Many times while documenting folder structure I used to take a screenshot of a tree in MS Explorer and put it to the document along with some written descriptions.

There were drawbacks, but it was acceptable as "quick and dirty". Now, with a mind mapping tool, like XMind, we can finally make it "quick, nice, maintainable, and interactive".

And here's why.

1. You can quickly and easily customize appearance (size, font, shape, color) of each topic


2. You can insert images into topics to further improve visual presentation (2 clicks job)


3. For every topic, representing a folder, you can provide that many additional details:
   
   
   
   • short description as a Label
   
   
   • long description as a Note
   
   
   • attached documents
   
   
   • Hyperlink to a physical folder
   
   
   • sub-structure as a Floating Topic
   
   
   • Relationship to another Topic
   
   
   
   


4. With a free version, you can export as an image or html document; with a Pro version you can export to PDF or Word


5. And all of that with a quick and convenient visual drag-n-drop interface

The image below is linked to the downloadable *.xmt template on XMind.net web-site. A generic Automated Testing Suite folder structure was taken as a sample.

XMind mindmap - folder structure template document

Today's tip is two-fold.

As a first part, it's a great example of a rapid test design practice with XMind mind mapping tool, provided as experience report by Darren McMillan.

• Mind mapping
  
  
  
  • Increases creativity
  
  
  • Reduces test case creation time
  
  
  • Increases visibility of the bigger picture
  
  
  • Very flexible to changing requirements
  
  
  • Can highlight areas of concern (or be marked for a follow up to any questions).
  
  
  
  


• Grouping conditions into types of testing
  
  
  
  • Generate much better test conditions
  
  
  • Provides more coverage
  
  
  • Using templates of testing types makes you at least consider that type of testing, when writing conditions.
  
  
  • When re-run these often result in new conditions being added & defects found due to the increased awareness
  
  
  
  


• Lean test cases
  
  
  
  • Easy to dump from the map into a test management tool
  
  
  • If available the folder hierarchy can become your steps
  
  
  • Blend in easily with exploratory testing.  Prevents a script monkey mentality.
  
  
  
  


• Much lower cost to generate and maintain, whilst yielding better results.

As a second part, I link you back to 2006, to the article "X Marks the Test Case: Using Mind Maps for Software Design" by Rob Sabourin.

• Mind Maps to Help Define Equivalence Classes
  
  
  
  • Identify the variables
  
  
  • Identify classes based on application logic, input, and memory (AIM)
  
  
  • Identify invalid classes
  
  
  
  


• Mind Maps to Identify Usage Scenarios


• Mind Maps to Identify Quality Factors

Stephen Covey's Time Management Quadrants mindmapped by Chance Brown

Whenever you implement automation of GUI steps, suggested heuristic might help you to keep track of operations you need to code.



(click on the picture to see mind map in online version with expanded nodes)

SEED NATALI acronym stands for the following.

• Synchronize till object


• Exists


• Enabled


• Displayed


• verify Number of Arguments


• verify Type of Arguments


• Log test flow


• Investigate any issues occurred

The Mind Map Book: How to Use Radiant Thinking to Maximize Your Brain's Untapped Potential by Tony Buzan is a book I own and recommend to learn more about mind mapping. I like the pictures of sample maps because even the samples give me ideas. I read the book a year or two ago but I still pull the book off my shelf for ideas from time to time.