Ideal Testing Plan

1. Unit Testing

Objective: Verify the correctness of individual components and ensure each module behaves as expected.

Approach: Manual testing for screen pages and automated testing for backend functionalities.

Scope

• Frontend Components:
  • Input forms (e.g., preference submission forms, student profile creation).
  • UI validation for form fields.
  • Navigation flows (e.g., switching between views for professors and students).
• Backend Services:
  • Data validation methods (e.g., input sanitization for preferences and profiles).
  • Matching algorithm functions (e.g., constraint evaluation and preference weighting).
  • Authentication and role-based access modules.

Tools

• Manual UI verification.
• Automated tests using Flutter Test Suite.

2. Functional Testing

Objective: Ensure that the application meets the functional requirements as described.

Approach: Combine manual and automated tests to validate key functionalities.

Scope

• Manual Testing:
  • Test each screen and user flow across user types (professors, students, admins).
  • Verify the functionality of forms, navigation, and review/decision interfaces.
• Automated Testing:
  • Matching algorithm scenarios with diverse profiles.
  • Data management tasks, including account creation and reporting.
  • Authentication workflows for secure logins and role-based access control.

Tools

• Flutter Test Suite for automated functional tests.
• Browser developer tools for manual UI checks.

3. Integration Testing

Objective: Validate the interaction and data flow between system modules.

Approach: Both manual and automated testing methods based on real-world scenarios.

Scope

• Matching Algorithm:
  • Match students to positions based on previous year’s data.
  • Test multiple combinations of constraints, preferences, and qualifications.

Tools

• Manual testing with Postman for Firebase functions.
• Manual validation of reports and matched results.

This structured approach ensures comprehensive testing of all system components to deliver a reliable RA Matching solution.

Realistic Testing Plan

1. Unit Testing

Objective: Verify the correctness of individual components and ensure each module behaves as expected.

Approach: Conduct thorough manual testing to validate individual modules and their functionalities.

Scope

• Frontend Components:
  • Validate input forms for correct behavior and handling of edge cases (e.g., invalid input, empty fields).
  • Ensure UI validation provides appropriate feedback for errors and successful operations.
  • Verify navigation flows for seamless transitions between user views (e.g., professors, students, admins).
  • Confirm responsiveness across various screen sizes and devices.
• Backend Services:
  • Manually test data validation methods, ensuring all input data is sanitized and stored correctly.
  • Validate matching algorithm calculations by creating test cases with predefined outcomes and verifying the results.
  • Confirm authentication workflows (e.g., secure login, role-based access) by simulating various user scenarios.

2. Functional Testing

Objective: Ensure the application meets the functional requirements as described in the specifications.

Approach: Use manual testing techniques to validate core functionalities and simulate user interactions.

Scope

• User Flows:
  • Test each screen and user flow across all user types (professors, students, admins).
  • Verify submission forms, navigation, and feedback mechanisms for correctness and usability.
  • Check user interface consistency and ensure all elements are intuitive and accessible.
• Matching Algorithm:
  • Create real-world test cases to simulate diverse student and faculty preferences.
  • Manually validate matched results against expected outputs to confirm adherence to constraints.

3. Integration Testing

Objective: Validate the interaction and data flow between different system modules to ensure smooth functionality.

Approach: Perform manual testing based on real-world scenarios and interactions between modules.

Scope

• Module Interactions:
  • Simulate end-to-end workflows, such as preference submission to final assignment, to validate data flow.
  • Test error handling and data integrity during module interactions (e.g., form submissions, matching outcomes).
• Reports and Outputs:
  • Manually verify the accuracy of generated reports and matched results by cross-referencing with input data.
  • Validate the clarity and comprehensibility of system-generated reports and notifications.

Tools

• Browser developer tools for debugging and validating UI components.
• Manual validation using spreadsheet tools for cross-checking matching results.

This realistic, manual-only approach ensures thorough validation of all components and workflows, delivering a reliable RA Matching solution tailored to the project's needs.