Test Planning

Effective test planning ensures a structured, scalable testing process. Without it, testing can become chaotic, leading to missed coverage, inefficiencies, and difficult maintenance. Here’s how to keep your tests organized and efficient.

Organizing Test Cases

A clear folder structure helps scale your tests efficiently:

Recommended Structures:

1. Version > Module > Features – Best for versioned applications.
2. Module > Version > Features – Ideal for modular apps with independent versions.
3. Module > Features – Suitable when versioning isn’t a concern.

Key Test Types for Each Feature:

• Happy Path Cases – Validate expected behavior.
• Negative Cases – Test resilience to invalid inputs.
• Integration Tests – Verify multi-service workflows.

Folder Structure Best Practices:

• Selector Inclusion – The test runner selects all subfolders; structure accordingly.
• Use Built-in Priorities – Avoid separate folders for priority levels.
• Tagging for Cross-Cutting Concerns – Use tags like Security to group tests flexibly.
• Independent Test Cases – Ensure parallel execution.

Example Structures:

Versioned API with Modular Features

v1
├── User Management
│   ├── Registration
└── Orders
└── Payments

Module-Based Structure with Versioned Features

User Management
├── Registration
├── Login
└── Security (e.g., injection testing)

Aligning Test Environments

Testing spans multiple environments (e.g., local, staging, production). Avoid hard-coded values to maintain flexibility.

Steps:

1. Identify Web Services

   • Name each service clearly (e.g., User Service, Product Service, Order Service).

2. Use Variables for Environment-Specific Values

   • Replace hardcoded URLs and tokens with variables:
     • {{userServiceEndpoint}}, {{orderServiceEndpoint}}
     • {{userServiceAccessToken}}, {{orderServiceAccessToken}}

3. Define Environment Groups

   • Set environment-specific values for easy switching:
     • Local: {{userServiceEndpoint}} → https://local.api.example.com/user
     • Staging: {{userServiceEndpoint}} → https://staging.api.example.com/user
   • Select the environment group in the test runner to apply the correct values automatically.

This setup keeps tests environment-agnostic, enhancing maintainability and reducing manual updates.

Scheduling & Automation

Automating tests ensures consistent quality checks.

1. Determine Test Frequency:

• High-Criticality – Run post-deployment or every 30 minutes.
• Medium-Criticality – Run daily or nightly.
• Low-Criticality – Run weekly or after major updates.

2. Automate with ReAPI:

• Test Deployments – Bind test runners to environments.
• Custom Scheduling – Run tests at deployment, daily, or weekly.
• Automated Environment Selection – Apply the correct environment automatically.

3. Use Tags & Selectors:

• Tag tests (e.g., Critical Path, Security) for flexible selection.
• Combine folders and tags for targeted runs.

4. Monitor & Optimize:

• Set Notifications – Reduce noise by separating success and failure alerts.
• Review Reports Regularly – Identify trends, adjust frequencies.

By structuring, automating, and optimizing test planning, you ensure an efficient, scalable process that adapts to your application’s needs.