TUTORIAL: ACCEPTANCE TESTS

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COMP 211INTRODUCTION TOSOFTWARE ENGINEERING

• TUTORIAL ACCEPTANCE TESTS

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WHAT IS A (USER) ACCEPTANCE TEST

• An acceptance test is a kind of black box test
  that performs testing without examining the
  implementation source code. It is also referred
  to as a demonstration or demo.
• Goal
• To obtain the clients/users approvalfor what
  we have done.

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HOW TO DEFINE ACCEPTANCE TESTS

• Restate the requirements into testable statements
  by
• i. Rephrasing the statements into point form.
• ii. Grouping the related points (requirements)
  according to functionality.
• Examine each requirement and classify according
  to testability
• i. Requirements that are testable.
• ii. Requirements that are not testable, but can
  be restated to become testable.
• iii. Requirements that are not testable and,
  therefore, need not be tested.

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TESTABLE REQUIREMENTS

• i. A statement describing the unique identity of
  an object.
• An employee has a unique employee id.
• ii. A statement describing a possibility or a
  constraint on the cardinality of a set of objects
  (cardinality means the number of objects).
• An employee has at most one manager.
• iii. A statement describing the attributes of an
  object.
• An employee has a name, address, telephone
  number, .
• iv. if-then-else or while-loop statements
• Their conditions can be checked, so they are
  testable.

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EXAMPLE CASE STUDY VIDEO MEMBERSHIP CLUB

• The system must handle the borrowing of videos
  and the administration of the video membership
  club. There are currently just over 3,000 videos,
  some of which are duplicate copies. All videos
  are uniquely identified with a reference number
  allocated upon accession. Each member of the club
  has a unique membership number. Membership of the
  club currently costs the same as two blockbuster
  video rentals and is renewable annually. The
  membership details held are the name, address and
  telephone number and the date of expiry of the
  membership. The system must allow for the booking
  out and in of videos, the return dates of which
  must be known, and any video must be traceable to
  its current borrower. It is also a requirement to
  be able to determine whether a video is in stock
  or on loan. The system must inform the user when
  a returned video is overdue since a fine is
  impossible. It must also inform the user when a
  membership card is out of date. The system must
  also be capable of producing lists of all videos
  currently held, all overdue videos, and all
  members. It must also be capable of sending
  reminders to members whose membership is due to
  expire or who have overdue videos. The system
  must run on a single-user PC with a 200 GB disk.

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RESTATED REQUIREMENTS

• The system must handle the borrowing of videos
  and the administration of the video membership
  club. There are currently just over 3,000 videos,
  some of which are duplicate copies. All videos
  are uniquely identified with a reference number
  allocated upon accession.
• 0.1. The system handles the borrowing of videos
  and club administration.
• 1.1. A reference number uniquely identifies all
  videos.
• 1.2. Multiple copies of videos may exist.
• 1.3. The system must cope with in excess of 3,000
  videos.

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RESTATED REQUIREMENTS

• Each member of the club has a unique membership
  number. Membership of the club currently costs
  the same as two blockbuster video rentals and is
  renewable annually. The membership details held
  are the name, address and telephone number and
  the date of expiry of the membership. It must
  also inform the user when a membership card is
  out of date.
• 2.1. Membership numbers are unique.
• 2.2. Membership costs 2 blockbuster video
  rentals.
• 2.3. Membership lasts for 1 year.
• 2.4. Membership details held
• 2.4.1. Membership number.
• 2.4.2. Name.
• 2.4.3. Address.
• 2.4.4. Telephone number.
• 2.4.5. Membership expiry date.
• 2.5. An attempt to use an out-of-date membership
  will cause the system to inform the user.

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RESTATED REQUIREMENTS (contd)

• The system must allow for the booking out and in
  of videos, the return dates of which must be
  known, and any video must be traceable to its
  current borrower. It is also a requirement to be
  able to determine whether a video is in stock or
  on loan.
• 3.1. Borrowing and return of videos
• 3.1.1. The system is capable of booking videos
  out.
• 3.1.2. Returned videos must be booked in.
• 3.1.3. The return date of a video must be known.
• 3.1.4. The system must be capable of displaying
  the details of a video's status and current
  borrower.
• 3.1.5. It must be possible to inquire about a
  member's borrowed videos.

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RESTATED REQUIREMENTS (contd)

• The system must inform the user when a returned
  video is overdue since a fine is impossible. The
  system must also be capable of producing lists of
  all videos currently held, all overdue videos,
  and all members. It must also be capable of
  sending reminders to members whose membership is
  due to expire or who have overdue videos.
• 4.1. The system must perform general
  administration
• 4.1.1. Produce a list of all videos currently
  held.
• 4.1.2. Produce a list of all members.
• 4.1.3. Send reminders to members whose
  membership is due to expire shortly.
• 4.1.4. Send reminders to members holding overdue
  videos.
• 4.1.5. Allow alteration of membership details.
• 4.1.6. Allow alteration of video list.
• (The last two requirements are implied if we are
  to allow for adding new members and new videos.)

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RESTATED REQUIREMENTS (contd)

• The system must run on a single-user PC with a
  200 GB disk.
• 5.1. The system must run on a single-user PC with
  a 200 GB disk.

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DETERMINE TESTABILITY OF REQUIREMENTS

• Examine the statement of requirementsto
  determine their testability.
• Examples
• Requirement 0.1. The system handles the borrowing
  of videos and club administration.
• This requirement is not testable!
• It represents the completed system and will be
  fulfilled by the other requirements.
• ? DISCARD!

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DETERMINE TESTABILITY OF REQUIREMENTS

• Requirement 1.1. A reference number uniquely
  identifies all videos.
• This requirement is testable.
• ? Try to allocate the same number to two
  videos.
• Requirement 3.1.1. The system is capable of
  booking videos out.
• Not testable in its current form!
• However, we can make it testable by restating it
  as
• 3.1.1. If a video is available for borrowing
  then it may be lent to a member.
• 3.1.1.1. A video is available for borrowing
  until all copies have been simultaneously
  borrowed.

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RESTATED AND REGROUPED REQUIREMENTS
3.1. Borrowing and return of videos 3.1.1. The
system is capable of booking videos out.

• 3. Borrowing and return of videos
• 3.1. If a video is available for borrowing then
  it may be lent to a member.
• 3.1.1. A video is available for borrowing until
  all copies have been simultaneously borrowed.

3.1.2. Returned videos must be booked in.
3.2. If a video was unavailable for borrowing,
then returning the video makes it available.
3.1.3. The return date of a video must be known.
3.3. The return date is established when the
video is lent and must be shown when the video
is returned.
3.1.4. The system must be capable of displaying
the details of a video's status and current
borrower.
3.4. It must be possible for an inquiry on a
borrowed video to reveal the current borrower.
3.1.5. It must be possible to inquire about a
member's borrowed videos.
3.5. An inquiry on a member will reveal any
videos they currently have borrowed and whether
any are overdue.
4.1.4. Send reminders to members holding overdue
videos.
3.6. The system must be able to send reminders
to members holding videos that have been overdue
for 5 days.
3.7. The system will not permit borrowing of
videos to members whose membership has expired.
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ACCEPTANCE TESTS INCEPTION PHASE

• Input Restated requirements
• Goal To specify what to demonstrate

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ACCEPTANCE TESTS INCEPTION PHASE

• 3. Borrowing and return of videos
• 3.1. Demonstrate that an available video can be
  borrowed.
• 3.1.1. Demonstrate that a video cannot be
  borrowed for which no copies are available.
• 3.2. Demonstrate that a video can be borrowed
  for which no copies are available after a copy
  has been returned.
• 3.3. The return date is established when the
  video is lent and must be shown when the video
  is returned. Can be shown by 3.1. and 3.2.
• 3.4. Demonstrate that the system can show who
  has borrowed a video.
• 3.5. Demonstrate that the system can show which
  videos a member has borrowed and whether any are
  overdue.
• 3.6. Demonstrate that a reminder can be sent to
  a member holding a video that has been overdue
  for 5 days.
• 3.7. Demonstrate that a member whose membership
  has expired cannot borrow a video.

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ACCEPTANCE TEATS ELABORATION PHASE

• Input What to demonstrate User Interface
  Data
• Goal To specify how to use the user interface
  with the test data to demonstrate that the
  requirement is satisfied in the system
• Test Definition
• For each requirement specified in the Inception
  phase, develop two tests
• normal behaviour ? tests the basic flow
• exceptional behaviour ? tests alternative flows

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ACCEPTANCE TESTS ELABORATION PHASE

• Tests for requirement 3.1.
• Action Attempt to borrow an available video.
  Check that the return date is shown.
• Result
• Action Attempt to borrow an unavailable video.
• Result

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ACCEPTANCE TESTS ELABORATION PHASE

• Tests for requirement 3.1.1.
• Action Attempt to borrow a video for which there
  are multiple copies, all of which have been
  borrowed.
• Result
• Action Attempt to borrow a video for which all
  copies but one have been borrowed.
• Result