Chain testing: all you need to know

What is a chain test?

Within the field of software testing, there are all kinds of testing techniques. Based on specific situations and goals, you choose a test that fits. One of these techniques is the chain test, which is a test design technique. This test is used when testing the functionality of interconnected units, but can be used for individual software modules as well as entire systems. A chain test is created by linking a series of tests together.

What is the test used for?

The purpose of a chain test is to ensure that the individual tests work correctly and that the system as a whole functions properly. Chain tests can be used to verify the functionality of a system, its modules, or its individual components. We explain this in more detail below.

How can you use chain testing in your own software testing process?

There are several ways you can use chain testing in your own software testing process:

• To verify functionality at the system level of a product
• To verify module-level functionality of a product
• To verify component-level functionality of a product
• To verify the integration of multiple modules
• To verify the interoperability of multiple systems

What do you need to perform this test?

To perform a chain test, you need a set of linked tests that can be used to verify the functionality of a system, its modules, or its individual components. These tests can be created manually or automatically with test automation tools. You also need a mechanism to run the tests in sequence and verify the results.

How do you create a chain test?

So there are two ways to create a chain test:

• Create the tests manually and link them together
• Use a test automation program to create the tests and link them together.

If you choose to create the tests manually, you must write each test separately and then link them together. You can do this by creating a master test (main test) that has each individual test as a sub-test. When you run the master test, it runs each of the linked tests in order.

If you choose to use a program, you can create the tests and automatically link them together. Most programs have the ability to create and manage chain tests. Once you have created the tests, you can run them in sequence and check the results.

What are the benefits of chain testing?

There are several benefits of using chain testing:

• Chain testing can be used to test everything from individual modules to entire systems
• Chain testing can be used to verify the functionality of a system, its modules, or its individual components
• Chain testing can be used to verify the integration of multiple modules
• Chain testing can be used to verify the interoperability of multiple systems
• Chain testing is a quick and easy way to test the functionality of a system

What are the disadvantages of chain testing?

There are some disadvantages to using chain testing:

• If a test fails, it can be difficult to determine which test in the chain is responsible for the failure
• Chain testing can be time consuming if there are many tests in the chain
• Chain tests can be difficult to set up and manage

Learn more about software testing

Do you want to learn more about chain testing or do you have questions? Then get in touch with us! We'd love to help you out. Or maybe you want to learn more about different software testing techniques and become a software tester? We offer several TMap and TPI e-learnings. With these e-learnings you can develop yourself to a real professional software tester. Discover our course offering and see what we can do for you.

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