Traceability

Link to Test Cases

Linking defects to test cases creates a traceable connection between the testing activity that discovered the bug and the defect record. This bidirectional link lets you see, from any test case, which defects have been found against it -- and from any defect, which test cases are affected.

How to Link a Defect to a Test Case

1. Open the defect you want to link by clicking on it in the defects list.
2. In the defect detail view, locate the Linked Test Cases section.
3. Click the Link button. A search dialog will appear.
4. Search for the test case by title or ID. You can type keywords to filter the list.
5. Select one or more test cases from the results and click Confirm.
6. The linked test cases now appear in the defect detail view. Each linked test case shows its title and current status.

Viewing Linked Defects from a Test Case

The link is bidirectional. When you open any test case and navigate to its Defects tab, you will see all defects that have been linked to that test case. This gives testers and test managers an immediate view of how many open bugs are associated with a given scenario.

When to Link Defects to Test Cases

• After manual creation: If you created a defect from the Defects tab (standalone), manually link it to the test cases that cover the affected functionality.
• Multiple test cases affected: A single defect can impact multiple test cases. Link all relevant test cases so that when the defect is resolved, you know which tests need re-execution.
• Regression tracking: Link defects to regression test cases to ensure they are included in future regression cycles once the fix is deployed.

Why Linking Matters

Linking defects to test cases enables several powerful capabilities:

• Impact analysis -- Quickly see how many test cases are blocked or affected by a specific defect. This helps prioritize fixes based on their testing impact.
• Re-testing efficiency -- When a defect is fixed, you know exactly which test cases need to be re-executed to verify the fix, saving time during verification cycles.
• Reporting accuracy -- The Coverage & Traceability reports use these links to show defect density per test area and identify which parts of your application have the most issues.

Link to Requirements

Linking defects to requirements completes the traceability chain in TestKase. With this link in place, you can trace from a business requirement through the test cases that validate it, down to the specific defects that block it. This traceability is essential for understanding the quality impact of open bugs and for making informed release decisions.

The Traceability Chain

Requirement --> Test Case --> Test Execution --> Defect

When a defect is linked to a requirement, you can answer questions like: "Are there any open blockers against the Payment Processing requirement?" or "How many defects are associated with our Authentication requirements?" This information is invaluable during sprint reviews, release planning, and stakeholder updates.

How to Link a Defect to a Requirement

1. Open the defect you want to link by clicking on it in the defects list.
2. In the defect detail view, locate the Linked Requirements section.
3. Click the Link button. A search dialog will appear showing available requirements.
4. Search for the requirement by title or browse the list. Select one or more requirements.
5. Click Confirm. The requirements are now linked to the defect.

Viewing Linked Defects from a Requirement

Just like test case linking, requirement linking is bidirectional. When you open a requirement and view its details, you can see all defects linked to it. This helps product owners and project managers assess whether a requirement is at risk due to open defects. For a deeper understanding of coverage, see the Requirements documentation.

Impact Analysis with Requirements

When defects are linked to requirements, you gain powerful impact analysis capabilities:

• Requirement health -- See which requirements have open defects linked to them, indicating areas of the product that are not meeting specifications.
• Release readiness -- Before releasing, check whether any critical requirements have unresolved Blocker or Critical defects. This helps product owners make informed go/no-go decisions.
• Complete traceability -- Combined with test case links, you get the full chain: Requirement --> Test Case --> Defect. This allows you to trace a business requirement all the way through to the specific bugs preventing it from being fully verified.