Test Method

Let’s reverse two posts to where we touched on Test Method for our example:

Test Method
1. Boot the application.
2. Check throughout the entire application.

Firstly, you may have noticed that it’s steps, like a bug. Only there should be no bugs, so until you find one you’re regressing the Test Case. For some of the more complex Test Methods, you will pretty much have a cut and paste set of Reproduction Steps for any bug you may find! But as you can see with this one, you may need to flesh it out a little.

CR1000 is a simple example but I’d like to give a another to help illlustrate a Test Method’s usage.

Try this one on for size:

Test Method
1. Create a Test Matrix of the available Settings.
2. Boot the application.
3. Navigate to Settings.
4. Change an arbitrary Setting and log the value.
5. Close the application.
6. Reboot the application.
7. Navigate to the Setting changed in Step 4.
8. Confirm the value is the same.
9. Repeat Steps 3 to 8 for all combinations in the Test Matrix.

Can you take a guess at which Test Suite this would fall under? 10 points for anyone who guessed Save Data!

“Settings” a relatively universal across games and so you can be more specific with a Test Method, unlike hunting for crashes.

However, this is also the kind of Test Method that can be automated to free up a tester.

Recalling our “Important Information” section, this would make clear that:

Important Information
"Available Settings" are listed here: www.handy_link_to_G.D.D.page

I’m also starting to think about how much I’ve mentioned Test Matrix and yet I don’t think I’ve fully expalined one, so maybe that can be a short topic soon!

How about another, one that’s somewhere inbetween the prevous two examples. For this one, picture a game like Dead or Alive.

Test Method
1. Create a Test Matrix of the available Characters.
2. Ensure two Users are present.
3. Boot the application.
4. Perform a 2P vs session using abritary Characters.
5. Log the winner and time to win.
6. Repeat Steps 2 to 5 for all combinations of available Characters.
7. Repeat Steps 2 to 6 for Focus Testing Userbase.

Seven steps but this is a BIG ASS test, any guesses on the Suite? 50 points to those who guessed Balancing!

I present this example as somwhere inbetween as it does have more specific steps than crash hunting but it leaves open how testers actually apporach their fights and who may be in the FTU e.g. casual players or hardened combo-master beat’em up veterans.

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Wrapping Up

The Test Method is probably the most difficult part of a Test Script to write as you don’t want to send a tester down the wrong path and/or limit their exploratory freedom. But that being said, I still think it’s key to have Test Methods, even for tests as large and variable as balancing so that they can be learned from, improved and refined.

Like I said last week, short and sweet and I’m sticking to it! Still to come:

🔹Labelling
🔹Examples of Passes and Failures

Take it easy!