Running Manual Tests Using Test Runner

Manual Tests Architecture

Manual test cases that you create using Microsoft Test Manager are contained inside a test suite, which is contained inside a test plan. A test plan associates each test in a test suite with one or multiple test configurations. For more information, see Defining Your Testing Effort Using Test Plans.

Components of a test plan

Running Manual Tests

A test result is recorded every time that you run a specific test. Optionally, when you run a manual test, you can attach documents and screen shots to the test. The attachments will be saved together with the test result. The attachments can provide useful information to other team members if you find it necessary to submit a bug while performing the manual test. To run a test, you must select the test inside a test plan that you want to run. You may also run an entire test suite.

Also, you can create an action recording that records the actions you perform for your manual test for each of the test steps. You can then use this action recording to play back the actions to fast forward through the manual test.

Key Tasks

Use the following topics to help you run your tests:

Tasks	Associated Topics
Creating manual test cases for test suites: Before you run a manual test, you must first create one. You can create manual test cases within your test suites in your test plan. The test suites can be based on whatever criteria you need. You can even create a test suite based on a query and all test cases you create that are returned by that query will be added to the suite.	How to: Create a Manual Test Case
Run a manual test: After a manual test has been created, it can be run from Microsoft Test Manager using Test Runner. You can specify data and diagnostics to collect when you run your manual tests using test settings. You can also use a physical or virtual environment to collect data and diagnostics on the backend tiers of your application.	How to: Run Manual Tests Setting Up Test Machines to Run Tests or Collect Data Create Test Settings for Manual Tests How to: Run Manual Tests and Create Reproducible Bugs With Virtual Environments
Fast forward your manual tests by recording the actions in your test to play back later: You can record the actions for a manual test and then play these actions back later, using an action recording.	Recording and Playing Back Manual Tests
Running multiple tests contained in a test suite: Optionally, you can run multiple tests by selecting two or more tests in Microsoft Test Manager.	How to: Run Multiple Manual Tests in a Test Suite
Running tests that use parameters to run multiple times: If you want to run a manual test case multiple times with different data, you do not have to create multiple copies of the test case. You can add parameters to the actions or expected results for any test step in your test case. Then you can add multiple sets of values for the parameters that you want to use in your test. Each set of values for the parameters is run as an individual iteration of the test using Test Runner. You can copy the value of each parameter when you run the test and then paste the value into your input field in your application under test.	How to: Add Parameters to a Manual Test Case To Run Multiple Times with Different Data How to: Run Multiple Iterations of a Test Using Different Data Parameters
Running tests that include shared steps: If you have different manual test cases in your test suite that all contain an identical set of test steps, you can create and use shared steps. A key advantage of using shared steps is that when you update shared steps, you update the steps in all the test cases that contain the shared steps.	How to: Share Common Test Case Steps Using Shared Steps How to: Use Shared Steps While Running a Test
Attach comments, documents, screenshots, link to a virtual environment, and submit bugs while you run a manual test: You can add value to your findings for other team members by attaching documents and submitting bugs while you run a manual test. If you are using Visual Studio Lab Management you can take a snapshot of your virtual environment and attach a link to that snapshot to a bug or to your test results.	How to: Add a Comment While Running a Test How to: Attach a File While Running a Test How to: Capture a Screenshot While Running a Test How to: Submit a Bug using Test Runner How to: Submit an Exploratory Bug using Test Runner How to: Update an Existing Bug While using Test Runner How to: Run Manual Tests and Create Reproducible Bugs With Virtual Environments
Make a video recording of a manual test to play back later or include in a bug: In some cases, while you run a test, it can be helpful to add a video recording of your testing session to address issues for other team members to see.	How to: Record a Video of Your Desktop as You Run Tests Using Test Settings
Reset and rerun a manual test: If it is necessary, you can reset a test that you are currently running in Test Runner and start the test over again. Additionally, you may also reset a completed and saved test in Microsoft Test Manager if you should want to run it again.	How to: Reset a Manual Test

Related Tasks

Organizing Test Cases Using Test Suites

You can group your test cases together by organizing tests into a test suite hierarchy in a test plan.

Keyboard Shortcuts for Microsoft Test Manager

You can use keyboard shortcuts to quickly run your manual tests using Test Runner.

See Also

Concepts

Running Tests