Adding test cases

Add a test case to define the set of conditions, actions, expected results, and other criteria used to determine if a product component works correctly and meets its specified requirements. Each test case should focus on one component. Your testing may require more than one test case per component.

Test cases are used for both automated and manual testing in Helix ALM.

1. Click Add on the Test Cases list.

You can also add a test case from any page in Helix ALM, except when working in the Administration area. Click Add Item at the top of the page and choose Add Test Case.

The Adding Test Case page opens.

2. Enter a Summary to briefly describe the test. You can enter up to 255 characters.

3. In the left pane, enter or select General and Custom Fields values. The available fields and grouping depends on how Helix ALM is configured for your team. To learn more, see Configuring field layouts.

  • To scroll to a field group, click Scroll to fields and select a field group.
  • To expand a field group, click . To collapse a group, click . To expand all groups, click . To collapse all groups, click .
  • If information is available about a field group, mouse over to display a tooltip.
  • Type specifies the test case type, such as Functional or Regression.
  • View Mode indicates how steps are displayed in manual test runs generated from the test case. Grid View displays steps in rows and columns. Detail Grid View displays steps in row and columns, guides users step-by-step through the manual test run, and allows them to enter results (Pass, Fail, Undetermined) on each step. Text View displays steps as text. See Entering manual test results in grid view, Entering manual test results in detail grid view, and Entering manual test results in text view. This option may not be available depending on the manual test run compliance settings.
  • Automated Test indicates the test will be performed using an automated test.
  • Estimated Run Time indicates how much time it may take to perform the test.
You can use test variant field codes in test case fields and steps. When you generate manual test runs, field codes are replaced with the variant values. For example, if you have an Operating System variant with a %Z_OSVARIANT% field code and the Windows value is used to generate manual test runs, the field code is replaced with Windows in the manual test run. To add a variant field code, click the field or step, click the Insert Variant button, and choose the field code to add.

4. Click Add Variant to select the Included Variant Values and Excluded Variant Values to use when manual test runs are generated for the test case.

Test variants are attributes of the tested application used to generate manual test runs. A manual test run is created for each unique combination of variant values selected when generating manual test runs. See Managing test variants for manual tests.

5. On the Steps tab, click Add Steps and enter the steps to perform the test and the expected results. See Entering test case steps.

6. If the test case is used for an automation test, click the Automation tab to work with automation suites and test results associated with the test case. See Working with test cases in automation suites.

7. Click the Files tab to attach automated scripts and other files testers may need to perform the test. See Attaching files.

8. Click the Folders tab to add the test case to a folder. See Adding items to folders.

You will use the Manual Test Runs, Workflow, Traceability, Baselines, and History tabs when viewing or editing test cases. See Viewing test cases and Editing test cases.

9. Perform any additional actions.

  • To move the test case through the workflow, click a workflow event button. For example, click Assign to assign it to another team member. Click More to see additional events. See Adding workflow events to items.
  • To perform various actions on the test case, click Actions and choose an action.
  • To run a report that includes information about the test case, click the Reports button and choose a report. See Running reports.
  • To send email about the test case, click the Email button and choose an option. See Emailing from Helix ALM.

10. Save the test case.

  • Click Save to add the test case to the project and return to the Test Cases list.
  • Click Apply to save the test case and continue working on it. Save the test case when you finish.
  • Click Save and Add Another to add the test case to the project and then add another test case.
  • Click Cancel to discard any changes.

The available options depend on the Add Multiple Test Cases user option set in the Helix ALM Client. See the Helix ALM Client help for information about setting add multiple items options.