W3C

QA Framework: Test Guidelines

W3C Working Draft 20 August 2004

This version:
http://www.w3.org/TR/2004/WD-qaframe-test-20040820/
Latest version:
http://www.w3.org/TR/qaframe-test/
Previous version:
http://www.w3.org/TR/2004/WD-qaframe-test-20040225/
Editors:
Patrick Curran (Patrick.Curran@sun.com)
Dimitris Dimitriadis (dimitris@ontologicon.com)

Abstract

The principal goal of QA Framework: Test Guidelines is to help W3C Working Groups to develop more useful and usable test materials. The material is to be presented as a set of principles and good practices. This document is one in a family of QA Framework documents of the Quality Assurance (QA) Activity. The other existing or in-progress specifications are: The QA Handbook, and Specification Guidelines.

Status of this document

This section describes the status of this document at the time of its publication. Other documents may supersede this document. A list of current W3C publications and the latest revision of this technical report can be found in the W3C technical reports index at http://www.w3.org/TR/.

Progression and publication of this document is temporarily on hold.

Previously published versions of this document were W3C Working Drafts made available by the W3C Quality Assurance (QA) Working Group for discussion by W3C members and other interested parties. For more information about the QA Activity, please see the QA Activity statement.

At its June 2004 face-to-face meeting, the QA Working Group (QAWG) determined that it had insufficient resources to progress all parts of the QA Framework together at the same pace. Therefore, it resolved to focus resources on first progressing The QA Handbook and Specification Guidelines to the maturity level of Last Call Working Draft. Those resources would then be available for progressing Test Guidelines (TestGL) to the same level of maturity.

Shorly after publication of the previous version of TestGL, the QAWG resolved at its 2004 Technical Plenary face-to-face meeting (March 2004) that TestGL and the other parts of the QA Framework would be revised to be lighter-weight, less authoritarian, and more user-friendly and useful. QAWG discussed and agreed to an initial outline for a revised, lightweight TestGL.

Despite the delay of publication and progression, the QAWG wants to continue development of the material for TestGL. Accordingly, a TestGL idea-incubator area has been set up in the QA Wiki pages. Material within the scope of TestGL has been placed there, and contributions are encouraged.

Publication as a Working Draft does not imply endorsement by the W3C Membership. This is a draft document and may be updated, replaced or obsoleted by other documents at any time. It is inappropriate to cite this document as other than work in progress.

Patent disclosures relevant to this specification may be found on the Working Group's Patent disclosure page in conformance with the W3C Patent Policy of 5 February 2004. An individual who has actual knowledge of a patent which the individual believes contains Essential Claim(s) with respect to this specification should disclose the information in accordance with section 6 of the W3C Patent Policy. [3]

You may email comments about this or previous Test Guidelines documents, or about topics in the TestGL Wiki area, to www-qa@w3.org, the publicly archived list of the QA Interest Group. Please note that comments that you make will be publicly archived and available, do not send information you would not want to see distributed, such as private data. You are also encouraged to contribute your ideas, examples, or related materials directly to the TestGL Wiki area.