Managing the Testing Process: Practical Tools and Techniques for Managing Hardware and Software Testing

2.6. Bounds

In this section, I set boundaries for the test plan by discussing what I will and will not test, by defining important terms and acronyms related to the testing I plan to perform, and by determining where and in what context the test efforts associated with this test subproject will take place.

2.6.1. Scope

Webster's Dictionary defines scope, in the context of a project or an operation, as the "extent of treatment, activity, or influence; [the] range of operation." When I describe the scope of my project, I am essentially demarcating what I will and will not pay attention to during the course of the project. I often use an "Is /Is Not" table to define the scope of testing, with the Is column listing the elements that are included within the scope of a particular test phase, and the Is Not column specifying elements that are not covered by this test effort. Table 2.1 shows an example of such a table, used to describe the scope of the system testing for SpeedyWriter based on the risk analysis shown in Chapter 1.

Table 2.1. Is/Is Not Format for Presenting Test Project Scope

IS	IS NOT
Functionality	File conversion
Localization (Spanish, French, and German only)	Localization (other than Spanish, French, and German)
Capacity and volume	Network compatibility
Basic file sharing	Network file sharing options
Configuration options	Security or privacy
Install, setup, initial configuration, update, and uninstall	Usability including any time and motion studies
Performance	Date handling
Windows, ...