Test Environment Setup And Creating Test Data

Many times more than one tester is responsible for testing some builds. In this case more than one tester will be having access to common test data and each tester will try to manipulate that common data according to his/her own needs. Best way to keep your valuable input data collection intact is to keep personal copies of the same data. It may be of any format like inputs to be provided to the application, input files such as word file, and excel file or other photo files.

Check if your data is not corrupted:
Filing a bug without proper checking is bad a practice. Before executing any test case on existing data make sure that data is not corrupted and application can read the data source.

How to prepare data considering performance test cases?

Performance tests require very large data set. Particularly if application fetching or updating data from DB tables then large data volume play important role while testing such application for performance. Sometimes creating data manually will not detect some subtle bugs that may only be caught by actual data created by application under test. If you want real time data, which is impossible to create manually, then ask your manager to make it available from live environment.

I generally ask to my manager if he can make live environment data available for testing. This data will be useful to ensure smooth functioning of application for all valid inputs.

Take example of my search engine project ‘statistics testing’. To check history of user searches and clicks on advertiser campaigns large data was processed for several years which were practically impossible to manipulate manually for several dates spread over many years. So there is no other option than using live server data backup for testing. (But first make sure your client is allowing you to use this data)

What is the ideal test data?

Test data can be said to be ideal if for the minimum size of data set all the application errors get identified. Try to prepare test data that will incorporate all application functionality, but not exceeding cost and time constraint for preparing test data and running tests.

How to prepare test data that will ensure complete test coverage?

Design your test data considering following categories:
Test data set examples:
1) No data: Run your test cases on blank or default data. See if proper error messages are generated.

2) Valid data set: Create it to check if application is functioning as per requirements and valid input data is properly saved in database or files.

3) Invalid data set: Prepare invalid data set to check application behavior for negative values, alphanumeric string inputs.

4) Illegal data format: Make one data set of illegal data format. System should not accept data in invalid or illegal format. Also check proper error messages are generated.

5) Boundary Condition data set: Data set containing out of range data. Identify application boundary cases and prepare data set that will cover lower as well as upper boundary conditions.

6) Data set for performance, load and stress testing: This data set should be large in volume.

This way creating separate data sets for each test condition will ensure complete test coverage.

Conclusion:

Preparing proper test data is a core part of “project test environment setup”. Tester cannot pass the bug responsibility saying that complete data was not available for testing. Tester should create his/her own test data additional to the existing standard production data. Your test data set should be ideal in terms of cost and time. Use the tips provided in this article to categorize test data to ensure complete functional test cases coverage.