In the world of software development and quality assurance, the recipe book, otherwise known as the test book, is an essential document for ensuring that websites, mobile applications, SaaS platforms or connected objects function correctly and conform to standards before going into production.
This document plays a crucial role in the validation process, enabling us to check that the product meets the defined requirements and functions correctly in all cases of use.
In this article, we explore what a test book is and why it's essential for guaranteeing the quality of your projects.
What is a recipe / test book?
The reason why any product is "quality" is hard to define, because quality lies in a multitude of small details that work together flawlessly.
Consequently, a test book verifies those details that make a digital product useful and "qualitative".
A recipe book groups together all the tests to be carried out to check that a product or application conforms to the initial specifications.
It is mainly used during the acceptance phase, i.e. the last stage before production, when the end-user or customer validates that the product meets their expectations.
This document generally contains :
Objectives : Why are these tests carried out? Which functions need to be validated?
Test scenarios: Detailed description of the tests to be performed, including prerequisites, steps to be followed, input data and expected results.
Acceptance criteria: Definition of the conditions to be met for the test to be considered successful.
Test results: Summary table of tests carried out, indicating whether or not each test was passed, and specifying any incidents or anomalies detected.
Why is a test book essential?
The main aim of the test book is to ensure that the product is robust, reliable and, above all, meets the customer's expectations.
Whatever the test methods required, a comprehensive test book is essential to guarantee the quality of digital products, and to minimize the risk of a defective product having disastrous consequences.
To give an example, in 2017, Apple faced a major incident known as"Battery Gate". After updating their iOS operating system, many iPhone users noticed a significant drop in the performance of their devices.
It was later revealed that Apple had deliberately slowed down older iPhone models with weakening batteries. Although the intention behind this decision was to prevent devices from shutting down unexpectedly, Apple had not communicated clearly about this measure.
Naturally, this provoked a huge backlash from customers and the media. Many users felt betrayed, thinking that Apple was trying to push them into buying new devices rather than simply replacing the battery.
This incident severely shook consumer confidence in Apple's transparency, leading to several lawsuits and a discounted battery replacement program to appease disgruntled customers.
Even if not all errors have such huge consequences, the test book helps companies to avoid this kind of domino effect by confirming that the product meets expectations and that there will be no nasty surprises.
The main advantages of a test booklet
For any organization, UX quality is directly impacted by its testing approach, and having a well-written test book makes all the difference for several reasons:
Avoiding ambiguity for project managers
Typically, the test book is written by a lead tester, test manager or project manager, enabling them to clarify the actual state of the product and understand the work that remains to be done.
This avoids the need to organize meetings or send a plethora of e-mails to understand how well the product in question meets the initial requirements.
Extending test coverage
A solid recipe book increases test coverage by testing each key feature individually.
What's more, reusable test cases enable tests to be run in multiple contexts, minimizing the risk of bugs.
Bringing bugs to light as early as possible
Writing a test book creates the opportunity to clearly document both success and failure scenarios.
This in-depth understanding of the product enables us to quickly identify any shortcomings in terms of functionality or design.
How do you write a test book?
1. Understanding the test objectives
The first step is to define the test objectives, i.e. to identify what you want to verify or validate.
This may include checking functionality, performance, security or user experience.
It's also crucial to have a clear understanding of the product's functional and non-functional requirements, including technical specifications.
2. Define test scope
Defining the scope of the test involves identifying the functionalities, modules or parts of the product that will be tested.
It is equally important to state explicitly what will not be tested, to avoid any confusion or misunderstanding.
3. Write test cases
For each feature, test scenarios must be drawn up, covering both success and failure cases.
This step involves specifying the prerequisites, i.e. the system configurations or initial data required to run each test. The steps to be followed should be as detailed as possible, including the actions to be performed and the data to be entered.
4. Document acceptance criteria
It is essential to clearly define the criteria that determine whether a test passes or fails. These criteria can include performance thresholds, validation conditions or the absence of certain types of error.
5. Plan resources and test environment
You need to identify the resources required to carry out the tests, such as personnel, software tools or test environments.
In addition, the environment in which the tests will be carried out must be described, specifying the hardware and software configurations required.
6. Structuring the test book
Ideally, you should start with an introduction that summarizes the objectives and scope of the tests.
Sections for test follow-up (who ran what, when, and with what results) and for final reports (summary of results, anomalies detected, etc.) must be included.
7. Review and validate the test book by all stakeholders
Before tests are carried out, the test book must be validated by all stakeholders, including developers, project managers and product owners.
This document must be a living document that evolves with the product, requiring updates to reflect new features, changes in requirements or previous test results.
8. Running tests and reporting results
Once the test book has been validated, the tests can be run, and the results obtained for each test case can be documented.
If anomalies are detected, they must be logged with all the necessary details (steps to reproduce, screenshots, etc.) so that they can be corrected as quickly as possible.
9. Analysis of results and closing
Once the tests have been run, an analysis of the results is necessary to assess the quality of the product and decide on the next steps, such as corrections, retests or production release.
The aim is to draw up a final report summarizing all the tests carried out, the results and recommendations for the project's future.
Model structure for a recipe book
1. Introduction
- Objectives
- Context
- Test scope
- Test plan
2. Test strategy
- Test environment
- Resources
3. Test cases
- Test case 1
- Test case 2
- ...
4. Monitoring and reporting
- Test results
- Anomalies detected
5. Conclusion
- Summary of results
- Recommendations
Writing a recipe book: a few best practices
One test case per objective
To maximize the quality of the test book as a whole, make sure that each test case focuses on a single feature. This ensures the accuracy of test results.
Be as detailed as possible
The best test books contain easy-to-understand test scenarios.
Avoid creating test scenarios that include unnecessary steps or difficult-to-understand language, which can be potentially misinterpreted.
Avoid assumptions
When writing the test book, don't make assumptions or guesses if the information is unclear.
The basic aim of a test book is to avoid any possibility of a bug, which makes any assumption counter-productive.
In such situations, it's best to consult a member of the team to obtain the correct information and thus prevent possible defects.
Focus on end-users and real-life conditions
It's essential to bear in mind that the aim of creating a test book is to improve the digital product intended for the end user.
The test book and associated test cases must be written with the user in mind, taking into account how he or she will interact with the final product.
Be accompanied by Mr Suricate for a complete recipe book
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Mr Suricate supports you in this process and offers you, free of charge, a matrix of test scenarios to be automated as a priority.
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