Page 71 - SOFTWARE TESTING & QUALITY ASSURANCE

Software Testing and Quality Assurance

Equivalence Partition
Equivalence partitioning, also called as equivalence classing, is a process of classifying
the test cases and grouping them into different classes. This method helps to reduce test
cases to a finite number of test cases without compromising on the quality of the test
being carried out.
Consider a text box that accepts numeric values ranging from 18 and 60 (18 and 60 are
part of the equivalence class).
Valid Classes:
Values from 18 to 60
Invalid Classes:
Values < 18

Values >60
Values such as 19, 24, and 59 fall under the valid class, while values like 17 and 75 fall
under the invalid class.

While testing a word pad, you will not test the file save and load features in the configuration. Instead,
you will test to create a document that contains various fonts, sizes, colors, pictures, etc. This document
is then printed on a selected printer configuration to check for configuration testing.
Design the Test Cases to Run on Each Configuration

To perform configuration testing, a tester must have a good understanding of the product. Black box
testing provides better knowledge about the product to the tester. It thereby enables the tester to learn
about the features of the product. Hence, test cases are written before configuration testing. Let us now
learn some of the steps required to test each configuration.
1. Select the object to be tested.
2. Set up the test configuration from the list.
3. Start the software.
4. Load in the file configtest.doc.

5. Ensure that the displayed file is correct.
6. Print the document.
7. Confirm that there are no error messages and that the printed document matches the standard
document.
8. Log any discrepancy as a bug.

This example is just a simple one. However, in reality, the steps involved are detailed, and they specify
what to do and what to look for. In addition, the steps followed are simple to run and understand. The
tests are iterated until the results are satisfactory.
5.1.3 Deciding the Hardware Configuration

A fair idea about the products and their manufacturers enables the testers to decide the hardware
configuration. Based on the hardware configuration, the equivalence partitions are designed and the
standards to be followed are identified
The Apple website provides you with information on how to develop and test hardware devices for
Apple computers. The Apple website also includes the links pertaining to test-labs with information on
conducting configuration testing.

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