scenario testing
{{Short description|Software testing activity that uses scenarios}}
Scenario testing is a software testing activity that uses scenarios: hypothetical stories to help the tester work through a complex problem or test system. The ideal scenario test is a credible, complex, compelling or motivating story; the outcome of which is easy to evaluate.{{cite web
| title = An Introduction to Scenario Testing
| url = https://kaner.com/pdfs/ScenarioIntroVer4.pdf
| accessdate = 2009-05-07
| publisher = Cem Kaner
}} These tests are usually different from test cases in that test cases are single steps whereas scenarios cover a number of steps.{{cite book |last= Crispin |first= Lisa |author2=Gregory, Janet |title= Agile Testing: A Practical Guide for Testers and Agile Teams |publisher= Addison-Wesley |year= 2009 |isbn= 978-81-317-3068-3 |pages=192–5}}
History
Cem Kaner coined the phrase scenario test by October 2003. He commented that one of the most difficult aspects of testing was maintaining step-by-step test cases along with their expected results. His paper attempted to find a way to reduce the re-work of complicated written tests and incorporate the ease of use cases.
A few months later, Hans Buwalda wrote about a similar approach he had been using that he called "soap opera testing". Like television soap operas these tests were both exaggerated in activity and condensed in time.{{cite journal |author=Buwalda, Hans |year=2004 |title=Soap Opera Testing |journal=Better Software |issue=February 2004 |pages=30–7 |publisher=Software Quality Engineering |url=http://www.logigear.com/logi_media_dir/Documents/Soap_Opera_Testing.pdf |accessdate=2011-11-16}} The key to both approaches was to avoid step-by-step testing instructions with expected results and instead replaced them with a narrative that gave freedom to the tester while confining the scope of the test.
Methods
= System scenarios =
In this method only those sets of realistic, user activities that cover several components in the system are used as scenario tests. Development of system scenario can be done using:{{Citation needed|date=September 2011}}
- Story lines
- State transitions
- Business verticals
- Implementation story from customers
= Use-case and role-based scenarios =
In this method the focus is on how a user uses the system with different roles and environment.{{cite book|last=Gopalaswamy|first=Srinivasan Desikan|title=Software Testing:Principles and Practice}}{{Request quotation|date=September 2011}}