CMPE 187: LECTURE 6 - TESTING TECHNIQUES
Review Decision Table
What is decision table-based testing? - Answer -It is a black-box testing method that
mainly focuses on validating business rules, conditions, constraints, necessary parts of
the software.
What is Cause-Effect Graphing? The advantages? - Answer -A requirement-based test
design method. It is just a pictorial representations of business logic shown in the
decision table. It represents the relationships between the causes and effects with 2
type of nodes (cause and effect) that have a true of false connection
Advantages: It derives the minimum # of test cases to cover 100% functional
requirements to improve the quality of test coverage.
What does cause-effect graphing have the ability to do? - Answer -1. Detect defects
that cancel each other out
2. Detect defects hidden by other things going right
Review how to convert a cause-effect graph into a decision table - Answer -
Review Cause-Effect Graphing - Answer -
What is the process to generate test cases using cause-effect graphing? - Answer -1
.Generate a cause-effect graph based on functional requirements
2. Convert the graph into its corresponding decision table
3. Identify and generate test cases based on the decision table
How is test complexity measured in decision table? - Answer -The test complexity will
be based on the # of columns there is in the decision table
How is coverage measured in decision table? - Answer -Coverage is measured through
the lines connecting causes to effects, which has the same result of covering every
column in a decision table.
Review cause-effect graphing example - Answer -
Why is cause-effect graphing a very effective function test method? - Answer -1. It
provides 100% functional requirement coverage for your functional testing.
2. It can be very easily automated in test analysis and design as well as test complexity
analysis and planning.
3. It is easy for engineers to conduct step-by-step test requirement analysis and design
to achieve function requirement coverage
4. It is easily used in model-based testing and automation
, What are some limitations of cause-effect graphing? - Answer -1. It requires high
quality requirement documentation and verification
2. To assure requirements are testable, measurable, correct as well as complete
2. It can't achieve
a. Component/system behavior-related test coverage
b. Component/system boundary, load, and capacity related test coverage
c. User-oriented operation pattern and workflow test coverage
What is scenario-based testing? - Answer -It is a type of simple black-box testing
activity that is designed to validate software products based on user-oriented scenario
tests. They are base on a hypothetical scenario story in a user view. Before they are
applied a software user-oriented scenario analysis and documentation must be done
but they can be applied in system validation or acceptance test levels.
What is scenario? - Answer -A specific sequence of action and interactions between
users and the system under discussion.
A step-by-step description of a function that a system must perform which mainly
focuses on a specific system pattern to use and can be defined in an informal (UML text
test cases) of formal way (UML sequence diagram).
What is the process to convert from use case to scenario testing? - Answer -•Because
use cases may be too high level to derive test cases, we need to transform a use case
into scenarios and then form a scenario to thin threads and finally from thin-threads we
can make test cases.
•Use cases àscenarios àthin-threads àtest cases (scenario tests)
What is a thin-thread? - Answer -a complete trace(E2E) of data/message using a
minimally representative sample of external input data transformed through an
interconnected set of system (architecture) to produce a minimally representative
sample of external output data.
What are the 7 characteristics of an ideal scenario? - Answer -1. Based on a story how
the program is used
2. Motivating so that stakeholder will still push to fix program even if failed test
3. Credible to make stakeholders see that it could possibly happen
4. Complex use, environment or set of data
5. Easy to evaluate test results
What are the advantages and benefits of scenario-based testing? - Answer -1. Cover
all user-oriented system functional requirements in a user view
2. Easily trace back to system/software requirements
3. Expose failures to deliver desired benefits
4. Make sure to explore the expert use of the software
Review Decision Table
What is decision table-based testing? - Answer -It is a black-box testing method that
mainly focuses on validating business rules, conditions, constraints, necessary parts of
the software.
What is Cause-Effect Graphing? The advantages? - Answer -A requirement-based test
design method. It is just a pictorial representations of business logic shown in the
decision table. It represents the relationships between the causes and effects with 2
type of nodes (cause and effect) that have a true of false connection
Advantages: It derives the minimum # of test cases to cover 100% functional
requirements to improve the quality of test coverage.
What does cause-effect graphing have the ability to do? - Answer -1. Detect defects
that cancel each other out
2. Detect defects hidden by other things going right
Review how to convert a cause-effect graph into a decision table - Answer -
Review Cause-Effect Graphing - Answer -
What is the process to generate test cases using cause-effect graphing? - Answer -1
.Generate a cause-effect graph based on functional requirements
2. Convert the graph into its corresponding decision table
3. Identify and generate test cases based on the decision table
How is test complexity measured in decision table? - Answer -The test complexity will
be based on the # of columns there is in the decision table
How is coverage measured in decision table? - Answer -Coverage is measured through
the lines connecting causes to effects, which has the same result of covering every
column in a decision table.
Review cause-effect graphing example - Answer -
Why is cause-effect graphing a very effective function test method? - Answer -1. It
provides 100% functional requirement coverage for your functional testing.
2. It can be very easily automated in test analysis and design as well as test complexity
analysis and planning.
3. It is easy for engineers to conduct step-by-step test requirement analysis and design
to achieve function requirement coverage
4. It is easily used in model-based testing and automation
, What are some limitations of cause-effect graphing? - Answer -1. It requires high
quality requirement documentation and verification
2. To assure requirements are testable, measurable, correct as well as complete
2. It can't achieve
a. Component/system behavior-related test coverage
b. Component/system boundary, load, and capacity related test coverage
c. User-oriented operation pattern and workflow test coverage
What is scenario-based testing? - Answer -It is a type of simple black-box testing
activity that is designed to validate software products based on user-oriented scenario
tests. They are base on a hypothetical scenario story in a user view. Before they are
applied a software user-oriented scenario analysis and documentation must be done
but they can be applied in system validation or acceptance test levels.
What is scenario? - Answer -A specific sequence of action and interactions between
users and the system under discussion.
A step-by-step description of a function that a system must perform which mainly
focuses on a specific system pattern to use and can be defined in an informal (UML text
test cases) of formal way (UML sequence diagram).
What is the process to convert from use case to scenario testing? - Answer -•Because
use cases may be too high level to derive test cases, we need to transform a use case
into scenarios and then form a scenario to thin threads and finally from thin-threads we
can make test cases.
•Use cases àscenarios àthin-threads àtest cases (scenario tests)
What is a thin-thread? - Answer -a complete trace(E2E) of data/message using a
minimally representative sample of external input data transformed through an
interconnected set of system (architecture) to produce a minimally representative
sample of external output data.
What are the 7 characteristics of an ideal scenario? - Answer -1. Based on a story how
the program is used
2. Motivating so that stakeholder will still push to fix program even if failed test
3. Credible to make stakeholders see that it could possibly happen
4. Complex use, environment or set of data
5. Easy to evaluate test results
What are the advantages and benefits of scenario-based testing? - Answer -1. Cover
all user-oriented system functional requirements in a user view
2. Easily trace back to system/software requirements
3. Expose failures to deliver desired benefits
4. Make sure to explore the expert use of the software
