True to Xray's reputation as an easy-to-use tool, the majority of its terminology is commonly used within the Test Management world. Summarized in the table below are some of the key terms you will find throughout the documentation and the UI. Please review and follow the links for more detail on specific topics.
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This short video explains the core concepts and the issue types used by Xray.
Terminology
| Concept/Term | Issue Type | Description | Also known in the testing community as... |
|---|---|---|---|
| Test | Test | A test case. It may either be manual or automated, composed of multiple steps, actions and expected results. | test case, test scenario, test template |
| Precondition | Pre-Condition | Initial conditions that must be assured before the execution of the Test's own steps. A Pre-Condition may be used by multiple Tests. | |
| Test Set | Test Set | A group of tests, organized in some logical way. A test may belong to multiple Test Sets. | test group, test suite |
| Test Plan | Test Plan | A "formal" plan of the tests intended to be executed for a given version. | |
| Test Execution | Test Execution | An assignable, "schedulable" task to execute one or more tests for a given version/revision along with its results. | test cycle |
| Sub-Test Execution | Sub-Test Execution | A Sub-Test Execution has the same functionalities as the Test Execution issue type. The difference between them is that the Sub-Test Execution is a sub-task and can be created in a requirement's context. Creating a Test Execution as a sub-task from within the requirement issue screen will provide the user the ability to track executions on the Agile board. | |
| Test Run | - | A specific run of a test. An instance of the test containing the execution status and a snapshot of the test specification. Whenever a user adds a Test to a Test Execution, a test run is created internally within the Test Execution context. A test may have multiple test runs. | |
| Coverable Issue | Story, requirement, Bug, .... | All issues whose Issue Type is configured as being a Coverable Issue Type in Project Settings: Test Coverage. | |
| Test Status | - | The calculated test coverage status of a Test, for some scope (e.g., version/test plan). In the context of a Test Execution, the recorded status of a Test Run. | .. |
| Requirement | Story, Requirement, .... | Something that you expect from the system; a feature. A good requirement explains how the system should behave and its purpose. | |
| Test Repository | - | The full list of tests within a project. In Xray, the test repository is simply composed of all Test issues. | |
| Test Strategy | - | The requirements you want to validate, how to validate them, use of either manual or automated tests, the resource allocation, etc. | |
| Testing Lifecycle | - | After requirement specification and revision, the testing lifecyce involves test planning, test designing, test execution and test reporting. |
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Entity Relationship Diagram
Notes:
- Although a Test Execution may be linked to more than one Test Plan, it is not that common. It may be used in scenarios where a broader Test Plan (e.g., a release Test Plan) is needed, with all the granular Test Executions (e.g., Test Plans made on a sprint basis) in order to have a more global overview.