The Keystone to Support a Generic Test Process: Separating the "What" from the "How"

A generic test process should support all approaches "formal to informal" and mixed approaches within, and across, all test levels. But widely-accepted formal approaches, from current standards, certification syllabi and tools, have explicitly-defined test cases as the key underlying entity: not all real-life approaches use explicit test cases. Also, testing is maturing beyond merely "finding bugs" we need better control, informing stakeholders in a language they understand. So, we separate the "what" from the "how" in the test process, using a structure which accommodates existing views yet provides flexibility to support varied approaches. We consider test analysis and test design as distinct activities with differently-structured work products with complex inter-relationships. We question the current scope and usage of test design techniques. Rather, test analysis produces test conditions which form the "keystone" for a generic test process supporting optimised test design and execution, plus measurement, monitoring and control of test and development processes.