pict-test-designer

PICT Test Designer

This skill enables systematic test case design using PICT (Pairwise Independent Combinatorial Testing). Given requirements or code, it analyzes the system to identify test parameters, generates a PICT model with appropriate constraints, executes the model to generate pairwise test cases, and formats the results with expected outputs.

When to Use This Skill

Use this skill when:

• Designing test cases for a feature, function, or system with multiple input parameters
• Creating test suites for configurations with many combinations
• Needing comprehensive coverage with minimal test cases
• Analyzing requirements to identify test scenarios
• Working with code that has multiple conditional paths
• Building test matrices for API endpoints, web forms, or system configurations

Workflow

Follow this process for test design:

1. Analyze Requirements or Code

From the user's requirements or code, identify:

• Parameters: Input variables, configuration options, environmental factors
• Values: Possible values for each parameter (using equivalence partitioning)
• Constraints: Business rules, technical limitations, dependencies between parameters
• Expected Outcomes: What should happen for different combinations

Example Analysis:

For a login function with requirements:

• Users can login with username/password
• Supports 2FA (on/off)
• Remembers login on trusted devices
• Rate limits after 3 failed attempts

Identified parameters:

• Credentials: Valid, Invalid
• TwoFactorAuth: Enabled, Disabled
• RememberMe: Checked, Unchecked
• PreviousFailures: 0, 1, 2, 3, 4

2. Generate PICT Model

Create a PICT model with:

• Clear parameter names
• Well-defined value sets (using equivalence partitioning and boundary values)
• Constraints for invalid combinations
• Comments explaining business rules

Model Structure:

# Parameter definitions
ParameterName: Value1, Value2, Value3

# Constraints (if any)
IF [Parameter1] = "Value" THEN [Parameter2] <> "OtherValue";