Use Cases and Test Cases Relation in Testing Process

By Ms.Cherapa Wannasuk
Position: Senior Consultant
Gosoft (Thailand) Co.,Ltd.
E-mail: [email protected], [email protected]
Tel: +6626779471
Mobile: +66891408022

Abstract
Use cases make my life easier in doing the test cases. Use cases are nit usually
shown is the time used to operate each individual step in the main scenario and
extension. I will retrieve it from the non-functional requirement section. I get more
information by observation the business operation and/or discussion with System
Analyst. In this article I will explain use cases, test cases, how I develop and validate
my test cases. Finally I summarize the relation between use cases and test cases.

This is the document containing concept of work from my experience. I would like to
share to all of you the way I think and the way I apply to my job.

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Contents
Use Cases .......................................................................................................3
What use cases narrative tells you? ....................................................................4
What are Test Cases? .......................................................................................5
Test Cases development ...................................................................................6
Test Cases Validation........................................................................................7
Relation Summary............................................................................................8

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Use Cases
A use case is a set of scenarios that describing an interaction between a user and a
system. A use case diagram displays the relationship among actors and use
cases. The two main components of a use case diagram are use cases and actors.

An actor is represents a user or another system that will interact with the system
you are modeling. A use case is an external view of the system that represents
some action the user might perform in order to complete a task.

Use Cases Diagram is used in almost every project. They are helpful in exposing
requirements and planning the project. During the initial stage of a project most use
cases should be defined, but as the project continues more might become visible.

System

Deposit

* *
*

Customer *
Withdraw

The detail of each use case will show in the narrative. The following pattern is one of
the most useful narratives one.
Use Cases ID UCD001
Name Deposit Money
Objective To deposit money to the Deposit Machine
Entry Conditions Customer selects Deposit button
Success End Customer gets deposit slip.
Condition
Fail End Condition Customer selects “Cancel” button.
Actors Customer, Cash Machine
Main Scenario 1. Customer press ‘Deposit’ button.
2. System prompts account number.
3. Customer enters 10 digits of account number and press
‘Confirm’ button.
4. System validates the account number.
5. System opens the drawer.
6. System pops up message “Please put the money in the

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 drawer.”
7. Customer put the money in the drawer.
8. System closes the drawer.
9. System counts the money in the drawer.
10. System displays the deposit amount on screen.
11. System requests the customer to make confirmation by
popping up the message “Please press ‘Confirm’ button
to continue.”
12. Customer presses ‘Confirm’ button.
13. System issues the deposit slip.
14. System acknowledges the message ‘Transaction is
completed.’
15. Customer gets the slip.
Extension 4a System cannot find the account number. Then go back to
step 2 with the message ‘Invalid Account Number, Please try
again.’
12a Customer presses ‘Cancel’ button. The drawer is opened
and request customer to pick up the cash.

What use cases narrative tells you?

The narrative in the use case will help us to describe the functional requirements in
detail. What steps the actor will perform and what are the system activities. Tester
will study the scenario and derive it into the test cases. On use case may lead to one
test case or more than one. The Traceability Metric will be updated to ensure that all
functions are handling by tester.

This is how I use narrative to help create Test Cases.

Use Cases ID Use as reference.
Name Use as reference.
Objective To identify the main purpose of the Test Cases. I have to
make sure that the Test Case object is relevant to the
objective of use case.
Entry Conditions What is the pre-required Test Cases if need?
What are the activities or action or the equipment that I have
to prepare for test in function?
Success End This information tells me about the conditions that actor
Condition performs completely and has to be tested.
Fail End Condition In case the actor terminate the request what the can do. It will
help me identify the case that I have to write.
Actors The role play that I have to create in my test case.
Main Scenario The working steps for each role in detail. I will use this
information to detail my test case and validate all the success
and fail condition that already defined.
Extension The activities that will be happened in case the step in the
main scenario is not operated as planned.

As a tester you need to study all the use cases and come up with one or more test
cases. The next topic I will explain you about my test case in detail.

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What are Test Cases?
First, I would like to start with the definition of Test Case.
IEEE Standard 610 (1990) defines test case as follows:
“(1) A set of test inputs, execution conditions, and expected results developed for a
particular objective, such as to exercise a particular program path or to verify
compliance with a specific requirement.
“(2) (IEEE Std 829-1983) Documentation specifying inputs, predicted results, and a
set of execution conditions for a test item.”

Test case is the document that tells the working steps in checking the completeness
and correction of the deliverables. The main objectives of the test cases are the
following.
1. Plan to do the working steps as describe in the use cases references.
2. Check the deliverables to ensure that they pass the acceptance criteria.
3. Verify that only deliverables identify in the scope are developed.
4. Ensure that all steps are conformed to the use cases.

I have the Test Case Template that I have to fill in the information needed before
and after execution. The template is divided into three sections.
1. The first section contains the test objective, test environment, test type,
conditions required.
2. The second section contains the testing steps.
3. The last section will be used to record the test results.

This is the standard template of my test case.

Test Cases Template 1.0
Project Code Created By: Verified By:
Test ID Use Cases
Reference
Test Type
□Unit Test □Integration □System
Test Environment
Quality Covered
Pre-Conditions
Post-Conditions
Notes
Testing Steps
No. Description Test Expected Actual Severity Test Remarks
Data Results Results Status

Test Date:
Total Test Time:
Test By:

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From the template above, I will fill in section number 1 and 2 first. Section number 3
will have data during the test execution. The next section will demonstrate you how I
generate the test case.

Test Cases development

How to make test cases correctly and completely is the most challenge step for me. I
have to well prepare. In order to ensure that I have all information needed I have to
do the following steps.
1. Review the project plan in the Quality Requirement section and Acceptance
criteria to find out the quality of the deliverables.
2. Check the schedule tasks and working period in the test plan.
3. Study the Requirement Specification, the functional and non-functional parts.
Both are required for making the testing steps.

These skills are required for the tester.

1. Business concept of the customer. If tester realize that why these steps are
very important to the customer’s business he/she will put them in the test
cases.
2. Understand the operation concept. The operation steps are normally defined
in the use cases. When I read the use cases I will get the steps the actor
interact with the system. Sometimes it required more detail about
performance and quality required in each steps. If I know more in working
environment I can put in my test cases. Sequence diagram can help to
demonstrate them. I always involve in the requirement collection phase.
Observation is the better part for me.
3. Risk identification, possibility and impact to both business and operation. This
skill is not built easily. Risks may be identified in the project plan. All of them
must be monitored. Risks effected in the business and operation is looked like
these.
a. If actor did not perform these steps what will be happened. What is
the impact and likelihood of them?
b. If the system produces the incorrect amount what is the business
impacts?
c. If the system distributes the output to the wrong actor how to ensure
that it won’t happen?
d. What will be happened when the system has virus affected?
4. Problem solving. I think it is the important one. I will record all activities that
I use in the remark to continue my testing steps. I believe that it will help the
maintenance and support team to perform work around in case the errors
occurred.

Eventually I will develop the test case. I put all use cases together and get how
many actors that I have to be. It should be the same as the high level of use cases.
It will look like I simulate the operation routines. This is the sample workflow that I
use to make the testing steps.

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 Test Case 1.0 Test Case 2.0

UC001 UC002 UC003

Customer Sales Adminstrator Database Warehouse

Make an order Product Code Record Order

Notify Order
List the Product
status, Order
Confirm order Database Delivery for
amount and
tomorrow
delivery date

I create two test cases that cover three use cases. The use cases narrative may be
combine together in the test cases steps. The risk that I have identified has been
recorded and ready for execution. I can see the pre-condition and post-condition. I
know the interface required between each actor and what step they need. This flow
will also help me in validation of my test cases against the use cases.

Test Cases Validation

I have to ensure that I cover all functions and quality required then validation
process cannot be skipped. In the test case template has the quality cover that I
have to fill in and it derived from the quality requirements in the project plan and in
Requirement Specification.

I have list of use cases in the Requirement Traceability Metric. I update my test case
in it. I will know how many use cases that I have covered and how many that I
missed.

The next step is the detail verification. I perform these steps.

1. Make notes of the operation that I have to perform in the specific role.
2. Check the operation steps in the test cases steps.
3. All of them have to get mark.
4. Review the test cases steps that I did not mark to ensure that they
conformed to the risk and quality required.

After I finished this step I am ready for the execution process.

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Relation Summary
The relation between use case and test case will be shown here. The objective of use
case is to identify the actor and working scenario. The objective of test case is to
plan for the execution to ensure the quality, risks and acceptance criteria are met
with the project and product requirements and satisfy the customer.

I use the detail in the use case to generate the testing steps. The table below is the
relation of both.
Use Cases Test Cases
ID Use as references
Objective Clarify the objective and make sure that the objective is
met by running the testing steps
Entry Conditions If they are specified in the use case they must be verified
that they are related to the system. They are required to
perform before execute this test case.
Success End criteria It is the output, message or evidence that tells me that
this use case execution is successfully ended.
Fail End Criteria This is the step that the actor terminates the working
process. The deliverables will not be generated. The
system will not perform any steps further after the actor
did this step. Sometimes audit trial is required so the
system has to record them. So in the test case will set up
the step to verify it.
Actors They are the role that I set the test case for. They will take
actions identify in the testing steps and record the actual
results. They have to record the name, testing date, time
used in the test case.
Main Scenario These are the steps that I copy some parts to the testing
steps. They are mostly related to system activities. The
system must act as defined in this section. In case the
system fails to perform these actions they will be recorded
in the actual result. The pass/fail criteria are put in the test
case. I normally noted working detail in the remark.
Extension The description that the system behaves after it cannot
succeed the specify operation such as the system cannot
find the account code, the connection is loss, the input is
not correct and etc.
The system must follow the steps described in detail here.
In the test case the testing steps should have them.

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