Test steps

[baamster]

In version 1.9 there is the option to create individual test steps which is a good thing! However, you cna only pass or fail the complete testcase in stead of validating all the different test steps. In this way you cannot pinpoint which teststep went wrong. Is it not possible to be able to validate all the individual test steps as well?

[manjunath_g]

Hi,

Test steps will be equal to performing an action, like entering data or clicking on a button. If you are not able to enter the data or click on a button (may be it is not available or disabled), there should be a separate testcase to validate these.

Hence it is assumed the actions can be performed. Can you give me an example for the scenario you have mentioned?

Cheers,
Manjax.

[fman]

on 1.9 will not be possible. Steps has been implemented as a way to create a clear layout

[baamster]

It depends how you set up your testcases obviously. Since it is not possible to "refer" to other testcases within a testcase (e.g. choose the testcases to get to where you want to start another testcase), it could be that you describe steps that are not in any other testcase.

For example;

Testcase; User is able to register
Step 1: go to registration page
Step 2: Enter minumum data in fields (only mandatory fields)
Step 3: Click submit

Now something can go wrong in either step 1, 2 or 3. If in this release you have not tested any of these steps (because they where tested earlier for example), you should be able to say which step went wrong in stead of the whole testcase.

The example is a bit simplified I know, but it might give the general idea. Normally my testcases exist of about 10 to 30 steps (depending on how much time i have to describe them and what the teststrategy describes).

[gmichelson]

I would really an ability to fail specific step as well - it would allow to have better picture of failed test plan.

[fman]

is in our plans, but not for 1.9, to much refactor to be done

[WT1]

Why is the process or creating steps and results outside the main test case creation screen. I appears that I have to create a test case then open it again to create the steps and results. That seems to not be the smoothest way to create the test case. Am I missing an a why to do it on the main test case creation screen?

[fman]

this has been our design choice that has the best balance between usability and effort to develop.

[WT1]

Is this something that may change in future versions? This may help development but added a extra step to the process of were you are creating the test case, then saving it , reopening it and having to click on create steps. Then you have to enter those and save again. If someone is creating a large number of test case this will impact efficiency of using the tool.

[fman]

there are no plans, surely this can be an improvement, but do not expect any change in the near future (6 months).

[ktharp]

I agree with WT1 in that the new process is too time consuming. There should be an option at least to use the older way of entry versus beta 5 method. This new method will prevent me from using the next stable release as it will take me much too long to create test cases.

I understand that the database methods may have changed and expect multiple steps, but it should be setup so that if the person wants to enter all steps at once as in previous versions, then that text is just stored as a single step in the database.

Please attempt to have some controllability over this.

[mgreen]

I agree with WT1 and Ktharp. It is fine to have the ability to create individual steps, but to have to create them serially makes the task almost impossible. You should at least be able to create each step at the same time, instead of creating a step, saving, and then creating a new one, etc, etc.

[fman]

>> I agree with WT1 in that the new process is too time consuming.
I'm not able to understand why is so time consuming.
Just because you have to make a couple of clicks instead of just one ?
Designin a test case is IMHO a task that need to be assigned an important amount of time.

>> There should be an option at least to use the older way of entry versus beta 5 method. This new method will prevent me from using the next stable release as it >> will take me much too long to create test cases.
method already exits (work around) => you have just to proceed this way ( I know I'm not saying nothing new)
1. create main part of test case and save => on click to save
2. create just step one and put all your steps there -> 3 additional clicks: on to access to create test step , one to save, one to go out of page.


All other test management tool I know that uses steps, works in this way.

>> I understand that the database methods may have changed and expect multiple steps, but it should be setup so that if the person wants to enter all steps at
>> once as in previous versions, then that text is just stored as a single step in the database.
you have said what I've write before => no implementation is needed

We are willing to accept user contribution in this area, but do not plan to assign dev force on this area.

[ktharp]

>> There should be an option at least to use the older way of entry versus beta 5 method. This new method will prevent me from using the next stable release as it >> will take me much too long to create test cases.
method already exits (work around) => you have just to proceed this way ( I know I'm not saying nothing new)
1. create main part of test case and save => on click to save
2. create just step one and put all your steps there -> 3 additional clicks: on to access to create test step , one to save, one to go out of page.

I have no problem doing this, but the one downside I see right now is that it will make any report that prints the test steps look incorrect. The report will show Step 1 in one column and then the step numbers and the steps in the next column. All I'm suggesting is a flag that stores whether or not the steps are individually entered and then this flag can be checked whenever steps are viewed to determine whether to show a separate column with just the step numbers or not.

[LeeRenewData]

I have to give this change to test creation a thumbs down. I've been using TestLink for almost 4 years now and manage our TestLink and the upgrades of it for my company. We've been waiting for 1.9 to be released for the Platform Management feature and xmlrpc functionality. But I'm afraid when the rest of the QA team sees the extra steps and time to create a test case they're going to insist on staying on a previous version. I think part of the problem is the extra second it takes to load the WSIWYG html editor for every field of the test case, every step, every expected result. The ONLY html feature we ever use from that editor is the number list for the steps within the test case. With this new change we won't even need that. So if I can turn that WSIWYG editor off and just have a text area that might improve the performance enough that this change is usable. Its probably configurable so I'll look for that.