Test Case Design: Decision Table Testing

A systematic approach to creating comprehensive test cases

Decision table testing is a black-box testing technique that helps to systematically design test cases by considering all possible combinations of inputs and their corresponding outputs. It's particularly useful when dealing with complex logic involving multiple inputs and conditions.

Test Case Design: Decision Table Testing

Introduction

Decision table testing is a black-box testing technique that helps to systematically design test cases by considering all possible combinations of inputs and their corresponding outputs. It's particularly useful when dealing with complex logic involving multiple inputs and conditions.

Test Case Design - Decision Table Testing

Decision tables provide a structured way to represent and analyze various scenarios. Each row in the table represents a unique combination of inputs, and the corresponding output or action is specified in a separate column. This ensures thorough test coverage.

Explanation

Do You Know?

Decision tables are especially effective when the system's behavior depends on several conditions and their interactions. They are also beneficial for documenting test cases clearly and concisely.

Creating a decision table involves identifying the inputs, outputs, and rules for your system.

  1. Identify Inputs: Determine all relevant input variables that affect the system's behavior.
  2. Identify Outputs: Define the expected output or action for each input combination.
  3. Create the Table: Construct a table with columns for each input, each output, and any rules that define how inputs map to outputs.
  4. Populate the Table: Fill in the table with all possible combinations of inputs and their corresponding outputs.

Example 1: Testing a Flight Booking System

Let's consider a flight booking system as an example.

  1. Inputs: Departure city, destination city, travel date, return date
  2. Scenarios in Decision Table: We can create a decision table with different combinations of cities and travel dates to cover various scenarios, including one-way trips, round trips, and different travel durations.

Important Note

Ensure you cover all possible edge cases, such as invalid input values or unusual combinations.

Example 2: Testing a Shopping Cart

Another example is a shopping cart system.

  1. Inputs: Products, quantity, and discounts
  2. Scenarios in Decision Table: We can design test cases for different combinations of products with and without discounts, considering scenarios with multiple items, different quantities, and various discount types.

Avoid This

Don't overlook situations where discounts may not apply to specific products. Remember to test boundary conditions like maximum quantities.

Summary

  • Decision table testing is a systematic approach to creating test cases.
  • It is especially useful for systems with complex logic and multiple inputs.
  • It helps ensure comprehensive test coverage.
  • The process involves identifying inputs, outputs, and rules, and constructing a table to represent all possible combinations.

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