Domain Testing: Divide and Conquer - Testing Education

• Using the variables that this subject used, I would have a combination involving {12
cases} x {2 cases} x {2 cases}, which would have resolved into a trivially easy to solve
24-case all-pairs matrix.
• The subject's analysis involves an {11} x {6} x {2} matrix, which reduces to a trivially
easy 66-case table. The subject carried out this mechanical task correctly.
Subject A2529S2
• This subject's 4 variables were
Width [Test case # 1,2,6,7,8,9,13,14] == [w1, w2 ….w8]
Height [Test case # 1,2,6,7,8,9,13,14] == [h1, h2 …. H8]
Slides From [Test case # 1,2,6,7,11,12] == [s1,s2 …. S6]
Notes, handouts and outline [Test case # 1,2] == [n1,n2]
• For Width, I could meet the 8 criteria with three cases, 1, 56., and 9.0123
• For Height, I could meet the 8 criteria with the same three values
• For Start Slides From, the second case is strange because it says you can enter 32
characters into this field. You can only enter 4. If we correct 32 to 4, two cases 0 and 9999
cover the 6 criteria
• For Notes orientation, I would use the same two values.
• As with A2592S1, I conclude to this point:
o This subject is working mechanically without thinking about the variables being
tested.
o No one with work experience in this type of testing would spec this many test
cases, because if they had ever done it, they would have realized how much time
they were wasting when they tested from this matrix.
• This subject didn't have the chance to blow the same boundaries (1x1 and 56x56) as
A2592S1, but a domain tester is constantly looking for ways to cut the number of tests to
run from an unreasonable number—the subject specifies 64 tests—down to a reasonable
set of representatives. I can meet the tester's criteria with a matrix of 9 tests rather than
64.
• Given an all-pairs task involving {8} x {8} x {6} x {2} values, construction of the 64case
matrix is a routine, easy, mechanical task. The subject did it correctly.
Subject A2529S3
• This subject's 4 variables were
Width [TC# 1,2,9,10,11,18,19] => [W1,W2,W3,W4,W5,W6,W7]
Height [TC# 1,2,9,10,11,18,19] =>[H1,H2,H3,H4,H5,H6,H7]
Orientation of Notes, handouts and outlines [TC# 1, 2] =>[O1,O2]
Number slides from. [#TC 1, 2, 9, 10, 15, 16] => [N1, N2, N3, N4,N5,N6]