What is test coverage?
How do we test systematically using some kind of method that is repeatable and objective? How do we create an evenly distributed set of tests so that we cover everything in a sensible and an even manner? How do we measure our testing? How do we manage progress? And how much testing is enough anyway?
Coverage helps us to understand several things. For example, what are we planning to test and how it helps us to identify things to test and how we're going to cover them. Coverage tells us what we've covered when we've run tests and what we've not covered - what's left to test?
Coverage helps us to establish confidence with our stakeholders. Some confidence is gained by achieving a hundred percent coverage of a model of testing. Coverage helps us to understand how thorough our testing is.
Coverage has something to say about how good or effective our testing is too. But this is a complex question. We'll talk about that later.
In this video, I want to explain what the concept of coverage means for testers.
If you want to know more about the concepts I'm talking about in the glossary of terms videos, it will probably help you if you take a look at the leadership in test online class that I created a year or two ago, it covers some of the topics in more detail and obviously provides more of a structured approach to explanations of the concepts. It also gives you some idea of how to do some of the things I talk about. I hope you can take a look at it and get value out of it. The link is here: bit.ly/leadintest