What are the most effective ways to use equivalence partitioning in software testing?

1 Benefits of equivalence partitioning

Equivalence partitioning can help you save time and resources by eliminating redundant and unnecessary test cases. It can also improve the quality and reliability of your software by detecting errors and defects that might occur in different input ranges. Equivalence partitioning can be applied to both functional and non-functional requirements, such as performance, security, usability, etc.

2 How to identify equivalence classes

To identify the equivalence classes for a given input, you need to analyze the specification and the expected behavior of the software. You can use criteria such as valid and invalid classes, boundary and interior values, and positive and negative classes to define the boundaries and values of each class. Valid classes should meet the requirements and produce the correct output, while invalid classes should generate an error message or exception. Boundary values are at the edge of a valid class, while interior values are within a valid class but not at the boundary. Boundary values are more likely to reveal errors than interior values, so they should be prioritized in testing. Positive classes have a positive effect on the software, while negative classes have a negative effect.

3 How to design test cases using equivalence partitioning

Designing test cases using equivalence partitioning requires you to identify the input variables and their data types, such as numbers, strings, and dates. You must then identify the equivalence classes for each input variable based on the criteria mentioned above. After selecting one representative value from each equivalence class as the test data, you should combine the test data from different input variables to form test cases. Finally, execute the test cases and verify the expected output or behavior.