Tip 3) "What's in a name? That which we call a test"
Now when we’ve learned the importance of using the soapUI Test Structure, let’s look at how you can improve the test readability. When you create a new TestCase soapUI offers an easy name for you, this is very helpful and even a very good solution in some cases, but not when you try building a serious industrial TestSuite. Letting soapUI names a test like TestSuite 3 or TestCase 349 will work fine when you have a handful of tests, ,but will you remember in 3 months or years’ time what TestCase 349 did? Or will your Test Buddy you share the soapUI Project with understand what TestCase 349 does?
Instead spend some extra time and go for a name that helps you understand what the test does, for example, “TestSuite for validating that Customer Data Updates work” or “TestCase that tests increase of Reseller Discounts ”.
It makes interacting with the project much easier especially if you work hard at naming the TestSuites well as well, finding “TestCase that tests increase of Reseller Discounts ” is so much easier if it is in a TestSuite named “TestSuite for changing Reseller Terms”. If you have worked with naming the project it will be much easier to relearn after not touching it for a period of time and it also helps you understand what kinds of tests that are missing. “So I have a TestCase that tests increase of Reseller Discounts, why isn’t there one that tests decreasing of them”.
Wild tangent:
Also, as the quote from Shakespeare in the heading for the tip discusses, doesn't the naming of an item alter the item itself? Isn't a test named "TestCase for adding a customer with too long SSN" in the TestSuite "TestSuite with negative tests for adding Customer" a much stronger and valid test than "TestCase 2" in "TestSuite 45"? Even though it's functionally identical? Doesn't the sign alter the signifier? And we're not talking about how we perceive the signifier, but the actual Signifier itself.
A good advice is also using the same way of naming Items in your project; doing this makes it easier to both name new Items as well as understanding them.
Now that we’ve looked at how to name your tests, we'll look at some tips about performing tests. Next tip is about the necessity of Assertions.
