Complete Guide on TestRail as a Test Management Tool
TestRail is a platform that can help your QA teams build, connect, and optimize all their testing processes in one single place. TestRail’s Quality OS helps centralize both manual and automated test management and can provide you with complete visibility into your quality assurance operation. TestRail can help you build repeatable and scalable workflows that you can integrate into your CI/CD Pipelines. In this article, I will be showing you a complete guide on testrail as a test management tool. Please see Azure Hybrid Use Cases and Benefits.
You can read on performance testing using tools like Apache JMeter Load Testing: Test Mobile Apps on Windows and how to Install and conduct performance testing using Apache JMeter on your Web App and if it is automation for functional testing.
Here are some interesting articles: How to install Cypress on Windows and perform Automation and if its security testing you can read How to install and use Burp Suite for Web Application Security Testing.
TestRail as a Test Management Tool
Each of your Products will have a Project setup with the Test Plan, Test Cases, Test Executions, and Reporting.
TestRail Management Tool Key Terms
Before diving into this topic, I would like you to refer to the following articles: Download and use Windows Sysinternals Tools locally, Sysinternals: Installing from the Microsoft Store Guide, and “Test Network Connection to Windows Admin Center Gateway“.
1. TestRail Test Case
Test cases are the basic building blocks in TestRail and you can find it inside projects. You can reuse test case in a multiple test runs over time.
It contains the summary of what you need to test and also provide the description of how to run your test, including prerequisites, steps, and expected results.
2. Sections and Subsections
These are like folders that you can use to organize your test cases in a hierarchical tree structure. How you organize your sections depends on how large your project is, the larger the project the more sections you will have.
You can create sections and subsections for modules, functionality and process within your application.
3. Test Suite
What a test suite does is to give you an additional layer of separation between groups of test cases. Each test suite is not dependent or related to another test suite within your project. You can use sections and subsections to organize test cases within test suites.
4. Test
Test cases and tests mean different things in TestRail. while a Test is when a test case is selected as part of a test run while test case is a description of the procedure to test any functionality.
In TestRail, when you create a test, it usually comes with a unique ID for the test run.
5. Test Run
A Test Run comprises of specific Tests for each Test Case. Test Run consist what you plan to test within a test cycle for a sprint or milestone.
While test cases, sections, subsections, and suites document how to test your application within a test cycle, a test run is the actual set of tests you are running.
6. Results:
At this level you check the outcome of the test cases have been executed and you will now compare the actual outcome to the expected results which will now be your result or report.
Testing Process in TestRail in four steps:
Test Design: At this step you will analyze the requirements and write test cases both manual and automated test cases.
Test Plan: At this step you will create Test Runs and Plan with specific tests that you will run during the test cycle.
The “Test Execution”: At this level you begin executing the tests.
Reporting & Analysis: This is where you track your test progress in real-time and can monitor your test coverage and traceability reports to Identify risks or gaps in testing. This result or report will help you to know if all tests have been done and what is left and will help you identify bugs and issues that need a fix.
TestRail Plans and Pricing
1: Cloud Plan (Professional and Enterprise)
2. Server Plan (Professional and Enterprise)
You can have a TestRail account by starting a free 14-day trial. No credit card is required.
You will use your email and password to login.
DASHBOARD of TestRail Test Management Tool
After logging into the TestRail platform, the first page is usually the DASHBOARD. The dashboard provides you with an overview of recent activities, available projects, and Todo’s.
Detail View Vs. Compact View
ADMINISTRATION
When you sign-up you will usually have administrator privileges by default and you will see the ADMINISTRATION tab at the top-right of your dashboard
You can customize the Test case fields, templates, set-up integrations, Add users and roles and Manage security settings
How to start a new Project on TestRail?
Projects are the main organizational unit in TestRail. The type of project you selected from the beginning will define how you will organize and manage your test cases within that project. Test runs, test results, milestones are directly associated with a specific project.
Click Add Project
Enter the name of your project
Select your project type. The recommendation is to select Use a single repository for all cases. After making your selection click Add Project.
Immediately you add the project you will receive a congratulatory message and you can start developing your test cases.
First Step: Design your test cases
When your organization is developing a new product, it is very important to carry out tests. These tests will be conducted in order to ensure and assure its quality and fit for the purpose it was developed.
Test case design is the process of planning and documenting your tests for a product development.
While Adding Test Case you will notice that TestRail comes with four default test case templates:
- Test Case (Text)
- Test Case (Steps)
- Exploratory Session
- Behavior Driven Development (BDD)
Please note that each test case template always comes with a little different set of fields just to support the specific type of testing you are trying to create. Please see Windows as a Service: Windows 10 Feature and Quality Updates.
1. Test Case (Text) Template
The “Text Case (Text) template” will allow you to explain and describe in detail the steps you should take to test a given scenario completely. This is even the default template in TestRail and it’s recommended.
Precondition: This is where you add all the configuration settings or requirements needed to carry out a successful test.
Steps: This is where you describe or explain the functionality or necessary actions to complete the test.
Expected Result: The Expected Result is how the application must behave after your test. The actual test should be the same as the expected result for the test to be successful.
2. Test Case (Steps) Template
This one is very similar to the Text template except that it has separate steps and expected results for each one of them.
3. Exploratory Session Template
The Exploratory Session template make use of use large text fields. This template allows you to define your Charter and Goals, add document notes, attach screenshots, and upload log files as you carry out your exploratory test.
In the subsequent guide, we will be looking at the different ways to start adding test cases.
I hope you found this blog post on a complete guide on TestRail as a test management tool Interesting and helpful. In case you have any questions do not hesitate to ask in the comment section.
