# Test Type Definitions {% hint style="success" %} ***We use this to** ... **so that we can** ...* {% endhint %} ## Unit Test (UT) * Low-level, focusing on a small part of the software such as a Java class or Angular component together with associated collaborators * Usually written by developers or perhaps software engineers in test, using their regular IDEs and testing frameworks such as IntelliJ, JUnit, VS Code and JEST * Run faster than any other kind of test, allowing a suite of thousands of unit tests to be run in a few seconds * Very scalable * Automatable * The primary facilitating mechanism for refactoring ## **Integration Test (INT)** * Determine if independently developed units of software work correctly when they are connected to each other. * Focusing on larger groups of collaborating Java classes or Angular components together with I/O dependencies such as databases or network connections. * I/O dependencies should not made at the expense of execution speed - for example a fast running in memory or local docker database can be leveraged over a hosted development database or a Contract Test to mock out an API endpoint * Usually written by developers or perhaps software engineers in test, using their regular IDEs and testing frameworks such as IntelliJ and junit or VS Code and jasmine. * Run fast allowing a suite of hundreds or thousands (depending on I/O dependencies) of integration tests to be run in a few seconds * Very scalable * Primary facilitating mechanism for refactoring ## **Contract Test (CT)** * Similar to an integration test used specifically for the purpose of ensuring that a pair of applications will work correctly together by checking each application in isolation to ensure the messages it sends or receives conform to a shared understanding that is documented in a "contract”. * The network dependency is mocked by the contract broker so contract tests run fast * Usually written by developers or perhaps software engineers in test, using their regular IDEs and testing frameworks such as IntelliJ and junit or VS Code and jasmine. * Run fast allowing a suite of hundreds or thousands of contract tests to be run in a few seconds * Very scalable * Primary facilitating mechanism for refactoring interdependent services independently of one another ## **Exploratory Test** * An exploratory test is one which emphasizes a rapid cycle of learning, test design, and test execution. Rather than trying to verify that the software conforms to a pre-written test script, an exploratory test explores the characteristics of the software, raising discoveries that will then be classified as reasonable behaviour or failures. ## **Acceptance Test (AT)** * Testing based on story card acceptance criteria to enable the tester (manual) or developer (automated) to determine whether or not the software is ready for consumption by the customer. * Scoped to a particular story only * Performed from the customer perspective - usually a UI (eg browser or DISC terminal) or an API client (eg CTM integration) * Maximum context and value with respect to customer requirement - significant determining factor in confidence of story definition of done * Slower than integration test as a local service together with supporting out of process collaborating services are necessary to exercise the code * As such, these tests are harder to maintain and scale ## **System Test (ST)** * Similar to an Acceptance Test but instead requires live versions of one or many deployed services in hosted environments, requiring test environment and network access * Teams currently need to wait overnight before test subject is deployed to NXI or NXQ * Exercises code paths through one or many services and dependent services * Usually written by developers or perhaps software engineers in test, using their regular IDEs and testing frameworks such as IntelliJ and junit or VS Code and jasmine. * Run duration is an order of magnitude slower and largely determined by the scope of the execution path through the dependent services. A single system test could take between one and several seconds to run. ## End to End Test (E2E) * Confirming that full user journey processes can be completed throughout the entire value stream. E.g Establish customer, Create/amend/service or renew a policy and lodge and process a claim * Scoped to a customer value stream * Performed from the customer perspective - usually a UI (eg browser or DISC terminal) or an API client (eg CTM integration) * Maximum context and value with respect to customer requirement - significant determining factor in level of confidence of working software * Very slow to run - depending on scope of test, execution duration can minutes to tens of minutes * Hard to maintain * Does not scale * Depending on implementation, can be repurposed for load testing * Automated or Manual ## Penetration Test (PEN) * Authorised simulated cyber attack on a computer system, performed to evaluate the security of the system. * Automated or Manual ## Synthetic Test (SYN) * Method of understanding how our call centre agents and customers experience our applications by proactively testing public production environment endpoints and 3rd party APIs such as payment gateways. * Automated ## References * * * *