UMLTP21 — Abstract TestDesignDirective concepts into abstract TestDirective

The current TestDesignFacility og UTP 2 is based on the stereotypes TestDesignDirective, TestDesignTechnique, TestDesignDirectiveStructure and TestDesignTechniqueStructure. These elements are tightly integrated by means of the Profile's abstract syntax. So far, this is fine for the test design purposes. As such, the offered concepts support the definition of platform-independent instructions how to derive test cases, test data, test sets, test procedures and/or test execution schedules. These instruction can be put into effect by either a manual test designer or translated into the inpurt for a test generator.

UTP 2, however, is capable of describing test automation architectures (ISTQB TAA) or the architecture of automated testware - both terms are considered to be synonyms. In a test automation architecture, further activities need to be specified such as the generation of executable test code, the configuration and automated setup of the test execution environment and tool (setup and teardown of the automated test environment; compilation of test scripts, automated scheduling of test cases in a test set according to a given test execution schedule etc.), the configuration of the logging facility (e.g., depths and structure of logged information), the configuration of the arbitration specification (which arbitration specifications shall be used, linked to test cases, test sets and procedural elements, etc.).

All these configurations are essentials parts of an automatedt testware and can be used in combination or separately from each other (e.g., specifying a specific arbitration specification for verdict calculation on already executed set of test cases in a post-execution manner).

UTP is currently too restrictive and only offers concepts for configuring the test design activities. As a test modelling language designed in particular for test automation, UTP should offer also concepts for the other activities that need to be performed in an test automation solution.

Therfore, UTP should abstract from TestDesignDirective and TestDesignTechnqiue into abstract classes TestArchitectureDirective and TestArchitectureCapability (and the respective structures). That would, one hand, enables user-specific extensions in order to cope with the aforementioned, not yet supported concepts of test script generation, test execution, test logging and verdict arbitration, on the other hand prepare UTP 2 for potential improvements in that area in further revisions of the language.

Introduce an abstract TestDirective facility

The RTF agreed that an integration of an abstract test directive concepts (similar to the already existing and proved test design directive facility) enables test engineers to capture information relevant for carrying out certain test-related activities such as test design, test execution and/or arbitration. Allowing test engineers to model these kind of information opens the door for automating them.