Preparing proper test data is a core part of “project test
environment setup”. Tester cannot pass the bug
responsibility saying that complete data was not available
for testing. Tester should create his/her own test data
additional to the existing standard production data. Your
test data set should be ideal in terms of cost and time.
Design our test data considering following categories:
Test data set examples:
1) No data: Run your test cases on blank or default data.
See if proper error messages are generated.
2) Valid data set: Create it to check if application is
functioning as per requirements and valid input data is
properly saved in database or files.
3) Invalid data set: Prepare invalid data set to check
application behavior for negative values, alphanumeric
string inputs.
4) Illegal data format: Make one data set of illegal data
format. System should not accept data in invalid or illegal
format. Also check proper error messages are generated.
5) Boundary Condition data set: Data set containing out of
range data. Identify application boundary cases and prepare
data set that will cover lower as well as upper boundary
conditions.
6) Data set for performance, load and stress testing: This
data set should be large in volume.
This way creating separate data sets for each test
condition will ensure complete test coverage.