First Things First

1
First Things First

• Red Earth QA Meeting
• Febrary 23, 2005
• Robert Watkins

2
The Scenario

• You are assigned to test an application
• Theres little documentation
• Theres not enough time to test everything
• Theres little guidance on what to test
• Sound familiar?

3
Overview of the Decision Tree

• You can get a good start at deciding on what
  tests to perform first if you give each test a
  weight.
• But its complicated by the fact that there are
  generally multiple tests needed to fully exercise
  major features.
• Using a decision tree document, you can
• Identify major features
• Identify ways of exercising those features
  (scenarios)
• Weigh each scenario and each major feature
• Sort the tasks to get a good start on what to
  test first

4
Getting Started Identify the Major Features and
Weigh

• Example
• Windows Notepad
• Create a new document 1-high
• Save a document 1-high
• Open an existing document 1-high
• Print a document 2-medium
• Edit a document 1-high
• Change the document format 3-low
• View Help documentation 3-low

5
Adding Details Identify Scenarios and Weigh

• Example
• Create a new document (1-high)
• C1 Right-click in Windows Explorer, select
  new, then select Text Document
  2-medium
• C2 Open Notepad to create new document 1-high
• C3 Open Notepad, select new document icon
  2-medium
• C4 Open Notepad, select File menu option then
  select New 2-medium
• C5 Open Notepad type CTRL-n 3-low
• Print a document (2-medium)
• P1 Open Notepad, select File menu option then
  select Print 1-high
• P2 Open Notepad, select CTRL-p 3-low
• etc....
• Multiply the weights together to get C12,
  C21, C32, C42, C53, P12, P26,
  etc

6
Prioritize Tests

• Example
• C21 - Open Notepad to create new document
• P12 - Open Notepad, select File menu option
  then select Print
• C12 - Right-click in Windows Explorer, select
  new, then select Text Document
• C32 - Open Notepad, select new document icon
• C42 - Open Notepad, select File menu option
  then select New
• C53 - Open Notepad type CTRL-n
• P26 - Open Notepad, select CTRL-p
• etc
• Note, this is only a starting point, feel free to
  make individual changes as necessary.

7
Start Testing

• This list is only a starting point, there may be
  other factors that will pull some features to the
  top of the list.
• Time permitting, you can test the items that fall
  below the cutoff point.

8
Questions?

• You can email me at redearthqa_at_sbcglobal.net to
  get a copy of these slides and an excel
  spreadsheet that can assist with the calculations
  and sorting of priorities.