As a software developer, you’re probably required to write a great number of test cases and test scenarios. Learn how to tell them apart in this article.
Join the DZone community and get the full member experience. Test cases and test scenarios are two of the most common test artifacts: both are documentation produced by the software development team in order to track progress on a project. With the current shift away from the Waterfall method of software development and towards Agile testing, it is important to understand the differences between test cases and test scenarios. But it is also important to note that the methods are most valuable when used together appropriately. Image Source It’s worth noting that test cases often form part of a test scenario. A test scenario is focused on an aspect of the project — for instance, « test the login function. » Test cases are your means of checking if that aspect works as intended – in this case, that would be detailing the steps to take. The two techniques are usually used together but can be used separately depending on the resources available. We’ve outlined some key differences to note so that you can choose which testing method to use for each project or whether to use a combination of the two. When checking specific features, there is no ambiguity. The steps and expected results are clearly defined, and any deviation from the expected process/results is considered a failure. In contrast, a test scenario tends to have a less detailed plan, with no specific steps and simply an end goal. This means that the process is more open to creativity on the part of the QA team. Test scenario examples: Test cases can be useful as part of testing in production so that you can take a close look at the steps required for the product to function in a real-life environment. Whereas a scenario is a general overview of what to assess, test cases consist of particular, detailed instructions. Let’s consider a test case process example. If you were testing the payment functionality of a website, your instructions may include steps like the ones below: And so on. Because test scenarios usually have one simple goal, the means of getting to that goal is more flexible than in test cases (where the process is more specific).
