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Exam Notes

Week 9: Test Planning and Boundary Testing in C#

1. Purpose of Testing

Goal of Testing: Ensure that code meets requirements, behaves as expected, and handles both typical and edge cases.

Common Types of Testing:

Unit Testing: Tests individual components (e.g., methods or classes) in isolation to verify they function correctly.

Boundary Testing: Tests the limits or boundaries of inputs to ensure the code handles edge cases accurately.

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2. Boundary Testing

Definition: A method of testing that focuses on the boundary values of input ranges.

Purpose: Validates that code handles values at the edges of valid ranges correctly, which are often sources of errors.

Example:

If a function is designed to accept numbers between 1 and 10, boundary tests would include values 0, 1, 10, and 11 to ensure proper handling of both within-range and out-of-range inputs.

Boundary Testing Terms

Lower Bound: The smallest valid value.

Upper Bound: The largest valid value.

Just Below/Above Bound: Values immediately outside the valid range, used to test edge conditions.

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3. Unit Testing with MSTest

Introduction to MSTest

MSTest: A popular framework in C# for creating and running unit tests.

Basic Structure:

Arrange: Set up objects and initial conditions.

Act: Invoke the code being tested.

Assert: Verify that the result matches the expected outcome.

Example of an MSTest Unit Test

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[TestMethod]

public void Test_IsRunning_StudentCountBoundary()

{

// Arrange

QUTUnit unit = new QUTUnit();

unit.StudentCount = 1;

// Act

bool isRunning = unit.IsRunning();

// Assert

Assert.IsTrue(isRunning, "Unit should be running with at least 1 student.");

}

Common Assert Methods

Assert.AreEqual(expected, actual): Verifies that the actual result matches the expected value.

Assert.IsTrue(condition): Verifies that a condition is true.

Assert.IsFalse(condition): Verifies that a condition is false.

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4. Boundary Testing Example in MSTest

Scenario: Testing a method that requires at least 1 student enrolled for the unit to run.

Example Test:

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[TestMethod]

public void Test_IsRunning_Boundary()

{

QUTUnit unit = new QUTUnit();

unit.StudentCount = 0;

Assert.IsFalse(unit.IsRunning(), "Unit should not run with zero students.");

unit.StudentCount = 1;

Assert.IsTrue(unit.IsRunning(), "Unit should run with one or more students.");

}

Explanation: This test validates both just below and at the lower boundary condition (0 and 1 students), ensuring the IsRunning method performs as expected.

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5. Best Practices for Testing

Identify Edge Cases: Test the limits of input data to uncover potential issues.

Keep Tests Independent: Each test should be self-contained and not rely on others.

Use Descriptive Names: Clearly name test methods to describe what is being tested and the expected outcome.

Follow the Arrange-Act-Assert Pattern: Organize tests in three distinct sections to improve readability and maintainability.

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Quick Tips for MCQ Preparation

Understand Boundary Testing: Focus on recognizing scenarios where lower and upper bounds are tested.

MSTest Fundamentals: Be familiar with [TestMethod] attributes and common assertion methods.

Analyze Testing Scenarios: Practice interpreting test case scenarios to predict the expected outcomes based on boundary conditions.

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