Introduction

This appendix contains guidance on ensuring that the reuse of tests and testing materials is achieved between testing phases and testing projects. It includes:

• How and when to create a reuse pack

• A list of the typical contents of a reuse pack

• Guidance on using reuse packs.

Creating a Reuse Pack

At the end of any testing phase, the test team leader (or development team leader during unit and integration testing) should collect copies of a number of items generated during the testing project into a single file (a simple A4 manila folder is usually sufficient for this purpose). This file is termed a reuse pack.

The reuse pack will be archived with the rest of the project files and can be subsequently retrieved on request from the testing manager (or equivalent role).

The contents of the reuse pack can be used by other testing projects to reduce the effort and cost associated with testing and to improve the consistency and quality of testing.

Examples of the use of reuse packs include:

• During subsequent testing phases of the same application under test (AUT) (such as reusing some system tests during acceptance testing)

• In regression testing modifications to the same AUT (such as either rerunning a complete system test or selected elements of the system test)

• Where the AUT is similar or related to another AUT (such as employing existing integration test material when an additional module is added to an existing suite of applications).