7 Tips for Squeezing the Value Out of QASymphony in 2017
You’ve worked your socks off to maintain high quality software in an agile environment. You’ve written, executed and tracked many test cases. You may not be able to test everything perfectly. But you have to test the parts of the application that are most important. The stakes are too high for the application to fail.
A successful product launch is something to be proud of, so sit back for a minute and admire the fruits of your labour.
Done? Nope — Now it’s back to business.
Squeezing every bit of value out of your test case management software is something very few of us actually do. It’s very easy to call a close on proceedings once a product is launched, but there are still a few things you can do to turn your software testing from 90% to 100% effective.
Check out these seven helpful tips for becoming the ultimate QASymphony user below.
1) Data Query Tool
With large repositories of test artifacts, testers can become adrift within complex tree-structure hierarchies and lose precious time trying to locate assigned tasks. Our SQL based query tool can empower users with advanced searching capabilities to swiftly navigate through our database catalog structure. Additionally, the Criteria, Operator, Value, and Group clause format proves to be an extremely friendly user interface.
Testers can leverage the data query tool within the Requirements, Test Design, and Test Execution Modules to save custom as well as team queries for continued use. The data query view will also facilitate batch editing, approving, and converting actions.
Some additional support documentation on some more of the functional use cases of the data query tool can be found here.
In the above example, I first queried to see all the test cases that have been associated with a custom tag of “sanity” and then added a second clause to further filter the query to only include those sanity test cases that have been assigned to me! I can now save this query for later use and with one click, can quickly identify the sanity test I am responsible for.
2) Importing Requirements and Test Cases Directly into Specific Modules
When migrating data into qTest, for any number of reasons, the Import Wizard provides testers with a method to rapidly upload artifacts from an .xls based file format. The Import Wizard includes a generically structured file, which shows how custom field values, or unique properties can be mapped with artifacts during the import.
One additional aspect testers should be aware of however, is the integrated capability to sort artifacts into predetermined folders or modules during a mass import. Rather than having to sort the artifacts into a more detailed module structure within the tool itself, the naming convention of the .xls sheets will dictate which the folder artifacts are filed into upon import.
Here is some detailed documentation around importing into specific modules for both requirements, and test cases.
In this example, I have three modules within the fourth layer of my hierarchy that I would like to import sorted test cases into. I have enabled the Module ID’s, and will name my .xls sheets accordingly:
3) Maintaining JIRA Requirement Organization
While there are numerous advantageous aspects to our robust integration with JIRA that are consistently leveraged, testers can easily overlook the ability to maintain the requirement organization. This accidental oversight can require redundant, time consuming work. By simply identifying one or two fields from the drop downs in the integration settings, a tester can determine how the imported requirements will be pre-organized within the Requirements Module in qTest.
4) Maintaining Test Design Structure in Test Execution
qTest offers another handy method to reduce redundancy in your work. Instead of manually building out test cycles and test suites to maintain granular organization of your test cases in the Test Execution area, simply toggle on the option to “Retain test design structure”. By enabling this feature, qTest will automatically build out test suites and cycles according to the architecture from the Test Design Module.
5) View the Test Execution Status and History Directly from the Test Design Module*
Another quick navigational trick within qTest is the ability to see the execution status and history directly from a test case or a module of test cases. From the right-click drop down menu, a tester can select “View Execution History” to be seamlessly transitioned to a custom data query view in the Test Execution module regarding the selected test cases.
6) Maximizing Test Run Reuse with Parameters and Data Sets
With the release of our newest product, qTest Parameters, testers will see a significant reduction in redundant test case documentation. Testers quite often find themselves testing the same test case in a multitude of ways — for example, validating a scenario across 6 browser types. Instead of having to script out the same test case for each specific use case, qTest parameters will enable you to input variables directly into test steps. Then, when adding test cases for execution, a tester simply selects which value/s they wish to test!
Here are the full release notes for qTest Parameters, or learn more in this blog post.
7) Leveraging API’s
Utilizing API’s can be an intimidating task for many testers. The acronym itself is synonymous with software and application engineering from a technical standpoint that many testers might assume falls within a knowledge gap.
While some qTest API’s require more of an in-depth technical knowhow, there are certainly API’s that can be leveraged for tasks such as linking test artifacts together, or inviting all users to a project with one click. Utilizing API’s can streamline tasks within qTest entirely. Some detailed documentation surrounding qTest’s API’s can be found here.
Have you got any more tips that can help optimize your software testing efforts? Let me know on Twitter @QASymphony
