Use Case Traceability

IBM Software Group Rational software ®
IBM Software Group
Traceability From Use Cases To Test Cases
Peter Zielczynski, Ph.D.

The “A” Consulting Team
PZielczynski@tact.com
RM14
Rational User Conference 2003 Group

IBM Software Rational software
Agenda
f Overview of the requirements types
f Traceability between requirements
f Actors and Use Cases
f How to create Test Cases from Use Cases
f Mapping to RUP
f Conclusions
1
What is a requirement?
f A requirement is defined as "a condition or capability to
which a system must conform"
A capability needed by a customer or user to solve a problem or
achieve an objective
A capability that must be met or possessed by a system to satisfy a
contract, standard, specification, regulation or other formally
imposed document
A restriction imposed by a stakeholder

Requirements pyramid
Needs
Features
Use Cases Supp
Scenarios
Test Cases
2
Agenda

f Mapping to RUP
f Conclusions

What is traceability?
f A technique used to provide relationships between
requirements, design and implementation of a system in
order to manage the effect of change and ensure the
success of the delivered systems
f The ability to describe and follow the life of a requirement,
in both a forward and backward direction
f A technique allowing to determine the origins of any
requirement
3
Traceability of requirements
Needs
Features
Use Cases / Supp Spec
Scenarios
Test Cases

Role of traceability
f To verify that implementation fulfills requirements

Lower-level requirements are consistent with stakeholder needs
f To verify that the application does only what was intended
All functionality was requested
Only required testing was performed
f To help change management
Analyze impact of requirements change
4
What is a traceability item?

f Any project element that needs to be explicitly traced from
another textual or model item in order to keep track of the
dependencies between them
f With respect to RequisitePro: Any project element
represented within RequisitePro by an instance of a
RequisitePro requirement type
f Sample traceability items defined as requirement types in
RequisitePro:
Stakeholder Need
Feature
Use Case
Actor
Glossary Term

Showing traceability in RequisitePro
5
Agenda
f Overview of the Requirements Types

f Mapping to RUP
f Conclusions

Use Cases and Actors
f Use Case: A description of system

behavior, in terms of sequences of
actions. A use case should yield an
observable result of value to an actor. Use Case
A use case contains basic flow and all
related alternate flows of events.
f Actor: Someone or something

external that interacts with the system.
Actor
6
Characteristics of a Use Case

f Is initiated by an actor to invoke functionality
f Models an interaction between an actor and the system
f Describes sequence of actions or related steps
f Captures functional requirements
f Provides value to the actor
f Is a complete and meaningful flow of events from the
perspective of a particular actor

ABC of writing effective Use Cases
f Address functionality
f Briefness in narrative
f Communicate effectively
(By Anand Maharana)
7
What is a purpose of Use Cases?

f To agree with the customers and users on what the
system should do
f Basis for Use Case realizations that play major role in the
design
f May be almost directly used for documentation
f Basis for planning the technical content of iterations
f Give system developers a better understanding of the
purpose of the system
f Can be used as an input for Test Cases

Use Case Diagrams
Canc el an order
Check order status
Place an order
Customer
8
Use Case format

1. Brief Description
2. Flow of Events
1. Basic Flow
2. Alternative Flow 1
3. Alternative Flow 2
3. Special Requirements
4. PreConditions
5. PostConditions
6. Extension Points
7. Context Diagram
8. Activity Diagram

Use Case “Place an order”: Basic Flow

B1 User enters web site address in the browser.
System displays login page.
B2 User enters an email address and a password.
System confirms correct login, presents main page, and prompts for a search string.
B3 User enters search string – partial name of a book.
System returns all books matching search criteria.
B4 User selects a book.
System presents detailed information about a book.
B5 User adds the book to a shopping cart.
Shopping cart contents is presented to the user.
B6 User selects “proceed to checkout” option.
System asks for confirmation of a shipping address.
9
Use Case “Place an order”: Basic Flow

B7 User confirms shipping address.
System presents shipping options.
B8 User selects shipping option.
Systems asks which credit card will be used.
B9 User confirms credit card that is stored in the system.
System asks for final confirmation to place an order.
B10 User places the order.
System returns confirmation number.

Alternate Flow 1: “Unregistered user”

A1.1 Alternate flow begins after step B1 when user selects “Register now” option.
System prompts for required information: name, address, userid, password.
A1.2 User provides required information.
Systems confirms registration and presents login screen.
A1.3 Flow continues from step B2 of the Basic Flow.
10
Alternate Flow 2: “Invalid password”

A2.1 Alternate flow begins after step B1 when user enters userid and password.
When either userid or password are invalid, system returns an error message and
displays login page.
A2.2 Flow continues from step B2 of the Basic Flow.

Activity Diagram Is user No User registers A1 – unregistered user

registered?
Yes
User enters email

and password
A2 – invalid password
No
Is password
correct?
Yes
User enters
search criteria
No System displays
A3 – no books found
Is there at least
one selection? notification
Yes
System presents list of

selections
User selects a
No
title
System presents details

about selected book
A4 – declining a book
Does user want to
buy this book?
Yes
User adds the book to

a shopping cart
System displays
Shopping cart
A5 – continue shopping
Yes
Does user want to
continue shopping?
11
Activity Diagram User proceeds

t o checkout
No
Is shipping address the User enters new address
same as in previous order?
A6 – new address Yes
User confirms
address
User selects
shipping options
Does user want to use No User adds new credit card

A7 – new credit card same credit card? information
Yes
User confirms
the card
Yes User cancels

A8 – cancel order Does user want to
cancel the order? order
No
User confirms
order
System returns
confirmation number

Agenda

f Mapping to RUP
f Conclusions
12
Proposed format prepares generation of Test Cases
f Steps in a Use Case correspond to steps in Test Case

f Unique numbering makes referring steps easy
f Combining user’s input and system’s response in one step
f Activity diagram is a basis for scenario generation

What is a Scenario?
f Scenario describes one particular path through the flow of

events described in a Use Case
f Scenario is an instance of an Use Case
13
How to find all Scenarios

B
A1
A3
A2
A4

Description of Scenario
Scenario can be described by:

f A sequence of alternate flows
Example:
SC16: A2 A2 A6
f A sequence of steps that form a scenario
Example:
SC16: B1, A2.1, A2.2, A2.1, A2.2, B2, B3, B4,
B5, B6, A6.1, A6.2, B8, B9, B10
14
Infinite loops
A1

Scenarios for book ordering use case

No User registers
A1 – unregistered user
SC1 – B
Is user
registered?
Yes
User enters email

and password
SC2 – A1 Is password
correct?
No
A2 – invalid password
Yes
User enters
search criteria
SC3 – A2 Is there at least

one selection?
Yes
No System displays
notification
A3 – no books found
System presents list of
selections
SC4 – A3 User selects a

title
SC5 – A4 Sy stem present s detai ls

about selected book
No Does user want to

A4 – declining a book
SC6 – A5
buy this book?
Yes
User adds the book to

a shopping cart
SC7 – A6 System displays
A5 – continue shopping
Shopping cart
Yes Does user want to

continue shopping?
No
SC8 – A7 User proceeds

to checkout
Is shipping address the No User enters new
A6 – new address
same as in previous order? address
SC9 – A8 2(8+4) = 4096

Yes
User confirms
address
User selects
SC10 – A1, A2
shipping options
Does user want to use No User adds new credit card

same credit card? informat ion
SC11 – A3, A4 Yes
User confirms
t he card
A7 – new credit card
SC12 – A4, A5 Does user want to Yes User cancels
order
cancel the order?
No
SC13 – A3, A5 User confirms

order
A8 – cancel order
System returns
confirmation number
SC14 – A6, A7
SC15 – A7, A8
15
Create requirement type “Scenario”

Traceability from Use Cases to Scenarios
16
From Scenarios to Test Cases

f Identify variables for each Use Case step
f Identify significantly different options for each step
f Select options that should be tested
f Combine options to be tested into Test Cases
f Assign values to variables

Identify variables for each Use Case step

f B2 Enter e-mail address and password
email (string)
password (string)
f B3 Search a book
search sentence (string)
f B4 Select a book
books (list)
f B8 Select shipping option
shipping method
17
Identify significantly different options for each step

f Strings
regular john_smith@aol.com
empty
min allowed a@b.com
max allowed 12345678910@verylongdomainname.com
max + 1 012345678910@verylongdomainname.com
very big aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa...
logically invalid john_smith@aol.xyz
f Characters
lowercase a
uppercase A
numeric 5
special #


f Numbers
regular
min
max
min - 1
max + 1
0
Negative
f Search criteria
1 element returned
many elements
no elements
18

f Single selection sets of items
each item selected once
f Multiple selection sets of items

one selection
no selection
many selections
all items selected

Select options that should be tested
f B1 email: regular, empty, 1, 50, 51, 257 char, no @

f B1 password: regular, empty, 5, 6, 10, 11, 257 char
f B2 search sentence: regular, empty, 1, 300, 301 char
f B3 books: first selection, last selection
f B6 shipping method: each method once
19
Combine options to be tested into Test Cases

email pwd search book add checkout shipping order
R R
E E R
5
1 5 E
F 3
50 6 1
L
2
51 10 300
1
L 11 301
I L

Combine options to be tested into Test Cases

email pwd search book add checkout shipping order
R R
R
5
1
F 3
50 6 1
L
2
10 300
1
Test Case 1
Test Case 2
Test Case 3
Test Case 4
20
Guidelines for combining options
Rules to select an option is step n:

f Take any option that was not used yet
f Take an option that was not used after the option selected
in step n-1
f Take an option that was used the least

Test Case matrix

Step Variable or TC1 TC2 TC3 TC4
selection
B1 Website Regular Regular Regular Regular
B2 Email Regular Min Max Regular
B2 Password Regular Min Max Min
B3 Search string Regular Min Max Regular
B4 Book selection First Last First Last
B5 Shopping chart Add Add Add Add
B6 Checkout Checkout Checkout Checkout Checkout
B7 Address Same Same Same Same
B8 Shipping option 1st 2nd 3rd 4th
B9 Credit card Same Same Same Same
21
Assign values to variables
Step Variable or Value Expected result Obtained result

number selection
B1 Website www.amazon.com Logon Screen
B2 Email Jsmith@hotmail.com -
B2 Password Johnsm Main Screen
B3 Search string “Rational” List of books
B4 Book selection First Book details
B5 Shopping chart Shopping chart Cart contents
B6 Checkout Checkout Prompt for address
B7 Address Same Prompt for shipping
B8 Shipping option 5 days Prompt for payment
B9 Credit card Same Prompt for confirmation

Traceability matrix
22
Traceability tree

Traceability tree
23
Traceability tree

Traceability tree
24
Suspect relationships

What is being tested
25

Agenda

f Mapping to RUP
f Conclusions
26
Where in the process does it fit?

Agenda

f Mapping to RUP
f Conclusions
27
Benefits of this approach

f Test Cases are derived in more automatic way
f Avoiding duplicate testing
f Better test coverage
f Easier monitoring of testing progress
f Easier work load balancing between testers
f Easier regression testing
f Decreasing project time by moving some tasks from
construction to elaboration
f Contribution to early discovery of missing requirements

Literature
f Jim Heumann, "From Use Cases to Test Cases - Ensuring
Quality from the Beginning." RUC 2001.
f Jim Heumann, "Using Use Cases to Create Test Cases."
The Rational Edge, June 2001.
f Dean Leffingwell and Don Widrig, “Managing Software
Requirements: A Unified Approach”. Addison-Wesley,
1999.
f Dean Leffingwell and Don Widrig, “The Role of
Requirements Traceability in System Development”,
The Rational Edge, September 2002.
f Rational Unified Process. Rational Software Corporation,
2001.
28

Peter Zielczynski, Ph.D.

PZielczynski@tact.com
29

Use Case Traceability

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IBM Software Group Rational software ®

IBM Software Group

Traceability From Use Cases To Test Cases

Peter Zielczynski, Ph.D.

Rational User Conference 2003 Group

Rational User Conference 2003 Group

Use Cases Supp

f Overview of the requirements types

Rational User Conference 2003 Group

Use Cases / Supp Spec

Rational User Conference 2003 Group

f To verify that implementation fulfills requirements

What is a traceability item?

Rational User Conference 2003 Group

Showing traceability in RequisitePro

f Overview of the Requirements Types

Rational User Conference 2003 Group

Use Cases and Actors

f Use Case: A description of system

f Actor: Someone or something

Characteristics of a Use Case

Rational User Conference 2003 Group

ABC of writing effective Use Cases

(By Anand Maharana)

What is a purpose of Use Cases?

Rational User Conference 2003 Group

Use Case Diagrams

Use Case format

Rational User Conference 2003 Group

Use Case “Place an order”: Basic Flow

Use Case “Place an order”: Basic Flow

Rational User Conference 2003 Group

Alternate Flow 1: “Unregistered user”

Alternate Flow 2: “Invalid password”

Rational User Conference 2003 Group

Activity Diagram Is user No User registers A1 – unregistered user

User enters email

System presents list of

System presents details

User adds the book to

Activity Diagram User proceeds

Does user want to use No User adds new credit card

Yes User cancels

Rational User Conference 2003 Group

f Overview of the requirements types

Proposed format prepares generation of Test Cases

f Steps in a Use Case correspond to steps in Test Case

Rational User Conference 2003 Group

f Scenario describes one particular path through the flow of

How to find all Scenarios

Rational User Conference 2003 Group

Scenario can be described by:

Rational User Conference 2003 Group

Scenarios for book ordering use case

User enters email

SC3 – A2 Is there at least

SC4 – A3 User selects a

SC5 – A4 Sy stem present s detai ls

No Does user want to

User adds the book to

SC7 – A6 System displays

Yes Does user want to