Software test documentation
IEEE 829-1998, also known as the 829 Standard for Software Test Documentation is an IEEE standard that specifies the form and content of a set of documents for use in eight defined stages of software testing, each stage producing its own separate type of document:
- Test Plan: a management planning document that shows:
- How the testing will be done
- Who will do it
- What will be tested
- How long it will take
- What the test coverage will be, i.e. what quality level is required
- Test Design Specification: detailing test conditions and the expected results as well as test pass criteria.
- Test Case Specification: specifying the test data for use in running the test conditions identified in the Test Case Specification
- Test Procedure Specification: detailing how to run each test, including any set-up preconditions and the steps that need to be followed
- Test Item Transmittal Report: reporting on when tested software components have progressed from one stage of testing to the next
- Test Log: recording which tests cases were run, who ran them, in what order, and whether each test passed or failed
- Test Incident Report: detailing, for any test that failed, the actual versus expected result, and other information intended to throw light on why a test has failed
- Test Summary Report: A management report providing any important information uncovered by the tests accomplished, and including assessments of the quality of the testing effort, the quality of the software system under test, and statistics derived from Incident Reports. The report also records what testing was done and how long it took, in order to improve any future test planning. This final document is used to indicate whether the software system under test is fit for purpose according to whether or not it has met acceptance criteria defined by project stakeholders.