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Learn about optimizing coverage, traceability, and the integration scenario count in TCD, taking wealth management as an example.
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Core Testing Challenge
While functional testing is a common entry point for Test Case Designer implementations, and we have multiple articles describing the benefits achieved, integration testing (both system-to-system and E2E) is often even more applicable because of the increase in scale and number of several dependencies (and , consequently, in number of several important possible interactions).
However, with that increase comes the greater difficulty in decision making which leads to the major challenge in testing complex systems – “how much testing is enough?”
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We will describe how these benefits come to life on the generalized example of a wealth management implementation where System A handles risk profile evaluation (like this), System B – opening an account (like this), and System C – placing places the trade.
Test Case Designer Solution & Modeling Process
Building a Model – Step 1 – Parameter & Value Selection
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| The general logic of “Parameter = a step in the flow that impacts system outcomes and can be represented with finite variation” still applies throughout the article, the notes below build on top of it. |
The general rules for system-to-system parameter & value identification:
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In the financial implementations, each system is usually contributing a “fair share” of parameters to the TCD model, and the . The key characteristic is the model shape – more “horizontal”“horizontal,” with fewer factors but larger value lists (Claims Processing in Insurance is another area with similar model shapes, unlike the typically “long and narrow” policy side).
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System-to-system modeling is not likely to hit the 256 parameter limit in TCD, so you have the flexibility of including factors that are less important factors, but are necessary for “passive regression” traceability and/or automation (and could increase your defect prevention).
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That way, any reviewer could clearly see, e.g., which combinations of qualifying questions you have covered and which you have intentionally omitted (pipe delimiters are not special/required).
For convenience, we We suggest keeping the parameters in the flow order on the first screen for convenience. For the same purpose, elements like this can serve as visual dividers on the Parameters/Scenarios screens and are optional:
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Once the draft model is created, the auto-generated Mind Map presents an intuitive view of the model elements and can be easily shared for collaboration and approval.
This approach allows teams to communicate clearly and collaborate efficiently by confirming early in the testing process that 1) all critical aspects have been accounted for, and 2) they have been included at the right level of detail (which is one part of the TCD answer to “how much testing is enough?”).
Building a Model – Step 2 – Generating Optimal Scenarios
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| All constraints are for illustrative purposes and do not reflect the actual logic of the sample applications linked in the opening. |
The horizontal model shape we mentioned earlier increases the benefits delivered by a relatively new TCD feature – multi-value constraints.
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They allow specifying the rules in a faster and more concise manner compared to the standard icon view (if you do not see the toggle in the top left of the Constraints screen, feel free to reach out to us and request beta access).
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Business logic for parameters like User Profile often involves more than 2 factors, which may complicate the implementation of TCD constraints. You can refer to the “How to Implement N-way Constraints” article for available methods, and we are working on improving that functionality in the future. |
The last point at this step is the algorithm thoroughness selection. System-to-system TCD models typically utilize 2-way or Mixed-strength (depending on the parameter structure, project criticality, etc.). The dropdown settings in Mixed-strength are generally chosen based on the following parameter logic:
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And next, we will discuss the last piece of the core testing “puzzle” – given the total scope, how we can use Test Case Designer visualizations to select the right stopping point.
Building a Model – Step 3 – Coverage Results Comparison
When integration scenarios are created by hand, they often represent a very fragmented view of the system and struggle with redundancy or omissions. Instead, TCD maximizes the interaction coverage in fewer scenarios and provides complete control and traceability for each of the steps in the test case.
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Taking this analysis a step further, given typical schedule deadlines, etc., we can identify the exact subset of the total scope that will be sufficient for the immediate testing goals and communicate that decision clearly to the management with the combination of the Mind Map + Coverage Matrix.
Building a Model – Step 4 – Scripting & Export
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| Some teams may choose to execute directly from the test cases table. They would leverage “Save As” dropdown on the Scenarios screen and skip this section. |
We are observing more & more teams switching to BDD, so we will be covering TCD Automate in this article, but most general principles also apply to Manual Scripts.
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Second, for the review and export efficiency, we will be using multi-value {[]} filters to separate User Profile 1-3 and 4-6 scenarios (assuming they have different validation steps for example purposes).
Note:
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| “!” sign means negation of the values in the filter. You can check the “Usage” button on the Automate screen for more details about the syntax rules. |
Lastly, we strongly recommend sharing the TCD models with automation engineers early in the process to allow them enough time to review and provide feedback on step wording, value names, etc.Note: if present, only value expansions are exported in the script (the same is true for CSV), so you can have abstract/categorical value names and then provide execution-ready details in the expansion.
Once the script is finalized, you can proceed to export the scenarios in the format compatible with the test management tools and/or automation frameworks. E.g., without any extra actions, you can generate the CSV for Xray alongside Java files.
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- Rapidly create clear, consistent steps that leverage Behavior Driven Development principles.
- Export 1 Scenario block into multiple scripts based on the references to the data table.
- Improve collaboration across business and technical teams to understand the testing scope as a group.
Summary & Case Studies
In conclusion, the combination of Test Case Designer features will allow you not only to quickly generate the optimal set of scenarios but also to answer the “how much testing is enough?” question with clarity & confidence.
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