Introduction

The purpose of this part of ISO/IEC/IEEE 29119 is to provide an International Standard that defines software test design techniques (also known as test case design techniques or test methods) that can be used within the test design and implementation process that is defined in ISO/IEC/IEEE 29119‑2. This part of ISO/IEC/IEEE 29119 does not prescribe a process for test design and implementation; instead, it describes a set of techniques that can be used within ISO/IEC/IEEE 29119‑2. The intent is to describe a series of techniques that have wide acceptance in the software testing industry.

The test design techniques presented in this part of ISO/IEC/IEEE 29119 can be used to derive test cases that, when executed, generate evidence that test item requirements have been met and/or that defects are present in a test item (i.e. that requirements have not been met). Risk-based testing could be used to determine the set of techniques that are applicable in specific situations (risk-based testing is covered in ISO/IEC/IEEE 29119‑1 and ISO/IEC/IEEE 29119‑2).

NOTE A “test item” is a work product that is being tested (see ISO/IEC/IEEE 29119‑1).

EXAMPLE 1

“Test items” include systems, software items, objects, classes, requirements documents, design specifications, and user guides.

Each technique follows the test design and implementation process that is defined in ISO/IEC/ IEEE 29119‑2 and shown in Figure 1.

Of the activities in this process, ISO/IEC/IEEE 29119‑4 provides guidance on how to implement the following activities in detail for each technique that is described:

— Derive Test Conditions (TD2);
— Derive Test Coverage Items (TD3);
— Derive Test Cases (TD4).

A test condition is a testable aspect of a test item, such as a function, transaction, feature, quality attribute, or structural element identified as a basis for testing. This determination can be achieved by agreeing with stakeholders which attributes are to be tested or by applying one or more test design techniques.

EXAMPLE 2

If a test completion criterion for state transition testing was identified that required coverage of all states then the test conditions could be the states the test item can be in. Other examples of test conditions are equivalence classes and boundaries between them.

Test coverage items are attributes of each test condition that can be covered during testing. A single test condition may be the basis for one or more test coverage items.

EXAMPLE 3

If a specific boundary is identified as a test condition, then the corresponding test coverage items could be the boundary itself and immediately either side of the boundary.

A test case is a set of preconditions, inputs (including actions, where applicable), and expected results, developed to determine whether or not the covered part of the test item has been implemented correctly.

Specific (normative) guidance on how to implement the other activities in the test design & implementation process of ISO/IEC/IEEE 29119‑2, including activities TD1 (Identify Feature Sets), TD5 (Assemble Test Sets), and TD6 (Derive Test Procedures), is not included in Clauses 5 or 6 of this part of ISO/IEC/IEEE 29119 because the process is the same for all techniques.

Figure 1 — ISO/IEC/IEEE 29119‑2 Test Design and Implementation Process

ISO/IEC/TR 19759 (SWEBOK) defines two types of requirements: functional requirements and quality requirements. ISO/IEC 25010 defines eight quality characteristics (including functionality) that can be used to identify types of testing that may be applicable for testing a specific test item. Annex A provides example mappings of test design techniques that apply to testing quality characteristics defined in ISO/IEC 25010.

Experience-based testing practices like exploratory testing and other test practices such as model-based testing are not defined in this part of ISO/IEC/IEEE 29119 because this part of ISO/IEC/IEEE 29119 only describes techniques for designing test cases. Test practices such as exploratory testing are described in ISO/IEC/IEEE 29119‑1.

Templates and examples of test documentation that are produced during the testing process are defined in ISO/IEC/IEEE 29119‑3 Test Documentation. The test techniques in this part of ISO/IEC/IEEE 29119 do not describe how test cases should be documented (e.g. they do not include information or guidance on assigning unique identifiers, test case descriptions, priorities, traceability, or pre-conditions). Information on how to document test cases can be found in ISO/IEC/IEEE 29119‑3.

This part of ISO/IEC/IEEE 29119 aims to provide stakeholders with the ability to design test cases for the testing of software in any organization.

BS ISO/IEC/IEEE 29119-4:2015

Software and systems engineering. Software testing - Test techniques

Published:

31 Dec 2015

Withdrawn:

5 Nov 2021