20 ways to use TestersDesk.com
for Software Test Design and Test Data Generation

test combinations can be reduced

The situation: Many test cases are influenced by multiple test parameters, each with several direct inputs (or equivalence classes). Typical problem arises when they have to be executed covering all possibilities/combinations.

An Example: Think that a registration page has to be tested which has four fields- Username, Password, E-mail, Receive_notifcations. Let us say that Username can have two types of valid classes on inputs and three classes of invalid inputs. Similarly let us say that Password can have four valid classes three invalid classes of inputs. E-mail, let us, say can have four valid classes and two invalid classes on inputs. Receive_notifications can be Yes or No. Let us say that all these fields have to be tested in three browsers IE6, IE7 and FF3. Here we are talking about each input having some significance in the system behavior.

To summarize, following is what we are looking at as the Test Parameters that drive the registration tests.

Username: Valid1, Valid2, Invalid1, Invalid2, Invalid3
Password: Valid1, Valid2, Valid3, Valid4, Invalid1, Invalid2, Invalid3
E-mail: Valid1, Valid2, Valid3, Valid4, Invalid1, Invalid2
Browsers: IE6, IE7, FF3

If we were to test all the combinations of values of the above Test Parameters, we are talking about 5 * 7 * 6 * 3 = 630 ways to configure test inputs. There is a clear need to reduce this without compromising Test Coverage.

Benefit from TestersDesk.com: Welcome to Pairwise Testing (if you are not already enjoying its virtues). We generate a very reduced number of Test Cases that cover all the two-way interactions between all the values of all the test parameters. Now, that's intelligent test design. The list produced by our tool, and the additional tests identified by your judgment/experience yield the maximum number of defects in the shortest possible time.

For the above example, we provide as little as 42 Test Cases that guarantee Pairwise Coverage.

decision tables for test coverage can easily be generated

The situation: Test Coverage is a serious problem with the decisions to be made in executing a test. This has been conceptually solved by the Decision Table matrix formation technique that covers all the possibilities and lets testers mark the appropriate action for each decision set. The problem with this approach is that it tends to grow horizontally as the decisions and the options grow, making it infeasible to use it as part of the Test Case Documentation.

An Example: Let us there is a business function "Calculate Monthly Premium" in a Health Insurance Application where there are three decisions that influence the outcome, namely, Person Age Group, Gender, and Health Index. Let us also say that Person Age Group can be one of G1, G2, G3 and G4. Gender can be male, female. And Health Index can be 1 to 10 (and each of them has a difference influence on the calculated premium).

Now let us say tests have to be prepared covering all the possibilities of sets of options chosen for the respective decisions. We are looking at 4 values of Person Age Group * 2 values of Gender * 10 values of Health Index, a total of 80 possibilities. It may not be so desirable to have 80 columns in a decision table.

Benefit from TestersDesk.com: Let us say that the following is given as input to TestersDesk.com's N-way TestCase Generator.

Person Age Group: G1, G2, G3, G4
Gender: male, female
Health Index: 1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10

all subsets of test inputs from a larger set can be generated

The situation: Often times, while choosing multi-input test values, the problem of selecting a subset of test items from a larger list arises. There is a need to see all possible subsets of a given size from the list, and then select the needed values.

An Example: A 7-day week company's payroll application works differently based on which of the 5 days in the calendar week a given employee has attended the office. So, we need to select all possible values of taking 5 items (individual days) from 7 items (calendar days).

Benefit from TestersDesk.com: TestersDesk.com generates all the subsets from the larger set by taking two simple inputs- the complete list of possible test items, and the size of the subset (i.e., "how many at a time"). For the above example, there are 21 ways how 5 items can be picked out of the 7 test items.

permutations (changed orders) of critical tests can be generated

The situation: Change in order of actions can lead to change in behavior. It is a least argued fact in the way how software applications work. Testers have the need to change the order of key test actions to see if they cohesively work well-- some call them as Scenario Tests, Test Stories, Act-like-a-customer tests and so on...

An Example:

Let us say that a banking application works perfectly in showing the balance money when the test actions are done in the following sequence-

Change Password-->Check Balance--->Transfer Funds

Let us hypothetically say there is a conflict on the data updating process when balance is checked after changing the password, then the following sequence may not work-

Transfer Funds--->Change Password-->Check Balance

Benefit from TestersDesk.com: You can provide the 3 or 4 critical test actions and get a list of all possible permutations (changes in order) of test execution. This does not necessarily formulate the actual Scenario Tests but at least helps you in visualizing what are the possible orders that the key test actions can take, and lets you pickup the interesting rows.

test input strings with a custom syntax/format can be generated

The situation: Not all Test input fields are insensitive to the format of the data provided. It is a common need for Testers to prepare data in the format/syntax as needed in field's specific context.

An few Examples:

• The US Phone number fields need data in the format 999-999-9999 (where each '9' can be a number 0 to 9).
• An application has in ID field that needs 4 alphabets, followed by 6 numbers, and than one more alphabet.

Benefit from TestersDesk.com: By letting you choose from a symbol table, TestersDesk.com allows a Custom Syntax to be defined, and then generate as many values as needed.

multiple test input files can be created with just one template and one data file

The situation: The Application Under Test takes a file as test input. This file has several fields in a specified format. There is a need to prepare multiple files each having different test data.

A few Examples:

• An EDI file has to be sent to a partner system and needs multiple files with varied test inputs
• A Properties file has to be prepared as a test input. While the names remain common in all files, values can be changed in different ways
• A Web Service needs to be tested with several XML files. The format of each file is same and only data changes.

Benefit from TestersDesk.com: By taking two input files- One a Template file that shows the format of your test input file that has placeholders where data needs to be embedded, and the other with several rows of test data, a single ZIP file is generated that has as many files as the number of rows in the CSV Test Data file provided. Each individual file represents each individual row of test data. The advantage is that many files can be generated in one-go, and editing and other maintenance work is done on just two files.

different timestamps can be generated

The situation: It is a common test input requirement to provide a date/time value to an Application Under Test. Sometimes, several values may be needed instead of just one. It becomes tedious to prepare them manually.

An Example: An E-greeting cards application is being tested, and needs several test dates in a particular month or a particular range; and in a specified format.

Benefit from TestersDesk.com: By providing Timestamp format, and optionally timezone information, the specified number of timestamps are generated.

test credit card numbers can be generated

The situation: A variety of identification numbers, such as credit card numbers and Canadian Social Insurance numbers need to comply with Luhn formula, also known as mod-10 check. Testers need test inputs covering both valid as well as invalid Luhn (mod-10) values to exercise the Application Under Test.

An Example: A shopping cart is being tested, and the checkout functionality needs sample Credit-card numbers as part of the test input.

Benefit from TestersDesk.com: By configuring an optional prefix (like 4111 for visa) and length of the number, the specified number of values can be generated that adhere to (or violate) the Luhn (Mod-10) check.

unique IDs can be generated

The situation: Let us say that a test system needs certain test inputs in a screen, and one of the field has to be globally unique, meaning it should have never been used before any time on any machine, you would need a tool that helps generate such values.

An Example: A licensing module of an application needs to be tested, and one-time unique values are needed to execute several test cases, in each test cycle.

Benefit from TestersDesk.com: TestersDesk.com provides a simple to use feature that just asks for the quantity needed, and generates IDs that are universally unique.

SQL injection security tests on web forms can be automated

The situation: Malicious test inputs can be crafted to trick the SQL logic running in applications and compromise Application Security (especially when the user supplied inputs are consumed in building SQL). SQL Injection has stood out as the most popular vulnerability, generally in multi-user applications like Web Applications. It has become mandatory to test the applications for such vulnerabilities, at least at the entry-level pre-login screens. But to perform such tests you either need expensive tools or really tech-savvy testers on board.

An Example: A web application provides activation licenses to a game by taking an order ID. Traditional tests include testing it with valid order IDs, empty fields, lengthy order IDs, and so on... All such tests, let us say, have yielded expected results. There is a chance that it has one major test uncovered - that is whether or not SQL can be injected into the field to trick the server-side logic and compromise Application Security.

Benefit from TestersDesk.com: TestersDesk.com collects the basic information about a Web Form (its action URL, field names with some dummy values, and the target_field on which you want to perform the SQL injection) and then crafts automated forms with different types of SQL injections, and presents a single downloadable HTML file. Once downloaded, it can be executed on your application and the content within the page may reveal potential security holes in the Application Under Test.