The Test Plan Board is a Test Plan level test organization feature that allows users to organize Tests in an hierarchical way, in folders. Always keep in mind that each Test Plan has an associated (Test Plan) Board and that a Test can only belong to one folder within the Board. 

This page will help you understand the Test Plan Board screen and the available operations within it, such as the ability to easily create Test Executions from a given folder or from some selected Tests.

Settings

Overview of the Test Plan Board UI

The Test Plan Board screen can be accessed from the project left side bar by choosing the Test Plan Board icon.

The following picture depicts the several key areas of the Test Plan Board screen, which includes the Board itself along with some other auxiliary folders.

• T: Title section
  • T1: Test Plan's issue key (with the possibility of switching to another issue)
  • T2: Test Plan's Overall Execution Status
    
    
• A: Folders section
  • A1: "All" and "Orphans" metafolders
  • A2: the Test Repository itself, composed of folders and sub-folders with Tests organized within them
  • A3: CRUD actions for the current selected folder (e.g. create, rename, delte)
  • A4: information about the the amount of Tests within in the current folder and the total Tests, including sub-folders
    
    
• B: Tests section
  • B1: path of the folder
  • B2: overall execution status for this folder (takes into account the Test Environment selected) 
  • B3: Test Environment to consider for the computation of the overall execution status
  • B4: Test filters 
  • B5: Displayed Tests vs the actual total amount of Tests within the current folder 
  • B6: ranked list of Tests within the current folder (only direct children)
  • B7: calculated status for each Test, based on runs from related Test Executions, on the selected Test Environment

Clicking on T1 will redirect to the standard Test Plan issue screen.

How to access it

To reach the Test Plan Board UI you can simply use the proper project icon or the top "Tests" menu. 

It is also accessible right from the Test Plan issue screen.

                             

Switching between Test Plans

After entering the Test Plan Board UI, you can switch between different Test Plans to manage their respective Boards. 

In order to switch between Test Plans:

Step 1: Click on the icon near the Test Plan issue key

       

Step 2: Search/select the issue key of the desired Test Plan.

        

      

Tracking progress

The Board presents the consolidated results for the Tests that are part of the Test Plan; in other words, you're able to see the latest status for each Test that is being tracked on the Test Plan, independently of the number of runs you make for it. Thus, if you schedule and run multiple test cycles (i.e. Test Executions), the Board will group the results from those executions and will show you the calculated status for each Test.

You can then see the overall execution status of the Test Plan, globaly, taking into account all the planned Test Executions you made on the different environments.

If you need to drill-down and see the current status for subset of Tests, you can do it at folder level.

Overall progress

In order to track the overall progress of the Test Plan, the top progress bar (T2) can be used.

 Moving the cursor over the bar elements will give information on the amount of Tests (absolute & percentage) that are currently in that status.

The overall execution status takes into account the joint results for all the Test Environments where you have ran your Tests on (i.e. a Test will appear as PASS only if it passed in all the Test Environments for which you scheduled Test Executions).  

Folder progress

By allowing you to see the progress per folder (B2), you're able to analyze the status of subset of Tests that are part of the Test Plan.

The analysis per folder takes into account the selected Test Environment; by default it shows the calculated status for "All Environments".

The values shown for each folder only take into account the immediate child Tests (i.e. the Tests that are within that folder). Thus, this bar shows the totals for the Tests that are seen "underneath" it.

On the right side of each Test (B7) you will be able to see the current calculated status for that Test, in the context of the Test Plan and the selected Test Environment. The shown status corresponds to the last run made for that Test in the scope of the related Test Executions, taking into account the selected Test Environment.

Analysis by Test Environment 

Tests can be analyzed by Test Environment (i.e. taking into account the results for some given Test Environment) using the proper action (B3), so you can see the current testing status for that environment.

Thus, you're able to analyze on a per Test Environment basis or see the overall status, if you choose "All Environments". For more information on using Test Environments and the calculation of the status for a given environment, please see Working with Test Environments.

The analysis by Test Environment is only applicable to the folder progress bar (B2) and the individual test statuses (B7).

Folder Actions

A folder can be selected by clicking on it. 

After being selected, the user can do some context actions or use the icons available at the bottom of the folders' section.

Note: currently it is not possible to select multiple folders.

Create

To create a new folder:

Step 1: Click on the parent folder

Step 2: Click on the proper add icon at the bottom of folders section

Step 3: Type the name for the folder

Step 4: Press Enter or click outside of the selected folder

Rename

To rename an existing folder:

Step 1: Double-click on the folder or click the proper edit icon at the bottom of the folders' section after selecting the folder

Step 2: Type the new name for the folder

     

Step 3: Press Enter or click outside of the selected folder

       

Remove

Users can easily remove an existing folder, and its descendant folders.

Tests that were in one of the removed folders will not be erased; Tests will be removed from the Test Repository and will appear in the Orphans meta-folder, so they can be organized in the Test Repository again, if needed.

In order to remove a folder:

Step 1: Click on the parent folder

Step 2: Click on the proper remove icon at the bottom of folders section

Step 3: Confirm removal of folder

Expand/Collapse

Folders can be expanded or collapsed easily just by clicking in the folder's icon.

          

Expand/Collapse All

Expand all and collapse all actions are available as contextual actions. These actions alow 

In order to expand all or collapse all the subfolders of a folder:

Step 1: Click on the parent folder

Step 2: Use the context action Expand All or Collapse All

         

Moving to another folder

A folder, including its descendants, can be moved to another folder just by using drag-and-drop to the destination folder.

  

Dragging the folder directly on top of some existing folder, will add append it to the list of current child folders.

It is possible also to directly to a given position/rank by choosing the interim space between the existent folders.

    

Ordering / Ranking

A folder can be ranked within its parent folder by using drag-and-drop.

Note: if you wish to rank it as the last one (ie. move it to the last position) within some parent folder, you just need to drag it to the parent folder.

   

Create Test here

You can create a Test and associate it automatically with the selected Test Plan Boar folder.

In order to create a Test in a folder,

Step 1: Click on the folder.

Step 2: Use the context action "Create Test here".

Step 3: Fill out the Test fields and click "Create". Your brand-new Test and associated with the selected folder.

  

Move into

Users can "add" Tests, that are already part of the Test Plan, to an existent folder based on some filters or JQL.

This action in fact corresponds to "moving" them from any folder they may already be in (including the Orphans) to the destination folder. Thus, if you "add" a Test that currently is in some folder within the Board, to some destination folder, then it will be moved from the source folder to the destination folder.

Note that Tests must already be part of the Test Plan. If you want to add Tests to the Test Plan, then you need to go to the Test Plan issue screen and use the "Add Tests" button there.

In order to "add" Tests to a folder:

Step 1: Click on the folder

Step 2: Use the context action "Add Tests"

Step 3: Choose the Tests you want using the provided filters, a previously saved filter or by JQL

Note: if you try to add non Test issues or Tests that are not part of the Test Plan (e.g. by using a saved filter), an error will be shown.

Create Test Set

Users can easily create a Test Set with all the Tests in a given folder and its descendant folders.

The ranking of the Tests within the Test Set will respect the ranking they have in the Test Repository folder.

In order to create a Test Set with all the Tests of a given folder, including its descendants:

Step 1: Click on the folder

Step 2: Use the context action "Create Test Set"

       

Step 3: Fill out the Test Set fields and click "Create". Your brand new Test Set is created with all the Tests, in the proper order.

      

Add to Test Set(s)

Users can add Tests to an existing Test Set with all the Tests in a given folder and its descendant folders.

The ranking of the Tests within the Test Set will respect the ranking they have in the Test Repository folder. If Tests already exist in the destination Test Set, their ranking in the Test Set is not changed.

In order to add Tests from a folder, including its descendants, to some existing Test Set(s):

Step 1: Click on the folder

Step 2: Use the context action "Add to Test Set"

Step 3: Choose the Test Set(s) key(s) and select "add selected". Test Set(s) will now be updated.

   

Create Test Execution

Users can easily create a Test Execution with all the Tests in a given folder and its descendant folders. This Test Execution will be automatically linked to the Test Plan.

The ranking of the Tests within the Test Execution will respect the ranking they have in the Board folder.

In order to create a Test Execution with all the Tests of a given folder, including its descendants:

Step 1: Click on the folder

Step 2: Use the context action "Create Test Execution"

       

Step 3: Fill out the Test Execution fields and click "Create". Your brand new Test Execution is created with all the Tests, in the proper order.

      

Add to Test Executon(s)

Users can add Tests to an existing Test Execution with all the Tests in a given folder and its descendant folders.

Note that the destination Test Execution won't be automatically linked to the Test Plan; if you want o link it, you have to do it manually.

The ranking of the Tests within the Test Execution will respect the ranking they have in the Test Repository folder. If Tests already exist in the destination Test Execution, their ranking in the Test Execution is not changed.

In order to add Tests from a folder, including its descendants, to some existing Test Execution(s):

Step 1: Click on the folder

Step 2: Use the context action "Add to Test Execution"

Step 3: Choose the Test Execution(s) key(s) and select "add selected". Test Execution(s) will now be updated.

   

Tests Actions

Tests can be selected by clicking on them. Multiple selection is possible by using the "Ctrl" key (on Windows) or the "Cmd" key (on OS X). The "shift" keys can be used to select a list of Tests from the currently selected test to the clicked one.

It is also possible to filter the list of visibile Tests, making it easier for you to pick the Tests you need.

After selecting one or more Tests, context actions can then be done on them, such as creating a Test Set, Test Execution, etc.

Filtering visible Tests

The list of visibile Tests can be filtered, so you can easily see and obtain the relevant Tests you need. Note that the filter remains applied even if you change to another folder.

Filtering Tests is quite useful for example for creating the structure of the Board based on subset of Tests from the All or Orphans meta-folders.

     

Moving to another folder

Tests can be moved to another folder just by using drag-and-drop to the destination folder.

Users can also use this operation for "moving" Tests (i.e. adding Tests) from the meta-folders (i.e. All, Orphans) to folders within the Test Repository.

Ordering / Ranking

Tests can be ranked within a folder by using drag-and-drop. 

Create Test Set

A new Test Set can be created containing the selected Tests. For this, the context action "Create Test Set" should be used.

Add to Test Set(s)

Selected Tests can be added to an existing Test Set. For this, the context action "Add to Test Set" should be used.

Create Test Execution

A new Test Execution can be created containing the selected Tests. For this, the context action "Create Test Execution" should be used. This Test Execution will be automatically linked to the Test Plan.

Note that when creating a Test Execution from a folder, or selection of Tests, this Test Execution will be linked to the Test Plan.

Add to Test Execution(s)

Selected Tests can be added to an existing Test Execution. For this, the context action "Add to Test Execution" should be used.

Note that the destination Test Execution won't be automatically linked to the Test Plan; if you want o link it, you have to do it manually.

Move to Orphans

Users can move Tests to the Orphans folder; this is equivalent to removing them from the Board.

In order to move Tests fo the Orphans meta-folder:

Step 1: Select the Tests you want

Step 2: Use the context action "Move to Orphans"

Step 3: Confirm by clicking on "Move to Orphans"

How ranking works whenever adding Tests to or creating Test Sets, Test Executions

Whenever creating a Test Set, Test Execution or Test Plan, or adding Tests to some existing one, Xray will respect the order of the Tests taking into account the ranking they have in the Board.

The algorithm starts by adding the Tests of the folder, respecting their rank in the folder, and then iterates the child folders; each child folder is processed in the same way.

If a Test already exists in the destination entity (e.g. Test Set/Execution), then it is not added again and the current ranking is maintained.