Hands-On LabIntroduction to Exploratory Testing with Microsoft Test Manager 2010

Lab version: 1.0.0

Last updated: 5/9/2023

CONTENTS

OVERVIEW................................................................................................................................................. 3

EXERCISE 1: SETTING UP DATA COLLECTION IN MICROSOFT TEST MANAGER 2010...................4

EXERCISE 2: CREATING AN EMPTY TEST CASE TO RUN AN EXPLORATORY TEST.......................7

EXERCISE 3: FILING AN EXPLORATORY BUG....................................................................................11

EXERCISE 4: CREATING A MANUAL TEST CASE FROM AN EXPLORATORY BUG.........................14

Overview

Microsoft Test Manager 2010 can be used to organize your test plans, author and manage your test cases, and run manual tests. This lab will introduce you to working with exploratory testing in Microsoft Test Manager 2010.

This hands-on-lab is one out of a number of labs that deal with Microsoft Test Manager 2010. The recommended order to complete the labs in is as follows:

Introduction to Test Planning with Microsoft Test Manager 2010

Introduction to Test Case Management with Microsoft Test Manager 2010

Authoring and Running Manual Tests using Microsoft Test Manager 2010

Introduction to Exploratory Testing with Microsoft Test Manager 2010

Introduction to Platform Testing with Microsoft Test Manager 2010

Introduction to Quality Tracking with Visual Studio 2010

System Requirements

In order to complete this lab you will need the Visual Studio 2010 virtual machine provided by Microsoft. For more information on acquiring and using this virtual machine, please see this blog post.

Exercises

1. Setting Up Data Collection in Microsoft Test Manager 2010

2. Creating an Empty Test Case to Run an Exploratory Test

3. Filing an Exploratory Bug

4. Creating a Manual Test Case from an Exploratory Bug

Estimated time to complete this lab: 60 minutes.

Next Step

Exercise 1: Setting Up Data Collection in Microsoft Test Manager 2010

Exercise 1: Setting Up Data Collection in Microsoft Test Manager 2010

In this exercise, you will learn how to configure various settings for your Test Plan in Microsoft Test Manager 2010 to collect necessary data for manual test runs (exploratory tests included).

1. Log in as Abu Obeida Bakhach (Dev) if you have not already done so. The password is P2ssw0rd (capital letter P, the number two, the letter s, the letter s, the letter w, the number zero, the letter r, and the letter d). Please see “Working with the Visual Studio 2010 Virtual Machine” for instructions on how to log into the VM.

2. Open Microsoft Test Manager from Start | All Programs | Microsoft Visual Studio 2010 | Microsoft Test Manager 2010. This is a new tool dedicated to manual software testing that has been built from the ground up for Visual Studio 2010.

Note: Microsoft Test Manager allows testers to work with test plans, author and organize manual test cases, execute test cases, file bugs, and post results back to Team Foundation Server.

Figure 1Microsoft Test Manager starting up

3. When Microsoft Test Manager initially loads, it will connect to the most recently loaded test plan, which in the case of this virtual machine is the test plan named Iteration 2.

Figure 2Test plan contents window for Iteration 2

4. Select the Plan tab at the top of the window and then select the Properties link to view the test plan properties for Iteration 2.

Figure 3Viewing test plan properties

5. In the Run Settings section, locate and select the Open link next to the test settings option for manual runs, as shown in the screenshot below.

Figure 4Opening settings for manual test runs

6. In the test settings window, select the Data and Diagnostics option from the left panel.

Figure 5Loading Data and Diagnostics settings

Note: The Data and Diagnostics step for configuring test settings allows you to select which Data Diagnostic Adapters you want to utilize.

7. Locate and select the Video Recorder option. This option will take a screen recording of your machine during a manual test run. You can leave the other default options selected.

8. Select the Finish button to save your changes.

Figure 6

Location of Finish button

9. Select the Save and Close button to save the changes to the test plan.

Figure 7Location of Save and Close button

Next Step

Exercise 2: Creating an Empty Test Case to Run an Exploratory Test

Exercise 2: Creating an Empty Test Case to Run an Exploratory Test

In this exercise, you will learn how to create an empty test case in order to run an exploratory test.

1. In Microsoft Test Manager 2010, select the Plan tab at the top of the window and then select the Contents link to view the included test suites.

Figure 8Test plan contents window for Iteration 2

2. Right-click on the Iteration 2 node and select New test case from the context menu.

Figure 9Creating a new test case

3. For the Title, enter “Exploratory Testing”.

4. Select the Save and Close button to save the new test case.

Figure 10Location of Save and Close button

5. Select the Test tab at the top of the window and then select the Run Tests link to load the tests that are currently available to run.

Figure 11Loading tests that are ready to run

6. Select the Exploratory Testing test case and click the Run button to launch the Test Runner.

Figure 12Selecting the new exploratory test case and starting a test run

7. After the Test Runner launches, select the Create action recording option and then select the Start Test button to begin manual testing.

Figure 13Launching the Test Runner with action recording turned on

Note: Action recordings keep track of actions taken by the tester. This is a key feature as it enables “fast forwarding” for future test runs and records more details for reviewing later.

8. Wait until Test Runner has completed initialization and then start Internet Explorer from the Windows Quick Launch bar.

9. Load the Tailspin Toys application by selecting the Tailspin Toys favorite link from the Favorites Bar.

Figure 14Tailspin Toys application

10. Select the New Planes picture on the Tailspin Toys home page and note that it does not take you to a product listing for planes, but rather just reloads the home page. We have just found a bug that we would like to file as a work item to be fixed, which we will do in the next exercise.

Figure 15Selecting a link does not work as expected

Note: You can see the actions that have been recorded by selecting the expansion icon in the bottom-right of the Test Runner window that is labeled “X action(s) captured”, where X is the number of actions captured.

Next Step

Exercise 3: Filing an Exploratory Bug

Exercise 3: Filing an Exploratory Bug

In this exercise, you will learn how to file an exploratory bug based on the manual testing steps.

1. In the previous exercise, a bug was identified during manual exploratory testing that needs to be filed. Select the Create bug dropdown button in the Test Runner window.

Figure 16Creating a new exploratory bug from within Test Runner

2. Once you start the process of creating a bug, the Test Runner will pause the recording and show the Time Range for Exploratory Bug dialog. This allows you to change the start time of the action recording that will be saved and linked to the bug. Leave the slider untouched so that the entire recording is used and then select the Use range to create bug button to continue.

Figure 17Selecting time range of action recording that includes the bug

3. In the New Bug window, use “New Planes page does not load” as the Title.

4. In the Details tab, note that some important reproduction details including test configuration used and diagnostic data adapter output files are automatically linked to the new bug. Select the first action log listed to see the steps that were recorded.

Figure 18Viewing recorded action log

Note: The steps in your action recording may be different from those shown in screenshots.

Note: Although the Video Recorder option diagnostic data adapter shows a link here, you will not be able to view the video here. You can view the video once the bug has been saved and re-loaded.

5. Select the Save and close button to save the new bug.

Figure 19Location of Save and Close button

6. At this point in the exploratory testing workflow, you would either resume testing or finish testing. Select the Save and Close button to exit the Test Runner.

Figure 20Location of Save and Close button

7. Close Internet Explorer.

Next Step

Exercise 4: Creating a Manual Test Case from an Exploratory Bug

Exercise 4: Creating a Manual Test Case from an Exploratory Bug

In this exercise, you will learn how to create a manual test case based on an exploratory bug.

1. In Microsoft Test Manager 2010, select the Test tab and then select the Verify Bugs link.

Figure 21Verify Bugs window

2. Select the Created by me button to view bugs created by you (the logged in user).

Figure 22Viewing bugs created by the logged in user

3. Select the new bug, “New Planes page does not load”, and then select the Open button.

Figure 23Opening a bug

4. Once again scroll down to the bottom of the Details tab to locate the output from the Video Recorder diagnostic data adapter. Select the link next to Video Recorder to view the video associated with bug.

Figure 24Viewing output from the Video Recorder diagnostic data adapter

5. Close Windows Media Player and close the open bug to return to the Verify Bugs view.

6. Select the new active bug, “New Planes page does not load”, and then select the Create test case from bug to create a new test case.

Figure 25Creating a new test case from the bug found during exploratory testing

7. Enter “Click on Tailspin Toys button on home page” as the Title for the new test case. This describes the testing action that testers will use in the future once the developers report that the bug is fixed. Note that the steps for this manual test case are automatically created based upon the action recording that was created in the previous exercise.

8. Select the Save and Close button.

Figure 26Location of Save and Close button

To give feedback please write to VSKitFdbk@Microsoft.com

Copyright © 2010 by Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved.