Product Information
Test Sequences with Focused Build Test Steps
In my recent blog posts I described Focused Build Test Steps for manual testing with SAP Solution Manager, how you can benefit from special functions like the Testing Mode in a 4-eyes-principle use case or the automated translation of test cases.
In this blog post I will describe how you can use a new feature for Test Sequences which was introduced with Focused Build SP05.
With Test Sequences you can put test cases into a defined order and make sure that testers execute them exactly in this sequence. This is typically helpful when it comes to End-2-End scenarios covering several processes which need to be tested one after the other.
In theory, this functionality gives guidance to your testers and simplifies the test execution in the correct order. However, during practical implementation, you will quickly realize that it is not only the right sequence which is important but also the handover from one tester to the other.
At the interface between two test cases you usually want to transfer test results which are needed for the subsequent execution. For example, in the first test case you create a new Sales Order. The ID of this order is required in the subsequent test case for further processing by a different tester.
In Test Steps Designer you can define result attributes which should be visible to all testers during the execution within a Test Sequence.
In this example, a Sales Order is created in the first step. Based on the settings of the referring result attribute, the tester has to maintain the Sales Order ID during execution of the first step. Since the attribute is also flagged as “Public in Test Sequences”, the Sales Order ID will also be visible to all testers in all following test cases within the sequence.
That’s one small setting for a test case designer, one giant improvement for all testers during execution.
Hi Tobias,
I have a question regarding the test sequence functionality. When you want to create a test package out of a test sequence you can choose between 2 different options: template mode and reference mode. I fully understand the reference mode, but what is the template mode? I thought I can use it to define a sequence by the test sequence and then to create a test package out of this sequence, but without forcing the sequence to stop, when a test case failes. So I would have a test package with a number of test cases that come in a defined order but without the limitation of stopping the test process when it comes to failes.
But it doesn't work like that. The order in my test executions comes as a random order. So what is the sense of this template mode?
Thanks a lot in advance!
Hi Marga,
thank your for this interesting question. Please refer to this page on SAP Help Portal for further details. There you find the following explanation:
"A test package created from a sequence as template initially has the same selection of test cases, executables, and sequences, but it can be changed after creation and is independent of changes in the test sequence."
In other words: With the template functionality you get a predefined set of test cases for test package creation. But you will lose all other capabilities of test sequences afterwards. The derived test package is basically a simple test package without sequencing functions then.
In case you have doubts regarding this functionality I can only encourage you to create an incident (development request) on component SV-SMG-TWB-PLN.
Best regards
Tobias