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Feature Testspec

Project: Messenger 5.0 (seamonkey)
Mail and News component
Offline: Basic Functionality - NEWS

Written by: Laurel Carlson
Last Modified and Change Description:

01/08/99 first major edit with real content
01/11/99 various overall changes
03/11/99 added references to other test plans in filtering section
04/17/99 selected & flagged cases

Approximate number of test cases: 350 per platform or server configuration


Most of the functionality cases here should be tested against various version/type news servers. Given the time constraints in our overall schedule, it is not anticipated that each and every testcase could be run against each and every server variety -- it is just not possible to do so with our given testing resources. It is more likely that a basic sampling of cases would be run against a sample of server types.

Overall testing instruction: These are the types of newsgroups/servers to run tests against:

  • non-secure
    • standard port
    • irregular port
  • secure
    • standard port
    • irregular port
  • password protected group/server
  • various version servers
Overall testing instruction: Each testcase should be done with a verification of how the action behaves when in offline mode and again how it is merged/played back when going back to the online state.
  1. General UI tests: covered under separate test spec Offline: General UI.
  2. Offline Preferences overall look: covered within the UI test spec Offline: General UI.
  3. Offline preferences particular to news usage: Exercise each option to make sure it's working. Specific cases may also appear in other sections of this testspec.
    4. Note: some of these prefs are also included in the mail testspec, but should be briefly checked again when working with news-oriented offline situations
    1. Prefs|Offline|Startup state: Ask Me -- verify when this is set, you are prompted for online state upon startup
    2. Prefs|Offline|Startup state: Remember last state -- verify when this is set, Communicator starts with appropriate state
      1. in online state before exit, starts in online state
        • check state in all windows on startup
      2. in offline state before exit, starts in offline state
        • check state in all windows on startup
    3. Prefs|Offline|When going online/unsent message prompt: General working order cases here, more specific unsent cases in Unsent Message section.
      1. Ask me: verify you are asked about sending unsent messages when going online when you've got unsent news messages
        • If answered Yes/OK --> verify unsent messages are indeed sent, unsent message folder cleared
        • If answered No/Cancel --> verify unsent messages are not sent, messages stay in unsent message folder
      2. Ask me: verify you are not asked about sending unsent messages when going online when there are no unsent messages
        • you've not created any unsent messages
        • you had some unsent messages, but deleted them from the unsent folder (without attempting to send)
      3. Automatically Send: verify unsent news messages are sent when going online without user interference (unless some error occurs), unsent folder cleared.
      4. Don't send: verify unsent messages are not sent, unsent message folder not cleared.
    4. Prefs|Offline|Exit Communicator: prompt to synchronize messages
      1. enabled condition -- prompts appropriately when exiting from any window
      2. disabled condition -- doesn't prompt
    5. Prefs|Offline|Download|Newsgroup|Download only Unread Messages:
      1. Enabled: select, synchronize and go offline for a newsgroup which was previously accessed in online state and has a mix of read and unread messages. Verify only unread items are available for offline reading.
      2. Disabled: select, synchronize and go offline for a newsgroup which was previously accessed in online state and has a mix of read and unread messages. Verify both read and unread items are available for offline reading.
      3. Works in conjunction with date restrictions: Verify the above two cases work properly in conjunction with varied date range restrictions enabled in the "download by date" option.
        • use a date restriction from the dropdown list, i.e. "from 2 weeks ago"
        • use a date restriction input into edit box, i.e. "since 30 days ago"
      4. Works with "download by date" option disabled.
    6. Prefs|Offline|Download|Newsgroup|Download by Date
      1. Predefined list of date ranges ("from")option enabled: select, synchronize and go offline for a newsgroup which was previously accessed in online state and has a mix of read and unread messages. Verify only messages falling within the selected range are available for offline reading. Sample all available choices:
        • 1 week ago
        • 2 weeks ago
        • 1 month ago
        • 6 months ago
        • 1 year ago
      2. Editable date range ("since N days ago") option enabled: select, synchronize and go offline for a newsgroup which was previously accessed in online state and has a mix of read and unread messages. Verify only messages falling within the selected range are available for offline reading. Sample a variety of ranges:
        • 0
        • single digit number of days
        • double digit
        • triple digit
      3. Download by Date fully disabled: verify all available newsgroup messages are available for offline reading.
  4. Process/access going offline for news use: basic tests for each procedural component to make sure each is working
    5. Note: these cases are also included in the mail testspec, but should be checked again when working with news-oriented offline situations
    1. Select items: select at least one newsgroup
      1. access from main menu item/main mail window
      2. access through preferences
      3. access through properties
    2. Synchronize without going offline -- verify online state is maintained after synch
    3. Synchronize and go offline -- verify state is offline after synch
    4. Synchronize and do not send unsent messages (disabled) -- verify unsent messages are not sent after synch
    5. Synchronize and do send unsent messages (enabled) -- verify unsent messages are sent
    6. Cancel synchronize process at various places in process -- verify no adverse effects. (Ref: #324950 for 4.5)
      1. Cancel and do some other process (not offline related)
      2. Cancel and do same offline process as was cancelled
      3. Cancel and do some other offline process
  5. Synchronize
    6. Overall testing instruction: throughout the synchronize test cases, coverage should be over groups which have never previously had headers downloaded and, groups accessed before/have had headers downloaded in conjunction with the various "chunk download preference" (a news preference which warns user when downloading over a specified number of headers).
    1. synchronize -- initial header download/group not previously accessed, CHUNK DOWNLOAD PREF OFF:
      1. empty newsgroup
      2. newsgroup with just a few messages
      3. newsgroup with approx. 50 - 100 messages
      4. newsgroup with 1000+ messages
      5. newsgroups at different hierarchy levels
      6. full subhierarchy(ies) of groups
      7. category group(s) at various levels: Note: it is my understanding that the client will not distinguish categorized newsgroups in Seamonkey (subject to change). However, when testing we should try to access groups that are set up as categorized groups on the news server (Netscape Collabra servers version 3.0 through 4.0 -- not sure about later server versions.)
      8. password group
    2. synchronize -- initial header download/group not previously accessed, CHUNK DOWNLOAD PREF ON, GET ALL HEADERS: (Note: warning dialog will come up, but in that warning dialog choose to download all (as opposed to some) headers.
      1. empty newsgroup --> no warning dialog should appear
      2. newsgroup with just a few messages (not over N) --> no warning dialog
      3. newsgroup with approx. 50 - 100 messages
      4. newsgroup with 1000+ messages
      5. category group(s) at various levels: Note: it is my understanding that the client will not distinguish categorized newsgroups in Seamonkey (subject to change). However, when testing we should try to access groups that are set up as categorized groups on the news server (Netscape Collabra servers version 3.0 through 4.0 -- not sure about later server versions.)
      6. password group
    3. synchronize-- initial header download/group not previously accessed, CHUNK DOWNLOAD PREF ON, GET PARTIAL HEADERS, LEAVE REMAINING HEADERS UNREAD: (Note: leaving remaining headers unread should show unread in total count and upon doing a Get Next N messages should retrieve those older messages in unread state.)
      1. newsgroup with no headers to get --> no warning dialog should appear on synchronize for that group
      2. newsgroup with just a few messages (not over N) --> no warning should appear
      3. newsgroup with approx. up to 100 new messages over specified N warning limit --> warning dialog should appear
      4. newsgroup with 1000+ new messages --> warning dialog should appear
      5. category group(s) at various levels with over N messages: Note: it is my understanding that the client will not distinguish categorized newsgroups in Seamonkey (subject to change). However, when testing we should try to access groups that are set up as categorized groups on the news server (Netscape Collabra servers version 3.0 through 4.0 -- not sure about later server versions.)
      6. password group with over N messages
    4. synchronize -- initial header download/group not previously accessed, CHUNK DOWNLOAD PREF ON, GET ALL HEADERS, MARK REMAINING HEADERS READ: (Note: marking remaining headers read should show no unread items in total count and upon doing a Get Next N messages, should retrieve those older messages in a read state.)
      1. empty newsgroup
      2. newsgroup with just a few messages (not over N)
      3. newsgroup with approx. 50 - 100 messages new messages over specified N warning limit
      4. newsgroup with 1000+ messages
      5. category group(s) at various levels: Note: it is my understanding that the client will not distinguish categorized newsgroups in Seamonkey (subject to change). However, when testing we should try to access groups that are set up as categorized groups on the news server (Netscape Collabra servers version 3.0 through 4.0 -- not sure about later server versions.)
      6. password group
    5. synchronize -- Get more headers/group previously accessed CHUNK DOWNLOAD OFF
      1. no new messages to get
      2. 50-100 messages to get
      3. 1000+ messages to get
      4. category group(s): Note: it is my understanding that the client will not distinguish categorized newsgroups in Seamonkey (subject to change). However, when testing we should try to access groups that are set up as categorized groups on the news server (Netscape Collabra servers version 3.0 through 4.0 -- not sure about later server versions.)
      5. password group
    6. synchronize -- Get more New Message headers/group previously accessed CHUNK DOWNLOAD ON
      1. no new messages to get
      2. 50-100 messages to get
      3. 1000+ messages to get
      4. category group(s): Note: it is my understanding that the client will not distinguish categorized newsgroups in Seamonkey (subject to change). However, when testing we should try to access groups that are set up as categorized groups on the news server (Netscape Collabra servers version 3.0 through 4.0 -- not sure about later server versions.)
      5. password group
    7. synchronize -- Get N (older messages) headers/group previously accessed CHUNK DOWNLOAD ON
      1. 50-100 messages to get
      2. 1000+ messages to get
      3. category group(s): Note: it is my understanding that the client will not distinguish categorized newsgroups in Seamonkey (subject to change). However, when testing we should try to access groups that are set up as categorized groups on the news server (Netscape Collabra servers version 3.0 through 4.0 -- not sure about later server versions.)
      4. password group
    8. synchronize messages -- contents to check which can be synched in news
      1. attachments
      2. long message
      3. cross posted
      4. signed
    9. Synchronize using Download|News Messages prefs set, then change the prefs and repeat synchronize within session. Verify the pref range of messages downloaded is correct according to the later/reset values in the prefs. Try this several times with different reset values.
      1. reset Unread only to different value
      2. reset Download by Date, from weeks/months ago setting to different value
      3. reset Download by Date, since days ago setting to different value
      4. reset a combination of the above
  6. Get/Synch Selected Messages
    1. from messenger window
    2. from standalone message window
    3. when single selection
    4. when multiple messages selected
    5. synch various selected message types:
      1. short message
      2. long message
      3. with attachments:
        • vcards
        • forwarded messages
        • graphics attachments: gif, jpeg, etc.
        • text file attachments
        • attached web pages
      4. html with inserted images
      5. <other type of messages>
  7. Get/Synch Flagged Messages
    1. from messenger window
    2. from standalone message window
    3. when single selection
    4. when multiple messages flagged
    5. synch various flagged message types:
      1. short message
      2. long message
      3. with attachments:
        • vcards
        • forwarded messages
        • graphics attachments: gif, jpeg, etc.
        • text file attachments
        • attached web pages
      4. html with inserted images
      5. <other type of messages>
  8. Newsgroups -- basic operations positive/success situations in offline state:
    9. Overall testing instruction: Test each operation in offline state then verify it's handled appropriately and check folder pane display when going online again.
    1. Subscribe
      1. subscribe dialog: subscribe should work for items not requiring server contact if server was previously accessed and full newsgroup list was retrieved when online
        • subscribe to a group in All Groups tab
        • search for newsgroup in Search Groups tab
        • subscribe to a group from Search Groups tab
      2. via url: ??should work if newsgroup belongs to a server for which newsgroup list was retrieved when online
    2. Delete/Unsubscribe
      1. subscribe dialog
      2. drag to trash in folder pane
      3. delete from folder pane
    3. Reorder in folder pane
    4. Open
      1. by url
      2. by usual open group method
      3. by navigation to next group
  9. Newsgroups -- basic operations error/negative situations in offline state:
    10. Overall testing instruction: Test each operation in offline state then verify it's handled appropriately and check folder pane display when going online again.
    1. Subscribe
      1. subscribe dialog: items causing server to be contacted should fail, erroring gracefully and suggesting user try procedure again after going online.
        • refresh newsgroup listing
        • get new newsgroups in New Groups tab
      2. url to newsgroup for which you haven't added server
      3. url to newsgroup for which server, although added previously, has not yet retrieved full newsgroup list when online
    2. Open
      1. open group which is password protected (no previous authentication within session)
        • via regular open
        • via navigation
        • via url
  10. News Messages -- basic operations positive/success situations in offline state:
    11. Overall testing instruction: wherever applicable, message commands should be tested in main Messenger window and in any separate message windows.
    1. Compose News messages -- some cases may be itemized here, but comprehensive coverage under separate test spec Offline: Composition.
    2. Get Messages -- using Get Message, not Synchronize (synchronize is the process to download messages for offline use)
      1. using Get New Messages should remind user they're in offline state and ask if they want to go online to get messages
        • answer Yes --> Go online and new message retrieval begins
          • try with chunk download pref on -- make sure download warning dialog appears in appropriate situations when back online
          • try with chunk download pref off
        • answer No --> should remain offline and client in usable state, no adverse effects
    3. Read/Navigate messages
      1. spacebar reading/navigation
      2. next message
      3. next unread within folder
        • next unread message
        • next unread thread
      4. next unread which will take across folder(s)/group(s)
        • next unread message
        • next unread thread
        • next unread folder/group
      5. verify when landing on message(s) which have been downloaded for offline, the entire contents are viewable
      6. verify when landing on message(s) which have not been downloaded for offline, there is an error message explaining why message is not readable
      7. verify when going online again, the "not downloaded for offline use" message is cleared for message(s) not downloaded for offline use
    4. Follow links in news messages:
      1. mailto
      2. http url
      3. ftp url
      4. news url
      5. message link
    5. Mark messsages
      1. single message read/unread
        • top level
        • sublevel
      2. multiple selection read/unread
      3. mark all read
      4. mark newsgroup read (context menu command/different from mark all read)
      5. mark by date
      6. ignore a thread
        • top level
        • sublevel
      7. watch a thread
        • top level
        • sublevel
      8. undo for above actions
    6. Sort messages: verify sort methods in offline state and preserved when going back online
      1. verify sorts work via menu, column heading click
      2. sort by thread
      3. sort by date
      4. sort by sender
      5. sort by subject
      6. sort by status
        • check for groups which had no status change when offline
        • check for groups which you made status changes to in offline state: read/unread.
    7. Change message views: verify view method in offline state and preserved when going back online
      1. View All
        • ignore toggle on
        • ignore toggle off
      2. View Unread
      3. View Threads with Unread
      4. View Watched Threads with Unread
    8. Save/File/Copy messages
      1. Save as
        • text
        • html
      2. File message
        • drag and drop
        • menu
        • file to IMAP folder
        • file to local mail folder
        • with attachments
      3. Copy message
        • drag and drop
        • menu
        • file to IMAP folder
        • file to local mail folder
        • with attachments
    9. Delete/Cancel messages -- should not be allowed. Verify this is so.
    10. Filter messages
      1. offline state: create a user mail filter, sample each criteria/action combination
      2. offline state: edit a user mail filter, sample each editable area
      3. synchronize: verify filters honored for user created filters, sample each criteria/action combination
      4. synchronize: verify filters honored for spam filters, sample each criteria/action combination
      5. synchronize: verify filters honored for news host filter
      6. offline state: use user-created filters (sample each criteria) and apply after-the-fact (also see
      7. offline state: apply after the fact for spam filters on folders which have spam-type messages already downloaded
      8. offline state: verify filters after the fact for news host
    11. Search messages -- also see Search: Basic Functionality - News
      1. search options should default to '"search local system"
      2. search a server folder
      3. search a newsgroup
      4. search with no matches
      5. search with results
      6. search operations from results:
        • open message to message window
        • use "go to folder" button to go to open group displaying message in context
        • copy(file) messages
          • to imap mail folder
          • to local mail folder
        • delete/cancel message shouldn't be available
  11. Messages -- basic operations error/negative situations:
    1. Compose News messages -- some cases may be itemized here, but comprehensive coverage under separate test spec Offline: Composition.
    2. Get Messages
    3. Read/Navigate messages
    4. Mark messsages
    5. Sort messages
    6. Save/File/Copy messages
    7. Filter messages -- also see Filters: Basic Functionality - News
    8. Search messages -- also see Search: Basic Functionality - News
  12. Unsent Messages -- basic tests error/negative situations:
  13. Security issues for news
  14. Modem variations
  15. Direct connection variations