines to show your developers that you know the product, value their time, make QA relevant to them, and help them make their product better. Thorough test cases will benefit the development lifecycle.
Have thorough test cases improved your development process and QA testing services? Leave a comment below and let us know.
