What types of test documentation exist?

Test documentation includes artifacts used at various testing stages. Main types:

• Test Policy: A high-level document defining the goals, approaches, and principles of testing within an organization.
• Test Strategy: A more detailed document describing the overall testing plan for a specific project or product, covering scope, resources, schedule, and methods.
• Test Plan: A document that details specific testing actions for a particular iteration or release, including:
  • Testing objectives and goals.
  • Testing scope (what is tested, what is not).
  • Entry and exit criteria.
  • Types of testing.
  • Testing environment.
  • Roles and responsibilities.
  • Schedule.
  • Risk management.
  • Suspension and resumption criteria.
• Test Case: A document describing specific steps to perform a test, along with the expected result.
• Checklist: A list of items or functionalities to verify without detailed steps. Used when steps are obvious or do not require formalization.
• Test Suite / Test Set: A collection of test cases grouped by a certain criterion (e.g., functionality or testing type).
• Bug Report / Defect Report: A document describing a found defect, including reproduction steps, actual and expected results, environment, and severity.
• Test Execution Report: A document summarizing test execution results, including pass/fail status, number of bugs found, and overall progress.
• Test Closure Report: A document summarizing the entire testing effort, including final status, lessons learned, and recommendations.
• Traceability Matrix: A document linking test artifacts to requirements, ensuring all requirements are covered by tests.

Example structure of a simple test case:

Field	Description
Test Case ID	Unique identifier
Test Case Name	Brief description of the suite
Test Case Goal	What is being verified
Preconditions	Necessary conditions before execution
Execution Steps	Sequence of actions
Expected Result	The result that should be obtained
Postconditions	System state after execution

Example of a simple defect report:

Field	Description
Defect ID	Unique identifier
Short Description	The essence of the problem in one sentence
Project / Module	Where the error was found
Product Version	Version where the error was found
Environment	OS, browser, settings
Reproduction Steps	Sequence of actions leading to the error
Actual Result	What happened
Expected Result	How it should have been
Severity	Impact on functionality (Blocker, Critical, Major, Minor, Trivial)
Priority	How quickly it needs to be fixed (High, Medium, Low)
Author of the defect	Who found the error
Creation Date
Status	(New, Open, In Progress, Resolved, Closed, Reopened)
Assigned To	Developer, assignee

# Example code for automating a test case (snippet)
def test_user_login_successful():
    # Pre-steps
    login_page.open()
    login_page.enter_username("valid_user")
    login_page.enter_password("valid_password")
    
    # Execution step
    login_page.click_login_button()
    
    # Check expected result
    assert home_page.is_dashboard_displayed()
    # Post-conditions (e.g., logout)
    home_page.logout()

# Example command to run a set of automated tests
pytest tests/smoke_tests.py

Documentation can be formal (created according to templates) or informal, depending on the development methodology and project requirements.