Generating a Combinatorial Test Case on Mind Map

You can combine test factors to generate test cases. Data factor combinations enable full coverage of test factors for manual generation of test cases, and diversify test design functions.

Test factors refer to the factors that affect a test, such as the environment, test mode, and test difficulty. The number of test factors of a test is the number of factors that affect the test. By combining these factors, each test case can cover multiple conditions, which helps avoid missing tests.

1. Go to a mind map.
2. On the top toolbar bar, click on the right of Expected Result. The Action Factor, Data Factor, Valid Value, and Invalid Value tag icons are displayed.
3. Select the node to which you want to add action or data factors (max. 100 action factors and 100 data factors per mind map).

   Click on the toolbar above the mind map. Take the node Test the basic mobile phone functions as an example. If the test process is to use a mobile phone to perform {test action} in {connection mode} at {test time}, the data factors can be {test time}, {connection mode}, and {test action}, to cover all scenarios for manual testing.

   

4. Add a valid or invalid value: Add subnodes to the data factor nodes, select the subnodes, and click the valid value tag icon or the invalid value icon on the toolbar.
   • Valid Value: A normal system value of a data factor to be tested.
   • Invalid Value: An abnormal system value to be tested, or a value not within the range of a data factor. A good test model should include both valid and invalid values to test whether the system program can correctly process errors. Only one invalid value is allowed in a test case. There is no need for multiple invalid values as any single one will trigger system exceptions.

     The following figure shows the valid and invalid value subnodes of the data factor nodes Test time, Connection mode, and Test action.

   

5. Add an action factor: Select a subnode and click the action factor tag icon on the toolbar. For example, set Test the mobile phone to be an action factor.

   

6. Right-click a test point node and choose Generate Combinatorial Case from the shortcut menu.
   NOTE:

   The system finds the parent node of the DF nodes and displays their valid and invalid values.

7. The Generate Combinatorial Case page is displayed. By default, the configured action and data factors are selected.
8. Click Next.
9. Hover over a combinatorial algorithm and click Use and Preview. The following table describes the combinatorial algorithms.

   Data Combination Coverage Type	Description
   All Combinations (AC)	All values of each test factor are combined. AC is the most comprehensive coverage mode.
   N-Wise	This combination covers N inputs. When N equals the number of parameters, this mode generates AC. Tests prove that when N=2 (pair-wise), the generated test data provides the highest efficiency, making this one of the most widely used algorithms.
   PairWise	Pair-wise testing is N-wise testing when N is 2.
   TripleWise	Triple-wise testing is N-wise testing when N is 3. It generates more combinations than pair-wise testing.
   Basic Choice (BC)	Use this algorithm if you want to compare single-factor changes. You need to set a base combination first. From the base combination, new combinations are created by varying one factor value at a time.
   Each Choice (EC)	Each test factor value appears at least once in any combination.

   To change the algorithm, click Change Algorithm and select another algorithm.

   NOTICE:

   If you go back to the mind map, modify or delete a data factor node, and click Generate Combinatorial Case again, then you need to click Refresh to synchronize the modification.

10. (Optional) Add data factor constraints to limit the values used for generating combinatorial cases.
    1. Select Data Constraint and click Add. You can add up to 20 constraints.
    2. Select the required operation relationship, set Variable to the data factor to which the constraint is to be added, select the operator, and set Value to the valid or invalid value of the data factor.

       To clear the value, click .

    3. In the condition expression box, check the configured algorithm and click Preview Constraint to view the constraint.
    4. Click Confirm.
    5. If you modify the data constraints, click Refresh in the upper right corner of the combination preview.

    Example variables and values:

    Type: Primary, Logical, Single, Span, Stripe, Mirror, RAID-5

    Size: 10, 100, 500, 1000, 5000, 10000, 40000

    Format method: quick, slow

    File system1: FAT, FAT32, NTFS

    File system2: FAT, FAT32, NTFS

    Cluster size: 512, 1024, 2048, 4096, 8192, 16384, 32768, 65536

    Compression: ON, OFF

    • Non-conditional constraints

      To limit parameter values, use non-conditional constraints.

      [Size] > 10000: The value of Size in the case set can only be 40000.

      [File system1] <> [File system2]: The values of File system1 and File system2 in the case set must be different.

      [Size] > 10000 and [Compression]="ON": The value of Size in the case set can only be 40000 and the value of Compression can only be ON.

    • if condition constraints

      To set an if condition, use this format: IF expression1 THEN expression2, where the expression format is [Data factor] Operator [Value].

      For example, the expression IF [File system1]="FAT" THEN [Cluster Size] <= 4096 indicates that if File system1 is FAT, the value of Cluster Size can only be 512, 1024, 2048, or 4096.

    • AND/OR/NOT

      For complex expressions, use AND, OR, and NOT, and then enclose them with parentheses (required).

      For example, the expression IF ([File system1]="NTPS" OR ([File system2]="NTPS" AND [Cluster Size] <= 4096)) THEN [Compression]="off" indicates that if either File system1 or File system2 is NTPS, and Cluster Size is 512, 1024, 2048, or 4096, then Compression is OFF.

    • IN/LIKE

      To limit a factor value to a specific value set, you can use the IN operator.

      For example, the expression IF [File system1] IN {"FAT","FAT32"} THEN [Cluster Size] <= 4096 indicates that if File system1 is FAT or FAT32, the value of Cluster Size can only be 512, 1024, 2048, or 4096. This constraint is equivalent to IF ([File system1]="FAT" OR [File system1]="FAT32") THEN [Cluster Size] <= 4096.

      For wildcard matching, use the LIKE operator together with asterisk (*) or question mark (?). For example, use FA*, *FA, and ?A to match the values starting with FA, ending with FA, and containing A, respectively.

      For example, the expression IF ([File system1] LIKE "FA*") THEN [Cluster Size] <= 4096 indicates that if File system1 is set to FAT or FAT32, the value of Size can only be 512, 1024, 2048, or 4096.

      NOTE:

      1. Constraints differentiate between integer and string variables. If all values of a variable are numbers, it is regarded as a number. If any one of the values is not a number, the variable is regarded as a string.
      2. When an operator is used to constrain two data factors in the format [Data factor1] Operator [Data factor2], both data factors must be of the same type.

      3. Do not use the LIKE operator to constrain two integer variables. Do not use operators >, <, >=, and <= to constrain two string variables.

11. In the Combination Preview list, select the data combination to be created.

    Move the cursor over the first check box, select Select All Pages or Select Current Page, and click Next.

12. On the Configure Test Case page, set the following parameters:
    • Test Case: The default case name is in the format of TP node name_${Data factor}.
    • ID: The case IDs will be generated based on the auto-increment rule you set.
    • Case Level: Select P0, P1, P2, P3, or P4.
    • Test Case Description: Enter a description. Max. 500 characters.
    • Prerequisite: Enter the prerequisites. Max. 2,000 characters.

13. Write test steps. Use $ to reference data factors. Click Confirm.

    

14. Click to view the test case list.
15. The generated test cases are displayed by default. Choose Combination Strategies to view the history of combinatorial algorithms.
16. Click in the Operation column of the test case to be archived, and click Archive Cases. Other operations:
    • Archive multiple test cases: Select multiple test cases and click Archive Cases.
    • Edit a test case: Click in the Operation column, and view and edit the test case.
    • Delete a test case: Click in the Operation column and click Delete.
    • Delete test cases in batches: Select multiple test cases and click Delete.
    • Search for a test case: Enter a keyword in the search box, and click .
    • Filter test cases: Click the drop-down list box under Test Cases, and select All, Unarchived, or Archived.

17. On the Archive Case page, select the target test cases on the left. On the right area, select the version, test plan, execution mode, and feature directory, and click Confirm.
18. In the navigation pane, choose Testing > Testing Case. Select the required version, test plan, and test type tab page, and view the archived test cases.