Cause and effect testing, also known as Causal testing or C&E testing, is a software testing technique that focuses on identifying and testing the causes of specific system behaviors or defects. The goal is to systematically explore the relationships between inputs (causes) and outputs (effects) to ensure comprehensive test coverage.
Here’s how Cause and Effect Testing works:
- Identifying Causes and Effects: The first step involves identifying potential causes that could trigger specific behaviors or defects in the system. These causes could be various inputs, conditions, events, or states within the system.
- Creating Cause and Effect Graph: A Cause-and-Effect Graph, also known as an Ishikawa diagram or Fishbone diagram, is created to visually represent the relationships between causes and effects. The causes are typically represented as branches stemming from a central line, with arrows indicating the relationships between causes and effects.
- Generating Test Cases: Based on the Cause-and-Effect Graph, test cases are derived to systematically test each cause and its potential effects on the system. Each test case focuses on manipulating one or more causes and observing the corresponding effects on the system’s behavior.
- Executing Test Cases: The generated test cases are executed against the system under test to verify its behavior and identify any defects or anomalies. During test execution, testers observe how the system responds to different inputs and conditions to validate its functionality and behavior.
- Analyzing Results: After test execution, the results are analyzed to determine whether the system behaves as expected for each cause-effect relationship. Any deviations or discrepancies are investigated, and defects are logged for further analysis and resolution.
Cause and effect testing helps ensure thorough test coverage by systematically exploring the relationships between causes and effects within the system. By identifying and testing potential causes of defects, this technique helps uncover hidden issues and improve the overall quality and reliability of the software.