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Basic Testing Terminology

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6.1.1 Software Testing: Terminologies

Test case, test suite, and test oracle are fundamental concepts in software testing.

A test case specifies:

  1. The input data (or initial conditions) to be supplied to the software, and
  2. The expected output or observable behaviour.

When the actual output matches the expected output, the test case is said to have passed; otherwise, it fails.

A test suite is a set of test cases designed together to test a particular module, subsystem, or the system as a whole.

A test oracle is any mechanism that determines whether the outcome of a test case is correct. The oracle provides the reference against which the actual output is compared. It may be based on a formal specification, a previous version of the system, a separate reference implementation, mathematical models, or expert/domain knowledge.

Typical fields in a test case template include: Test Case ID, Title/Objective, Preconditions, Input Data, Steps, Expected Result, Actual Result, Status, and Remarks. A typical test case template is shown in Figure 46.

Sample Test Case Template A structured test case template showing common fields such as Test Case ID, Title or Objective, Preconditions, Input Data, Steps, Expected Result, Actual Result, Status, and Remarks. Test Case Template (Fields to be filled by the tester) Test Case ID e.g., TC_LOGIN_01 Title / Objective e.g., Verify successful login with valid credentials Preconditions e.g., User account exists, application is installed, network available Input Data e.g., Username = "valid_user" Password = "valid_password" Steps 1. Open login page 2. Enter username and password, then click "Login" Expected Result e.g., User is redirected to dashboard with no error message Actual Result (To be filled after execution) Status Pass / Fail Remarks Notes, defect ID, observations Compared against: test oracle / specification
Figure: Sample test case template.
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