Test oracle
ISTQB Glossary definition In Simple English, Field Notes For Test oracle
ISTQB Glossary definition
"A source to determine expected results to compare with the actual result of the software under test. An oracle may be the existing system (for a benchmark), other software, a user manual, or an individual’s specialized knowledge, but should not be the code."
[After Adrion]
In Simple English,
In short, Where you get your 'expected results' defined form is what a test oracle is.
QA Practitioner's Field Notes
- Please note here that the test oracle is only a source for the expected result and not the process of getting it.
- More often even experienced test analyst and QA practitioners confuse the test oracle with other similar systems and roles.
- AS IS system is another way to talk about the test oracle and AS IS system is still not the test oracle
- In terms of roles, An SME, BA, user champion or Single point of contact, functional lead all are roles that could help you with figuring out what the expected result is, still they are not the explicit test oracle though they may play that role for some time. The problem is that invariably and quite beyond their control when these roles try to be the test oracle they deviate from expected result based on what their role calls for as their interests in the project.
- The test oracle is ideally a role that is independent of the other roles.
- This independence helps them be very objective and just present what the expected result functionally would be independent of the system it is implemented in.
- When technology re platforming, modernizing and upgrade projects are taken up, the need for a separate test oracle arises as most of the functional outcome is clearly defined. In fact the objective of most of these projects is to provide at the very least the same functional response as the previous system.
- Interaction with the test oracle is better done at the early stages of the project and particularly the test execution phase.
For Example:
Example 1:
Say a company is upgrading it's leave management system from a 7 year old standalone web based software that they were using to the latest version of the same brand of software. This being a off the shelf product would have evolved and grown in the 7 years to do a lot more that the earlier version. It may even not do some of the functional scenarios that the older version did.
In this situation the upgrade team has 2 options, to document every functional transaction that was handled by the old system and establish the same in the new system or they can take these functional transactions from old system and redesign these to use the new features of the latest software and work with the limitations of the new system.
Only in the first case would a test oracle make sense. in the second case the test oracle would not be of much need or use.
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Verification
ISTQB Glossary definition
Confirmation by examination and through provision of objective evidence that specified requirements have been fulfilled. [ISO 9000]
In Simple English,
See - confirm - document - confirm
QA Practitioner’s notes for real work experience in this field
- This is one of the basic functions of the testing.
- At the most basic level it refers to the process of verification and confirmation of the behaviour
- One importatnt part of the verfication process is ‘Objective evidence’ - That means your verification is complete only when you have a test log to show that you verified and what you verified and how you verified it
Now, Let’s see one or more example cases to understand this even better:
Say, you are testing the most basic login test.
seeing just login works is first part of the verification process.
the most important part of the verification process is to have a test log with proof.
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Work Breakdown Structure
An arrangement of work elements and their relationship to each other and to the end product.
A list of tasks identified to complete an end product.
QA Practitioner’s notes for real work experience in this field
- While this is simple enough to maintain for small projects, it is a complicated list to maintain for a bigger project.
- Tasks are usually identified and provided by the team for better ownership o 2
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W
W - Click on the words below, to learn and understand them easily
Walkthrough - F, ATM
Website Analysis and MeasureMent Inventory (WAMMI) - ATA
White-box technique
white-box test design technique - F, ATT
white-box testing - F
Wide Band Delphi - ATM
wild pointer - ATT
Work Breakdown Structure
Test suite
ISTQB Glossary definition In Simple English, flield notes for "Test suite"
ISTQB Glossary definition
A set of several test cases for a component or system under test, where the post condition of one test is often used as the precondition for the next one.
In Simple English,
it's a group of related test cases that makes sense to be tested together to achive a test objective at hand.
QA Practitioner’s notes for ream work experience in this field
- Test suites are often dynamically created to match the the task at hand.
- Most times test suites are used as work allocation mechanism within a huge team.
- Though it's easy to use it to manage work allocation its not the best way to achive test objectives.
- Though by definition each steps' result should feed to the next step as input it is not a hard requirement.
- Most often test suites are created based on the release being tested.
Now, Let’s see one or more example cases to understand this even better:
Say you are asked to test an web application like gmail. One way to form the test suites would be to have one per function like, send mail, receive mail and manage drafts.
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wild pointer
ISTQB Glossary definition In Simple English, Field Notes For wild pointer
ISTQB Glossary definition
A pointer that references a location that is out of scope for that pointer or that does not exist.
See also pointer.
In Simple English,
An address to no where.
Field Notes
For Example:
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white-box testing
In Simple English,"Testing based on an analysis of the internal structure of the component or system."
it is testing done with complete information and knowledge of how the internals of the component or system under test works available and used by the tester.
Field Notes
- This is also called Glass box testing. Glass box because the tester can see what is inside.
- Often people assume it as knowing the code and testing. It is not often the case.
- Testing the code directly is part of unit testing and not strictly a functional test in the broad sense of software projects.
- This is still a functional test.
- This testing needs the tester to be proficient with the internal structure of the system under test.
- Getting help from a developer does not count as a white box testing as more often the lack of knowledge and understanding undermines the test objective.
For Example:
white-box test design technique
"Procedure to derive and/or select test cases based on an analysis of the internal structure of a component or system."In simple English:
1. It's very easy to understand this, if you read it as transparent box testing.
For Example:
Say, you want to test the software that controls an rocket. What you need to be sure of its that there is no piece of code that might bring the rocket down.