What is a Test Case?

I’d appreciate finding out your definition of a test case and how you apply the term to the simple order entry example outlined below.

1. Enter an order for a customer.
	1.a Existing customer
		1.a.1 Valid existing customer ID, customer is found.
		1.a.2 Invalid customer ID, customer is not found.
	1.b New customer.
		1.b.1 Valid name and address, added.
			1.b.1.1 Valid state abbreviation keyed.
				1.b.1.1.1 First state (AK).
				1.b.1.1.2 Last state (WY).
				1.b.1.1.3 Short state name (IA).
				1.b.1.1.4 Long state name (NC).
				1.b.1.1.5 Delete and re-enter (MI,MN).
			1.b.1.2 Valid state abbreviation selected from list.
		1.b.2 Valid name and address, not added.
			1.b.2.1 Customer already exists.
			1.b.2.2 No disk space.
			1.b.2.3 Violates business rule, e.g., won't sell to PO Box addresses.
		1.b.3 Invalid state abbreviation, not added.
			1.b.3.1 Two alpha characters, but not an abbreviation for a real state.
			1.b.3.2 Lower case not accepted.
			1.b.3.3 One alpha character.
			1.b.3.4 Blank.
			1.b.3.5 Non alphabetic characters.
	1.c Cancel the transaction, nothing ordered.
	1.d Order an item (valid item number and quantity).
	1.e Fail to order an item.
		1.e.1 Invalid item number.
		1.e.2 Invalid quantity.
			1.e.2.1 Zero
			1.e.2.2 Not numeric
			1.e.2.3 Blank
		1.e.3 Valid item number and quantity, none on hand.
		1.e.4 Cancel the transaction.
	1.f Submit the completed order (valid customer and item/quantity), ordered.
	1.g Fail to complete the order.
		1.g.1 Submit without valid item/quantity.
		1.g.2 Cancel the transaction.

Your Definition of a Test Case:

Assume that you will carry out a test consisting of all the inputs and expected results outlined below. Which one of the following five choices describes what you would call test cases in the example?

A: You would consider this to represent a single test case of “1. Enter an order for a customer.” You would not consider subsidiary lines (such as “1.a.1 Valid existing customer ID, customer is found”) to be separate test cases.

B: You would consider, for example, “1.a Existing Customer” and “1.b New Customer” each to be a separate test case, but you would not consider subsidiary lines (such as “1.a.1 Valid existing customer ID, customer is found”) to be separate test cases.

C: You would consider, for example, “1.b New Customer” to consist of three test cases: “1.b.1 Valid name and address, added,” “1.b.2 Valid name and address, not added,“ and “1.b.3 Invalid state abbreviation, not added.” However, you would not consider subsidiary lines (such as, “1.b.3.1 Two alpha characters, but not an abbreviation for a real state”) to be separate test cases.

D: You would consider, for example, “1.b.1 Valid name and address, added” to consist of two test cases: “1.b.1.1 Valid state abbreviation keyed” and “1.b.1.2 Valid state abbreviation selected from list.” However, you would not consider subsidiary lines (such as, “1.b.1.1.1 First state (AK)”) to be separate test cases.

E: You would consider, for example, “1.b.1.1 Valid state abbreviation keyed“ to consist of five test cases, “1.b.1.1.1 First state (AK)“ through “1.b.1.1.5 Delete and re-enter (MI,MN).”

If you chose any definition other than E, what would you call the subsidiary lines that you don’t consider to be separate test cases?

Do you have yet a different way to characterize the test case(s) described in the example? (please refer to the specific line numbers, e.g., “1.b.1”)

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I’ll send you a summary of results if we get sufficient data. Thank you for your assistance. Robin Goldsmith