State Transition Testing Technique Training

1. State Transition Testing Technique Training

Kateryna Dribas

2. Agenda

1. Introduction
2. Technique
3. Examples
4. Applicability and Limitations
5. Summary
6. Q&A
7. Before practice start
8. Practice
9. References
10. Questions

3. Introduction

What is dynamic testing?
What is black box testing?
What is finite state system?
▪ Dynamic testing: Testing that involves the execution
of the software of a component or system.
▪ Black box testing: Method of testing that examines
the functionality of an application without peering
into its internal structures or workings.
▪ Finite state system is any system where user gets a different output
for the same input, depending on what has happened before.

4. Introduction

What is state transition testing?
State transition technique is a dynamic blackbox testing technique, which is used when the
system is defined in terms of a finite number
of states and the transitions between the
states is governed by the rules of the system.

5. Introduction

What is it used for?
- to capture certain kinds of system
requirements and to document internal
system design
- to record complex business rules that a
system must implement
- can serve as a guide to creating test cases

6.

Technique
A state transition model has four basic parts:
▪
▪
▪
▪
the states that the software may occupy
the transitions from one state to another
the events that cause a transition
the actions that result from a transition

7.

Technique
User insert credit card and enters PIN for getting bank account. He has 3
tries to enter validate PIN and to get access to account. After 3rd
invalid try the card will be "eaten".

8.

Technique
User insert credit card and enters PIN for getting bank account. He has 3
tries to enter validate PIN and to get access to account. After 3rd
invalid try the card will be "eaten".
Start
Card inserted

9.

Technique
User insert credit card and enters PIN for getting bank account. He has 3
tries to enter validate PIN and to get access to account. After 3rd
invalid try the card will be "eaten".
Start
Card inserted
Enter PIN
Wait
for
PIN
PIN not OK
PIN not OK
1st
try
2nd
try
PIN OK
PIN OK
Eat
card
3rd
try
PIN OK
Access
to
accout
PIN not OK

10. Technique: Multiple Actions

Rule 1
Conditions
Rule 2
Rule 3
Rule 4
Values
Married?
(Yes; No) Yes
No
Yes
No
Good
Student?
(Yes; No) Yes
No
No
Yes
0
25
50
No
Yes
No
Actions
Discount(%) (0, 25, 50, 60) 60
Bonus
(Yes; No) Yes

11. Technique: Non-binary conditions

Rule 1
Rule 2
Rule 3
Rule 4
Condition 1 (0-1000)
0-1
1-10
10-100
100 - 1000
Condition 2 (0-10)
<5
5
6 or 7
>7
Action 1 (X;Y;Z)
Do X
Do Y
Do X
Do Z
Action 2 (A;B)
Do A
Do B
Do B
Do B
Conditions
Values
Actions
For cases with non-binary conditions equivalence classes and
boundary value analysis techniques can be used along with decision
table too.

12. Technique: Sample Test Cases

Test Case ID
Condition 1
Condition 2
Expected Result
TC 1
0
3
Do X/Do A
TC 2
5
5
Do Y/Do B
TC 3
50
7
Do X/Do B
TC 4
500
10
Do Z/Do B
Key Point: Create at least one test case for each rule.

13. Technique: “Don’t Care”/”N/A” conditions

• Limited entry tables with N conditions
have 2