Starting Condition

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A Starting Condition is a state, value, event, or circumstance established or observed at the start of an activity.

A Starting Condition can apply to:

• Test Execution
• A Test Run
• A Test Sequence
• A Sequence Step
• A Test Step
• A Test Executable
• A process
• An operation
• Another activity with an identifiable starting event

A Starting Condition can identify:

• The applicable activity
• The starting event
• The starting time
• The applicable Test Environment
• The applicable Test Environment Version
• The applicable Configuration
• The applicable Baseline
• The applicable Test Items
• The applicable Nodes
• The applicable Node Set
• The applicable states
• The applicable values
• The applicable Test Argument Values
• The applicable Resources
• The applicable Operational Resources
• The applicable dependencies
• The applicable external conditions
• Its Provenance
• Its Traceability

state, value, event, or circumstance established or observed at the start of an activity

Adapted from:

• OMG Test Information Interchange Format (TestIF), Version 1.0 Beta 3
• Test Execution
• Test Run
• Sequence Step
• DIDO Reference Implementation Conceptual Model
• DIDO-TE draft Requirements Register

OMG TestIF supports Test Run starting times, starting Sequenced Test Objects, Test Argument Values, Test Environments, and occurrence-specific Sequence Step information.

OMG TestIF does not define Starting Condition as a separate TestIF model element. This definition introduces the term to identify the state and circumstances that apply when an activity begins.

Use the singular glossary term Starting Condition. Link plural usage to the same controlling page:

[[dido:99_annexes:annex-b-terms-and-definitions:s:starting_condition|Starting Conditions]]

A Starting Condition differs from a condition that must be satisfied before an activity begins:

• The prior condition determines whether the activity can begin
• The Starting Condition identifies the state, value, event, or circumstance that applies when the activity begins

The same information can perform both roles when the activity requires a particular state at its starting event.

A Starting Condition differs from an Expected Result:

• A Starting Condition identifies the applicable state at the start of an activity
• An Expected Result identifies the anticipated outcome used to evaluate a Test Result

A Starting Condition differs from a Timing Condition:

• A Starting Condition identifies the state or circumstance applicable at the start
• A Timing Condition constrains or characterizes when an event or activity starts, occurs, completes, repeats, or relates temporally to another event or activity

A Starting Condition must identify the applicable subject and activity. A value such as ACTIVE does not establish a complete Starting Condition unless the definition identifies what must have that value and when it applies.

Reproducible Test Execution can require preservation or recreation of applicable Starting Conditions.

The applicable Acceptance Criteria determine:

• Which Starting Conditions require exact reproduction
• Which Starting Conditions permit variation
• The permitted variation
• The observation or measurement method
• The Evidence required to demonstrate the Starting Conditions

A Test Run evaluates a Node Set beginning from an approved distributed state.

The Starting Conditions identify:

• Test Environment Version 3.2
• Configuration Version 7.1
• Node Set NS-004
• The Version of each Node
• The state of each Node
• The approved Baseline
• The applicable Test Argument Values
• The available Operational Resources
• The starting network Configuration
• The starting event
• The starting time

The Test Run records the observed Starting Conditions before Test Execution proceeds.

A repeated Test Run uses the recorded Starting Conditions to recreate the required starting state and preserve Reproducibility.