Jira: How to Use the Most Well-Known Test Case Management Tool

The goal of any software project is to deliver the highest quality software possible. And for that, you must continue to test on a regular basis. This should be especially true for organizations that use DevOps. However, many organizations lack the Online Best QA test case management tools aspect required to properly manage the test. This is especially common for Jira users who are tracking development issues. Jira’s test cases management tool must be manually aligned due to the lack of built-in testing functionality.

Before delving deeper into Jira test case management, let’s go over the fundamentals of Jira, specifically What is Jira testing and why it’s so popular.

1. Jira

Jira is well-known among software testers as the greatest open-source test case management solution. It’s the most popular open-source test management software. Atlassian’s Jira testing tool for test cases is the most popular issue tracking platform. Jira software is a prominent test case management solution that is mostly used by quality assurance teams to monitor problems, issues, and tasks in order to effectively cooperate with other teams. Jira’s success stems from the degree of customization it provides for a wide range of use scenarios. It’s a useful platform for bringing teams together and collaborating efficiently on a project.

1.1 How Jira is important for you?

At TestDel, our qualified testers use Jira Zephyr for various things such as.

Generate and manage dashboard of the project.

Create Test Plan.

Create Test Suite and integrate it with test plan.

Import test cases (csv or etc.)

Create and executing test cycles.

Executing adhoc test cycles.

Generating various reports and Requirement traceability matrix (RTM).

We also onboard our client on the Jira from the starting of the project which makes it more likely that everyone is planning forward and treating the situation seriously.

Long-term, it could save the client money. Even while it will surely take a bit longer to start the assignment, you’ll probably end up billing for less hours. While it goes without saying that you should bill as many hours as is fair, you should also keep in mind that a project’s speedier completion enables you to start the next one right away.

You are able to work quite quietly since you aren’t continually interrupting your own “flow” by asking the customer questions.

2. Jira for Testing Customization

Despite the constraints, many teams use JIRA to handle test cases, and they usually do so in one of two ways:

The “Test Case” issue type has been added to the issue type list.

Let’s look at each of these possibilities in more detail: Using the “User Story”

2.1 Adding a “Test Case” Issue Type to the Issue Type Hierarchy

To adapt Jira for test case management, add a “Test Case” issue type and follow the instructions below:

Create an issue type called “Test Case.”
Include the procedures necessary to achieve a desired result.
Make that test case the main issue for the rest of the testing you’ll be doing.
To run the test, create a subtask and call it “Test Run.”
Within the “Test Run” subtask, enter the results, impacted versions, results, and the assignee who is conducting the test.

While this strategy appears to work in principle, it has significant drawbacks in practise:

Re-running tests: If you need to rerun a test execution or test a new version, you must add more test runs as subtasks, and you must add a subtask every time you want to log the history of that test case.
Reusing tests: With test case management, you frequently need to reuse test runs and have visibility into logs of those test runs, but you can’t reuse subtasks in JIRA because they are marked as “done.”
Creating coverage reports: As all of the subtasks are assigned to a single parent issue, you cannot group several test runs to different configurations and display a coverage report.

2.2. In Depth detail of Using the “User Story”

You can customize Jira for test case management by tweaking the “User Story”. Here’s how this approach works:

Create a User Story (this will act as the test case in the same way that the new parent issue did in the first option)
Add a subtask that acts as a test case or a test run that refers back to that User Story

If all the subtasks pass, then the User Story is ready to go into production

Once again, this approach poses challenges because the subtask acts as the test case and the test run. Specifically, it poses challenges around:

Reusing tests: If you ever want to use the subtask again, for example in a regression cycle or as a link to another User Story, it becomes complicated since the User Story has likely been marked as “done”.
Aligning test cases: Due to this setup, if you have multiple test cases that link to multiple user stories, aligning test cases becomes extremely difficult.

3. How do you create test cases in Jira?

To configure Jira screens, schemas, and custom fields, you must first be a global administrator.

3.1 Create a project in which you want to write your test cases.

Select Projects > Create Project from the home screen.
Give your project a name, such as Online booking.
Select and assign a template, for example, ‘Bug tracking.’ Make sure you’ve selected the ‘bug tracking’ template rather than the default one.
After you’ve managed user permissions and project setup, you’ll need to tailor Jira to your specific requirements.

3.2 Setting up Jira for test case management.

Here’s how to set up Jira to accept new test cases, along with the necessary fields and forms. Finally, you should be able to add test cases in the same way that you added issues.

To begin, create a new issue type in your Jira account.

Navigate to Settings from the main menu, then to Issues and Issue Types.

Now, click Add issue type and enter the values listed below to create a new issue type.

Name: Test Case Screen
Type: Standard Issue Type

3.3 Build custom fields

You must now add custom fields to define the details that your test cases must have.

Go to ‘Settings’ > ‘Issues’ > ‘Custom Fields’ from the main menu. Then, select ‘Add custom field’. You will be able to select the data type and give each field a name for each one you add.

Next, select the two custom fields listed below:

Name: ‘Test Case Steps’ Field Type: Text field, Multi line

Name: ‘Test Case Expected Results’, Field Type: Text field, Multi-line.

3.4 Developing a Custom Screen

You must now construct a new screen to which these fields will be included.

Go to the main menu and select Settings> Issues> Screens from the drop-down menu.

Create a new screen by clicking Add screen and entering the information below.

Screen Name: Test Case Screen

After you’ve done that, you’ll be taken to a page where you may customise the new screen by adding custom fields. Using the dropdown menu, add the three fields below:

Summary
Test Case Steps
Test Case Expected results.

3.5 Screen Schema

Create a screen schema and associate it with the screen that you created in the previous step.
Navigate to Settings> Issues> Screen Schemes
Click on Add screen scheme and create a new schema with these values:

Form field values
Name: Test Case Scheme
Screen Scheme: Online booking Bug Screen (or name it similar to your project).

Once you have created this, it will present you with the screen configure the test case scheme. Select the Edit option for the default issue operation listed.

Set the appropriate form options and click Update to save your changes.

3.6 Creating a Screen Schema for Issue Types

Issue type screen schema (Settings> Issues> Issue type screen schema)

Create a new schema with the following values by clicking Add problem type screen scheme:

Name: Test Case Screen Scheme
Screen Scheme: Test Case Scheme.

You must customise it for the exact, unique issue type that you defined in the preceding steps once it has been created. You should be on the appropriate page by now, but if not, go to Issues> Issue type screen schemes and click configure next to the schema you established.

Now click ‘Associate an issue type with a screen scheme’ and fill in the form fields with the following values:

3.7 Updating the configuration of the Jira Project.

Move to the main overview page of the project where you have created your test cases. Select project ‘Settings’ and select ‘Screens’.
In the top right, use the actions button and choose ‘Use a different scheme’ from the drop down menu.

Choose the following form options and click ‘Associate’ to save the changes.
Scheme: Test Case Screen Scheme.

3.8 Adding the Test Case Issue Type

In the global settings, go to the main menu, navigate to Issue Type Schemes. Click the Edit link for the project that you will be using.

Drag the Test Case issue type from the Available Issue Types box to Current Scheme box and save your changes.

3.9 Creation of test cases

You have configured Jira to enable the creation of test cases. If you view the project and select the issue of the ‘Test Case’ type, you will be shown a form. The summary field is a must in Jira, so use it to give the test case a title and a test case reference number too.

4. Using Zephyr Add on Test Case Management in Jira

Although it might be extremely simple to modify JIRA and apply it to your testing process by following the previous steps, JIRA is not well suited for test case management and centralized testing efforts due to its limitations. Zephyr is only one of the several tools you may employ. A testing tool built into JIRA is called Zephyr. At TestDel, we user Zephyr add on with Jira to do the test management efficiently. You may build test problems using Zephyr, run them, follow their process, and output a report after their completion. It features an API that can be used to connect it with your CI tools and has a user interface (UI) that is comparable to JIRA, which can be installed on servers or in the cloud.

4.1 Test management is integrated into JIRA

You may implement end-to-end test management using a Jira-based test case management tool, from developing test cases to tying existing test cases to Jira stories.

Modern agile testing technologies, allow your team to organise test cases to construct scenarios, assign testers, preserve test results, track execution history, and keep an audit of test artefact changes automatically with test version control.

Zephyr has a function called “Import Test Case” that allows you to import test cases from an Excel file (CSV/XLSX format) into the app.

4.2 Use thorough reporting to make crucial quality decisions.

You’ll have specific reporting options with a Jira test management plugin. The reporting tool provides coverage analytics, test runs, and end-to-end traceability. Although I’m sure there are similar features in other apps.

For various reports, get real-time visibility on projects and teams. Using executive coverage, reusability, and other insights, you can create your own unique dashboards and distribute them with confidence.

4.3 Integrate for more power.

The Jira-Zephyr 150+ Open APIs can be used to connect with a variety of automation and CI/CD technologies to create end-to-end Agile/DevOps integrations. It comes pre-configured to work with CI/CD technologies like Jenkins and Bamboo.

Out-of-the-box integration test automation solutions Selenium, Appium, Cucumber, UFT, and others can import your automation test results directly into Jira.

Both manual and automated test results, as well as exceptions in test runs, can be managed.

4.4 Exploratory testing saves time and cost.

With an integrated exploratory testing software, automatically record all actions and create annotated screenshots. It allows you to export bug information, including screenshots and environment information, as well as add assertions, notes, and voice memos. In a nutshell, it enables you to do more with the app in less time by providing a simple and easy way to track your exploratory testing efforts.

4.5 Benefits of Using Jira Test Case Management App

The advantages of using the Jira Test Case Management App are as follows:

Jira testing is simple to set up and configure, minimising extensive manual stages and processes.
Get testing reports and an in-depth analysis of project quality.
Ability to employ a well-known tool that has previously been obtained (if you already have Jira in place)
Ability to integrate quality checks into a CI/CD pipeline
The app serves as a central repository for both manual and automated testing.

5. Conclusion

By integrating QA monitoring, testing, and analysis into each phase of the software development process using current test management systems, you can become really agile. Your teams will be able to work more quickly, identify problems earlier and more accurately, and deliver higher-quality updates.

By integrating a testing tool straight into Jira, you may drastically increase code quality. This means that product management, development, and testing teams will be more closely integrated inside the same environment.

A single app can help you increase efficiency and production. Your entire team will benefit from using the same platform – Jira – to handle all of their tasks. Jira is a project and issue management solution that allows users to track issues or tasks using a customised, predetermined workflow. Jira may be used to manage test cases, and many teams already do so.

Consider QA Software Testing outsourcing with TestDel today if you want to take your QA process to the next level! Check out our standardised and centralised QA testing services for additional information on how to improve your QA testing workflow.