Test Procedure or Script Specification

April 06, 2018

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For the success and effectiveness of any software and application, it is vital for the team to prepare detailed, informative, & quality documents and reports, which can be used as a deliverable and for communicating the process and procedure of testing. The purpose of test procedure/script specification document is the same and it tries to define the various types of testing techniques used by software testers to ensure the quality and efficiency of the software. As one of the reports prepared after the completion of software testing, the significance of test procedure or script specification is immense and is described in detail below.

What are Software Testing Procedures?

The various testing practices, processes, & techniques used by testers to ensure that the software application is tested and validated before its release or deployment is known as software testing procedure. It is a combination of several test cases based on a certain logical reason. These are complete, self-contained, self validating and can be executed automatically, with the assistance of automated tools. Moreover, the software testing procedures are the deliverables produced of the software development process and are used for both initial evaluation and subsequent regression testing of target program module or modifications. Hence, software testing procedures must be defined, planned, constructed, tested & reported regularly to achieve desired results.

Test Procedure/Script Specification:

As reporting and documenting software testing procedure is important for the success of the software testing and development process, the team publishes a test procedure/script specification report, which is a document providing detailed instructions for the execution of one or more test cases. This report defines the purpose of various software testing techniques used by testers and makes them understandable for the client and other stakeholders of the project. IEEE standard for Software Test Documentation (829-1998) defines the format for this report, which is used rigorously followed by individuals/testers all over the globe.

Format for Test Procedure / Script Specification:

With its aim to define and specify the steps used for executing test cases as well as the measures taken to analyze the software item in order to evaluate its set of features, the test procedure / script specification document is prepared by software testers after the accomplishment of the software testing phase. The template/format of this document is universally acknowledged and accepted as it is defined by the IEEE standard 829-1998. Therefore, the format for test procedure / script specification is:

• Identifier: To avoid confusion each test procedure / script specification document is provided a unique company generated number, which helps define procedure specification level as well as the the software it is related to.
• Purpose: Once a distinctive identification is generated for the document, the purpose of test procedure is defined. It consists a detailed list of all the test cases covered during testing procedure as well as the description of each test procedure.
• Special Requirements: Any special requirements and specification mentioned by the client or stakeholders of the project before the commencement of the testing process are recorded here with proper evidence and documentation. Hence, the details included here are:
• Type of testing: Manual or automated.
• The test environment.
• Any prerequisites of the test procedure.
• The stages where the test is to be executed, such as pre-testing, regression testing, future compliance testing, etc.
• It also includes details about the special skills and training required by the team for the test procedure.
• Procedures/Script Steps: Finally the actual steps used for the execution of the procedure as well as the activities related to it are defined by the team at the end of the specification document. It includes various procedure/script steps that are defined by IEEE are:
• Log.
• Set Up.
• Proceed.
• Measure .
• Shut down.
• Restart.
• Stop.
• Wrap-up.

Conclusion:

A necessary summary of the test procedure, the test procedure / script specification document helps communicate other important aspects of the software testing process that are not covered by the team in other reports or documents. It further helps bring clarity to the software testing procedure and portrays its importance in software testing life cycle (STLC). In short, if you want to maintain full transparency between the team and the customer, it is vital for the testing team to prepare this document after the accomplishment of software testing process.