Concept of Decision Tables - Testing

Explain the concept of Decision Tables

Decision table models complicated logic into precise yet compact way.

- Decision tables are associated with conditions and their subsequent actions to perform. These tables can associate multiple independent conditions with subsequent actions in an elegant way.

- The decision always corresponds to a variable, predicate whose possible values are listed between various condition alternatives. When the possible combinations of conditions are given, decision tables could be used. The conditions are known as ‘causes’ and the serial number of conditions are referred as rule of business.

- A decision table lists causes and effects in a matrix. Each column represents a unique combination.

- Decision tables, like if-then-else and switch-case statements, associate conditions with actions to perform. But, unlike the control structures found in traditional programming languages, decision tables can associate many independent conditions with several actions in an elegant way.

It is divided in four quadrants

- Condition
- Condition alternatives/combinations
- Action
- Action entries

Decision Table Testing is black box testing. In it, test cases are designed to execute the combinations of inputs.

Decision table consists of 2 columns:

1.fields
2.expected output

In fields column we write all possible conditions and the result for each possibility is written in expected output.