Once the artifacts are generated then they are shared with the clients, stakeholders, team, and team managers. Test artifacts are also known as test deliverables. Here are some common types of testing artifacts viz..,
Types of Test Artifacts
TEST PLAN
TEST SCENARIO
TEST STRATEGY
TEST CASES
TEST DATA AND LOGS
TEST METRICS
DEFECT/BUG REPORT
TEST SUMMARY REPORT
Test Plan :
A document that outlines the objectives, scope, strategy, approaches, and, deliverables of the testing activities. It’s like a blueprint that explains how the testing activity is going to take palace in the project. The Test plan is the most important and essential activity to simply ensure that there is an initial list of tasks and milestones in the baseline plan to track or identify project progress. It includes -
- Scope & objectives of the projects.
- Resources required to complete the project.
- Types of Testing and Approaches.
- Risks.
- Entry & Exit points/criteria.
- Deadline/ Schedules.
Test Scenario :
A Test Scenario is a small description of what needs to be performed based on the use case. Scenarios are mostly one-line statements and tell about high-level actions. These are derived from the docs like BRDs and SRS. It focuses more on what to test. Test scenarios can be designed based on the following -
- Define the area you want to cover
- Applying relevant test design
- Ensures the test case is easy for the QA to understand and execute
Test Strategy :
The Test Strategy is a set of instructions or protocols that explains the test design and determines how the test should be performed. It simply provides an easy understanding of targets, tools, techniques, infrastructure, and timing of test activities that are to be performed.
To develop this strategy, there are several points are needed to be kept in mind. Some of them are given below:
- Take a look at all instructions.
- Read the entire test.
- Different levels of testing — Unit, Integration, Acceptance
- Risks involved in testing along with project risks
Test cases :
The Test Case is a detailed document that describes cases that will help execution while testing. It is a document that consists of the test case name, precondition, steps/input condition, and expected results. The development of test cases also helps in identifying or tracking problems or issues in the requirement or design of software applications.
These are detailed instructions that specify the inputs, steps, and expected outcomes for testing specific features or functionality of the software. Test cases ensure that all aspects of the software are thoroughly tested. The Components of the test case are -
- Test case id i.e. unique number.
- Test case name i.e. simple and understandable title.
- Description.
- Test steps.
- Test data, if any.
- Expected Results.
Test Data and Logs :
Test Data includes the input values, configurations, and conditions used during testing. It ensures that the software behaves correctly under different scenarios and data sets.
Test data is used for both positive testings to verify that functions produce expected results for given inputs and for negative testing to test software’s ability to handle unusual ao unexpected inputs.
Test Logs are the records of the test execution activities, including test case status, errors, and other relevant information. Test logs help in troubleshooting and identifying issues during the testing process.
It provides comprehensive information about each test run’s success to validate the quality, performance, and functionality of software applications.
Test Matrix :
The Test Matrix is also referred to as Traceability/ Coverage Matrix. It is a document that traces and maps the relationship between two baseline documents. This includes one with the requirement specification and another one with the test cases. Test matrix plays a key role in convincing the client that all requirements specified have been met and there are no loopholes that are left at the time of product delivery.
It generally helps to ensure transparency and completeness of products of software testing. Test matrixes are of two types; Forward and backward traceability matrixes. Details that are included in the traceability matrix document are-
- Requirement ID
- Requirement type or description.
- Test Case ID linked to that requirement.
- Result or the status. Whether the requirement was met or not.
Defect/Bug Report :
When issues or defects are found during testing, defect reports are created to document the problem, including its description, severity, steps to reproduce, and any supporting information. These reports are used to track and prioritize the resolution of defects.
It is created once all the test cases are executed. It lists all the defects or bugs identified during the testing process. This makes the task to fix the bugs easier for the developer team.
- Title ID.
- Environment.
- Steps to reproduce.
- Expected Result.
- Actual Result.
- Attachments (screenshots, videos, text) of Bug.
- Severity/Priority.
- Assignee.
Test Summary Report :
A Software Test Summary Report is a final document that describes all the testing activities. This report provides an overview of the testing activities, including the number of test cases executed, pass/fail status, issues found, and test coverage achieved. It summarizes the overall quality of the software being tested. This document is important and has to be presented to the stakeholders to keep them informed about the progress made in the project. The test reports can be generated on a daily basis or they can be generated after the completion of testing or at the end of the testing cycle.
Conclusion :
My answer is YES we need most of the artifacts mentioned above in our testing cycle. These artifacts can vary depending on the testing methodology and specific project requirements. Testing artifacts play a crucial role in ensuring that software meets the desired quality standards and provides valuable documentation for future reference.
