Description of the structural test elements and the realizations of the test cases.
Other Relationships:  Part Of Design Model
Role:  Test Designer 
Optionality/Occurrence:  Optional. Used mostly when the target test item is a subsystem.
Templates and Reports: 
     
Examples: 
     
UML Representation:  Package.
More Information:   
Input to Activities:    Output from Activities:   

Purpose To top of page

The Test Design incorporates all the decisions regarding the test structural elements and their collaborations, required to enable testing of the already identified targets. This artifact drives the test implementation activities and increases the testing focus during the design and implementation.

Brief Outline To top of page

For each target test item, all the test mechanisms should be identified and described and all the test responsibilities have to be assigned to the appropriate test structural elements. For each significant test case, the design should specify how is realized in terms of collaborating elements, using collaboration or/and sequence diagrams.

Properties To top of page

Property Name  Brief Description  UML Representation 
Introduction   A textual description that serves as a brief introduction to the model.   Tagged value, of type "short text".  
Packages   The Packages used for organizational grouping purposes, usually representing a hierarchy.   Owned via the association "represents", or recursively via the aggregation "owns".  
Interfaces   The interfaces in the model, owned by the packages.   Owned recursively via the aggregation "owns".  
Key Events and Signals   The relevant Events and Signals in the model, owned by the Packages.   Owned recursively via the aggregation "owns".  
Key Test Suites and Test Scripts.   The relevant Test Suites and Test Scripts in the model, owned by the Packages.   Owned recursively via the aggregation "owns".  
Key Relationships   The relevant relationships in the model, owned by the Packages.   Owned recursively via the aggregation "owns".  
Key Diagrams   The key diagrams in the model, owned by the Packages.   There are various UML diagram representations.  
Key Use-Case Realizations   The relevant Use-Case Realizations in the model, owned by the Packages.   Interaction and Class Diagrams supplemented with textual documents.  

Timing To top of page

As the main drivers are the Design Model and the Test Cases, the Test Design starts with the first iteration of the Elaboration phase and is refined throughout the same phase.

Responsibility To top of page

The Test Designer role is primarily responsible for this artifact. Those responsibilities include:

  • Identifying the scope and the level of detail.
  • Identifying a group of significant test cases which will be realized in terms of collaborating elements.
  • Maintaining the Test Design up to date.

Tailoring To top of page

The level of formalism could be reduced in order to accommodate smaller or low-ceremony projects.

This artifact is often regarded as being enclosed in the Design Model



Rational Unified Process   2003.06.13