Artifact:  Test Procedure

Test Procedure	A test procedure is a set of detailed instructions for the set-up, execution, and evaluation of results for a given test case (or set of test cases).
Role:	Test Designer
Reports:	Reports: Test Survey
More information:	Guidelines:Test Procedure Checkpoints:Test Procedure
Purpose Brief Outline Timing Responsibility Tailoring

Input to Activities: Design Test Packages and Classes Implement Component Perform Unit Tests Implement Test Components and Subsystems Implement Test Execute Test

Output from Activities: Design Test

Purpose

The purpose of the test procedure is to identify and communicate the information necessary for the tester to set-up and implement and / or execute the test case(s) appropriately and consistently.

The following people use the test procedure:

• The Test Designer to identify test procedures based on the test cases and structure test procedures to obtain a high level of reuse and resilience.

Brief Outline

1. Steps / Actions

A series of succinct statements indicating the steps or actions taken by the actor when executing a test case (for a given use case).

2. Input Values / Test Case

The actual values input by the actor at each step / action in the test procedure. This may also be used as a reference to a test case.

3. Expected Result(s)

The expected response from the application for a given step / action. This may be stated as a machine / application state (such as a window appears or a pushbutton is enabled), or data (such as the result of a calculation or retrieved record).

4. Verification Method(s)

The method used to compare the expected and actual results. The verification method may be a simple visual observation (window appeared) or a more complex combination of visual and non-visual properties (window appeared in a given state at a given location within a given time).

Timing

The initial Test Procedure(s) are created during the test design activity during Elaboration, as soon as there are some use cases or scenarios defined and are modified and / or added throughout the remainder of the lifecycle during each iteration.

Responsibility

A Test Designer is responsible for the integrity of the test procedure, ensuring that:

• The test procedures accurately reflect the contents of the iteration.
• The test procedures contain the appropriate content and detail necessary to set-up, implement, execute, and evaluate the test cases.
• The test procedures reflect the execution of the use case consistent with the actor being emulated (using the same navigation, interface methods and options).

The Test Designer uses the contents of the test procedure to produce the following related artifacts:

• other Test Procedures
• Test Cases
• Test Scripts

Tailoring

The Test Procedures (contents and format) may require modification to meet the needs of internal or external standards, guidelines, or oversight.

Copyright  © 1987 - 2001 Rational Software Corporation

Rational Unified Process