Here's a breakdown of what it entails:
* Identifying Test Objectives: The first step is clearly defining the goals of testing. What aspects of the software are being tested? Functionality, performance, security, usability, etc.?
* Defining Test Conditions: Based on the objectives, identify all the conditions or situations under which the software should be tested. This might include different input values, user roles, operating systems, network conditions, and more.
* Generating Test Cases: For each test condition, create a detailed test case that specifies:
* Test Case ID: A unique identifier.
* Test Case Name: A descriptive name.
* Preconditions: Any setup required before running the test.
* Test Steps: A clear and sequential list of actions to be performed.
* Input Data: The data used as input to the software.
* Expected Results: The anticipated outcome after executing the steps.
* Actual Results: The actual outcome observed after running the test.
* Pass/Fail: Whether the test passed or failed based on comparing expected and actual results.
* Prioritization: Not all test cases are created equal. Prioritize the test cases based on their criticality and the risk associated with failure. High-priority cases should cover crucial functionalities.
* Test Data Generation: Creating realistic and representative test data to use in the test cases. This often involves generating various types of data to cover edge cases and boundary conditions.
Example:
Let's say you're testing a login form. Test case enumeration might lead to a list of test cases like:
* Valid Username and Password: (positive test case)
* Invalid Username and Valid Password: (negative test case)
* Valid Username and Invalid Password: (negative test case)
* Blank Username and Password: (negative test case)
* Special characters in Username/Password: (negative test case, boundary condition)
* Username exceeding character limit: (negative test case, boundary condition)
* Password exceeding character limit: (negative test case, boundary condition)
* Login with an account that has been locked: (negative test case)
The goal is to create a comprehensive set of test cases, covering as many scenarios as reasonably possible, even if not every single possibility can be tested. The more complete the enumeration, the better the chance of finding defects before release. However, complete enumeration can be practically impossible for large and complex systems, so risk-based testing strategies are often employed to prioritize the most important tests.