A test plan is made up of the following elements, each of which is identified by color and indentation on the test plan.
| Element | Description | Color |
|---|---|---|
| Comment | Provide documentation throughout the test plan; preceded by //. | Green |
| Group Description | High level line in the test requirements outline that describes a group of tests. | Black |
| Test Description | Lowest level line describing a single test case; is a statement of the functionality to be tested by the associated test case. | Blue |
| Test Plan Statement | Used to provide script name, test case name, test data, or include statement. |
Red when a sub plan is not expanded. Magenta statement when sub-plan is expanded |
A statement placed at the group description level applies to all the test descriptions contained by the group. Conversely, a statement placed at the test description level applies only to that test description. Levels in the test plan are represented by indentation.
Because there are many ways to organize information, you can structure a test plan using as few or as many levels of detail as you feel are necessary. For example, you can use a list structure, which is a list of test descriptions with no group description, or a hierarchical structure, which is a group description and test description. The goal when writing test plans is to create a top-down outline that describes all of the test requirements, from the most general to the most specific.