Test Cases Taxonomy: FURPS+

// Taxonomy — is a classification science

There are different approaches for Test Cases Taxonomy (see references list at the bottom of this article), but for me the most practical and, at the same time, powerful approach — is a FURPS+ model.

FURPS

FURPS itself stands for:

• Functionality
• Usability
• Reliability
• Performance
• Supportability

These 5 categories could be applied to almost any product or service. That’s why this approach appeared.

FURPS+

Often simple set of FURPS categories is not enough. And that’s when FURPS+ starts taking place. FURPS+ aims to extend FURPS with other set of categories, that could fit your product and process much-much better.

Developed at Hewlett-Packard and supported by IBM, FURPS+ model is widely used in IT companies because it helps QA Engineers to minimize the chance, that some important test type will be accidentally overlooked.

FURPS+ supplies with more ideas for coverage. And when coverage wins, then quality wins as well.

FURPS+ categories may include:

And although this is not a full list of all available categories, this list as a pretty good to start with, to have a taste of FURPS+ model advantages.

To read more about each category, please look through this article.

Conclusion

FURPS+ list should exist and being used in every IT company, because it supplies QA Engineers with new ideas about different testing scenarios — which leads to better software quality.

And better software quality leads to better quality of life: both for software customers, software developers and software company.

For further reading on test cases taxonomy

• Taxonomy of testing by Donald Firesmith
• A Practitioner’s Guide to Software Test Design by Lee Copeland (Ch. 15)
• Introduction to object oriented design and development
• FURPS+ table of contents by me
• ISO 9126