What does the term 'test design technique' refer to in testing?

The term 'test design technique' refers to methods used to derive test cases based on various aspects of the software being tested, such as requirements, specifications, and user needs. These techniques help testers systematically create test cases that effectively cover the necessary scenarios and functionalities of the application, ensuring a thorough evaluation of the software’s behavior.

By utilizing these techniques, testers can enhance the quality and effectiveness of their testing efforts, allowing them to identify defects more efficiently and contribute to the overall success of the software testing process. Techniques can include boundary value analysis, equivalence partitioning, decision table testing, and state transition testing, among others, providing a structured approach to crafting tests that align with defined criteria.

This definition clearly distinguishes test design techniques from other concepts in testing. For instance, outcomes of test executions relate to the results obtained after running tests, while test environment tools are related to the setup used in the testing process. Additionally, pre-conditions are the requirements or states that need to be satisfied before executing a test. These concepts, while relevant to the testing lifecycle, do not fit the specific definition of a technique for deriving test cases.