Specification by Example

Specification by Example at the
Office of Personnel Management

#DCAEC12

Lead by
Example
Building
Testable
Requirements

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#DCAEC12

Exercise #1

Time how long it takes to understand
the following:
◊ Yellow Circle

◊ Divide the circle into two sections – top
and bottom

◊ In the top section, there are two black
dots equidistant from the center

◊ In the bottom section, there is curved arc
that dips in the center with two smaller
curved arcs on each end of the larger arc

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Exercise #2
Time how long it takes to
determine the calculation:
Annuity Supplement
For example, if your estimated full
The annuity supplement is computed career social security benefit would
as if you were age 62 and fully insured be $1,000 and you had worked 30
for a social security benefit when the
supplement begins. years under FERS, we would divide 30
by 40 (.75) and multiply ($1,000 x .75
1. First, an estimate of what your full = $750).
career (40 years of service) social
security benefit would be is
needed. Annuity Supplement = Estimated
Benefit x (Actual Years Service/40)
2. Then the actual amount of your
civilian service is determined.
3. Finally, the estimated full career
social security benefit is reduced
by the employee’s actual service.
#DCAEC12

Specification by Example

Specification by Example is a technique for ensuring that there is
a shared understanding of what a given requirement, product
backlog item, or a feature entails

5. Acceptance
1. Feature 2. User Story 3. Collaborate 4. Scenarios
Criteria
6. Examples

#DCAEC12

5. Acceptance

Example
1. Feature 2. User Story 3. Collaborate 4. Scenarios 6. Examples
Criteria

Develop a website that allows information about
microchipped pets from multiple chip providers to be used
for finding missing pets

1 2
Product Backlog As a registered pet owner,
 Allow companies to provide data I want to search online,
 Allow shelters and vet clinics to report a So that I can know if my lost pet has been found
missing pet
 Allow users to register their pet
 Allow pet owners to update their
contact information
 Alert pet owners if their pet has been
found
 Allow registered users to search for
missing pets
.
.
.

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5. Acceptance
1. Feature 2. User Story

Collaborate
3. Collaborate 4. Scenarios 6. Examples
Criteria

Example: As a registered pet owner, I want to search online, so
that I can know if my lost pet has been found.

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◊ Builds a shared understanding Confirm and Clarify:
1. Only registered users
◊ Prepare in advance to ensure 2. Microchip ID is unique
similar domain knowledge 3. Can search by Microchip
ID, Phone Number, and
◊ Factors in other perspectives (e.g. Email Address
business 4. Wildcard searches are not
analyst, tester, developer) allowed, exact match only

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5. Acceptance

Define Scenarios 1. Feature 2. User Story 3. Collaborate 4. Scenarios
Criteria
6. Examples


◊ Scenarios are the outline 4
Scenarios:
◊ Use plain language to describe the 1. Search with Results
scenario 2. Search without Results

◊ Encourages conversation
◊ Helps determine if the story is
sized right

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Acceptance 1. Feature 2. User Story 3. Collaborate 4. Scenarios
5. Acceptance
Criteria
6. Examples

Criteria

Scenario #1: Search with Results
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Given a registered pet owner Scenario #2: Search without Results
And their lost pet is in the database 5
And their lost pet is flagged as found
Given a registered pet owner
When that pet owner searches by <search
And (their lost pet is not in the database
parameter>
OR (their lost pet is in the database AND
Then search results are returned
not tagged as found)
OR the <search parameter> is invalid)
When that pet owner searches by <search
parameter>
Then no search results are returned
And a message displays

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#DCAEC12

Acceptance 1. Feature 2. User Story 3. Collaborate 4. Scenarios
5. Acceptance
Criteria
6. Examples

Criteria (cont.)
The conditions of satisfaction or acceptance criteria can be
bullet points or described in a Given-When-Then template
– One action ensures focus only on that action; direct cause and effect
relationship
– Express business functionality, not flows of interactions

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5. Acceptance

Examples 1. Feature 2. User Story 3. Collaborate 4. Scenarios
Criteria
6. Examples

Scenario #1: Search with Results “…illustrating requirements using examples is a
much more effective technique than specifying with
Given a registered pet owner abstract requirements. Because examples are
And their lost pet is in the database concrete and unambiguous, they’re an ideal tool for
And their lost pet is flagged as found making requirements precise – this is why we use
When that pet owner searches by <search them to clarify meaning in everyday
parameter> communication.”
Then search results are returned
--Specification by Example, Gojko Adzic

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Search Parameter(s) Search Result(s)
Microchip ID Phone Number Email Address Pet Name
A1297-98 Fluffy
703-555-1212 Ginger
john.smith@gmail.com Ralph
B4318393 202-874-9855 Bingo

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Tools

Tabular Style Requirements (data-centric)
 FitNesse (http://fitnesse.org/)
 Fit (http://fit.c2.com/)
 Concordion (http://www.concordion.org/)
 Robot Framework (http://code.google.com/p/robotframework/)

Behavior Driven Development (process-centric)
 Cucumber (http://cukes.info/)
 GreenPepper (http://www.greenpeppersoftware.com)
 easyb (http://www.easyb.org/)
 Selenium (http://seleniumhq.org/)
 RSpec (http://rspec.info/)
 SpecFlow (http://www.specflow.org/)
 JBehave (http://jbehave.org/)
 Twist (http://www.thoughtworks-studios.com/twist-agile-testing)

http://specificationbyexample.com/resources.html

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Concordion Example

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Concordion Example

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Contact Information

Rebecca Halstead
rebecca.halstead@excella.com
http://excella.com/people/rebecca-halstead.aspx

Stephen Ritchie
stephen.ritchie@excella.com
http://www.linkedin.com/in/sritchie
http://www.excella.com/people/stephen-ritchie.aspx

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#DCAEC12

Group Exercise

You are responsible for eliciting and documenting the requirements for your
client’s new website, FaceSpace©, a competitor to Facebook. You start with
the following features from the Product Backlog:
– Sign Up / Register
– Add a Friend
– Upload a Picture
– Post a Status Update
– Like a Status Update
– Reply to a Friend's Status Update
– Tag a Friend in a Picture
– Update Your Profile

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Group Exercise (cont.)

1. Define at least 3 scenarios
2. Determine acceptance criteria for at least 1 scenario
3. Identify examples that can validate the acceptance
criteria

As a potential user, I want to sign-up for a FaceSpace
account, so that I can customize my own FaceSpace page

5. Acceptance
1. Feature 2. User Story 3. Collaborate 4. Scenarios
Criteria
6. Examples

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User Story #1 - Scenarios

As a potential user, I want to sign-up for a FaceSpace account, so that I can
customize my own FaceSpace page

“Create Account” Scenarios
– Successful account creation
– Username already taken
– Incorrect email address format
– Password does not meet security requirements
– Passwords do not match

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User Story #1 – Acceptance Criteria

(1) Successful account creation
Given an unauthenticated user
When that user provides correct account sign-up data
Then an account is created
And a unique web page is created
And an email confirmation is sent

(2) Username already taken
When that user provides a username that is associated to an existing FaceSpace account
Then an error message is presented to the user

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User Story #1 – Acceptance Criteria (cont.)

(3) Incorrect Email Address Format
When that user provides an incorrect email address

(4) Password does not meet security requirements
When a user provides <username>, <password>, <confirmation>

(5) Passwords do not match
When a user provides <username>, <password>, <confirmation>

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User Story #1 - Examples

Scenario Username Password Confirmation Email Address Message Result
1 rhalstead excella01! excella01! rebecca.halstead@excella.com Your personal site was successfully Pass
created.
2 rhalstead excella02! excella02! rosalie.halstead@company.org The username entered is already in Fail
use. Please enter another username.
3 rhalstead99 excella03! excella03! ron.halsteadcompany.net Your email address is invalid. Fail
4 rhalstead101 excella excella robin.halstead@agency.gov Your password does not comply with Fail
security requirements.
5 zeus2000 excella05! excella05 John.Smith2000@gmail.com Your passwords do not match. Fail

5 zeus200 excella05! John.Smith2000@gmail.com Your passwords do not match. Fail

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Specification by Example

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Editor's Notes