Manual Test Guide

Purpose and Audience

This guide describes how to create and structure manual test procedures in JSON format for the PCR Analysis system. Manual tests represent step-by-step procedures for manual verification of system functionality and are stored in exports/manual/all_manual_tests.json within the test repository.

Intended audience:

• Developers writing or maintaining manual test definitions alongside automated tests
• QA Engineers authoring manual verification procedures for features that require human interaction or visual inspection

Related resources:

• See the Testing Guide for Behat/Cucumber test writing
• See the Data Dictionary for domain terminology

---

JSON Schema

{
  "issueId": "string",      // Jira issue numeric ID (required)
  "testType": {
    "name": "Manual",       // Always "Manual" (required)
    "kind": "Steps"         // Always "Steps" (required)
  },
  "gherkin": null,          // Always null for manual tests
  "steps": [                // Array of test steps (required)
    {
      "id": "uuid",         // Unique step identifier (required)
      "action": "string",   // Step action to perform (required)
      "data": "string",     // Input data (optional, can be empty)
      "result": "string"    // Expected result (required)
    }
  ],
  "jira": {
    "key": "BT-xxxx",       // Jira issue key (required)
    "summary": "string"     // Test summary/title (required)
  },
  "description": "string"   // Optional test description
}

---

Field Reference

Field	Type	Required	Description
issueId	string	Yes	Jira issue numeric ID
testType.name	string	Yes	Always "Manual"
testType.kind	string	Yes	Always "Steps"
gherkin	null	Yes	Not used for manual tests
steps	array	Yes	Array of step objects
steps[].id	string	Yes	UUID for the step
steps[].action	string	Yes	Action to perform
steps[].data	string	No	Input data or test data
steps[].result	string	Yes	Expected outcome
jira.key	string	Yes	Jira issue key (BT-xxxx)
jira.summary	string	Yes	Test case title
description	string	No	Overall test description

---

Step Structure Patterns

Basic Step

{
  "id": "uuid-here",
  "action": "Click the Submit button",
  "data": "",
  "result": "Form is submitted successfully"
}

Step with Data

{
  "id": "uuid-here",
  "action": "Enter username in the login field",
  "data": "test_user@example.com",
  "result": "Username is displayed in the field"
}

Step with File Links (SharePoint)

{
  "id": "uuid-here",
  "action": "Setup with [kit-configurations-filename.xlsx|https://sharepoint-url...]",
  "data": "",
  "result": "The configuration is loaded"
}

Gherkin-Style Step (BDD format in manual test)

{
  "id": "uuid-here",
  "action": "*Given* Alert: Threshold=*2*, Outcome=*Not Detected*, Interval=*Daily*\n*When* Upload [Run_file.json|url]\n*And* Upload [Run_file_2.json|url]",
  "data": "",
  "result": "*Then* Alert is *triggered*"
}

For more on the Gherkin/BDD approach used in automated tests, see the Testing Guide.

---

Complete Template

{
  "issueId": "XXXXX",
  "testType": {
    "name": "Manual",
    "kind": "Steps"
  },
  "gherkin": null,
  "steps": [
    {
      "id": "step-1-uuid",
      "action": "Navigate to the [Page Name] page",
      "data": "",
      "result": "The [Page Name] page is displayed"
    },
    {
      "id": "step-2-uuid",
      "action": "Enter [input description]",
      "data": "[test data value]",
      "result": "The input is accepted"
    },
    {
      "id": "step-3-uuid",
      "action": "Click the [Button Name] button",
      "data": "",
      "result": "[Expected behavior description]"
    },
    {
      "id": "step-4-uuid",
      "action": "Verify the [element/behavior]",
      "data": "",
      "result": "[Expected verification outcome]"
    }
  ],
  "jira": {
    "key": "BT-XXXX",
    "summary": "Test Case Title"
  },
  "description": "Verify that [test objective description]"
}

---

Example: UI Feedback Test

{
  "issueId": "29811",
  "testType": {
    "name": "Manual",
    "kind": "Steps"
  },
  "gherkin": null,
  "steps": [
    {
      "id": "cb938845-9885-44ea-929c-6b9d5a791f26",
      "action": "Initiate a long-running process (e.g., data import, report generation).",
      "data": "",
      "result": "The system displays a progress indicator (e.g., progress bar, spinner)."
    },
    {
      "id": "794b0996-e196-4b1b-9dbf-3afffb050048",
      "action": "Monitor the progress indicator.",
      "data": "",
      "result": "The progress indicator updates to reflect the progress of the operation. The indicator provides clear feedback on the current status (e.g., percentage complete, items processed)."
    },
    {
      "id": "89cdf928-eae6-4258-9e49-669deb61a281",
      "action": "While the process is running, attempt to interact with the UI (e.g., click a button, navigate to another page).",
      "data": "",
      "result": "The system prevents actions that could interfere with the ongoing process. The system provides a clear message explaining that the operation is in progress and to wait."
    },
    {
      "id": "117ed0f8-5cfa-47d1-8195-73779679d43b",
      "action": "Once the process completes, observe the UI.",
      "data": "",
      "result": "The progress indicator disappears. A success or failure message is displayed, indicating the outcome of the operation. The user is able to interact with the UI again."
    }
  ],
  "jira": {
    "key": "BT-5949",
    "summary": "User Feedback During Processing"
  },
  "description": "Verify that the system provides appropriate feedback to the user during processing, such as a progress indicator or status updates, especially for long-running operations."
}

---

Example: PCR Run Test with File Links

{
  "issueId": "30098",
  "testType": {
    "name": "Manual",
    "kind": "Steps"
  },
  "gherkin": null,
  "steps": [
    {
      "id": "2901d93d-6e0a-49b8-baf3-595ed56ecbbe",
      "action": "Setup with [kit-configurations-Secret Chamber (38).xlsx|https://sharepoint-url...]",
      "data": "",
      "result": "the config settuped new Target Name Suffix To Speciamen sheet is applied"
    },
    {
      "id": "9cf61cb0-08c7-4935-96c0-141e9f39260d",
      "action": "Upload and open the run [TAQMAN48 100823_022769 BK TEST (1).sds|https://sharepoint-url...]",
      "data": "",
      "result": "The A1,D1, E1,F1,G1,H1,A2,B2,C2,D2,E2 etc well recognized with BKV mix -Whole Blood Quant smple type"
    },
    {
      "id": "a19706fa-41e0-4e67-8055-bf98a5a12e64",
      "action": "Export the run and observe the results",
      "data": "",
      "result": "A1,D1, E1,F1,G1,H1,A2,B2,C2,D2,E2 etc wells have QBKQBL pathogen targets in exported results"
    }
  ],
  "jira": {
    "key": "BT-5977",
    "summary": "Sample Type suffixes recognizing idea tes"
  }
}

---

Step Writing Guidelines

Action Field

• Use clear, imperative verbs: "Click", "Navigate", "Enter", "Upload", "Verify", "Observe"
• Reference specific UI elements by name
• Include file links in format: [filename|URL]
• Can use Jira markup: *bold*, {{code}}

Data Field

• Include specific test input values
• Leave empty if no data input required
• Can include multiple values separated by commas

Result Field

• Describe the expected observable outcome
• Be specific about what should appear/change
• Can use Jira markup for emphasis

For standardized terminology to use in actions and results, see the Data Dictionary.

---

Best Practices

1. One step per action -- Keep steps atomic and focused
2. Include all setup steps -- Do not assume prior state
3. Use descriptive results -- Specify exactly what to verify
4. Link to test files -- Use SharePoint links for test data
5. Generate unique UUIDs -- Each step needs a unique ID
6. Keep summaries concise -- Use the description field for details