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Data Case: Data relationship model simplified for data extraction and reduction purposes in order to create test data.

Data Definition: An executable statement where a variable is assigned a value.

Data Definition C-use Coverage: The percentage of data definition C-use pairs in a component that are exercised by a test case suite.

Data Definition C-use Pair: A data definition and computation data use, where the data uses the value defined in the data definition.

Data Definition P-use Coverage: The percentage of data definition P-use pairs in a component that is tested.

Data Definition P-use Pair: A data definition and predicate data use, where the data use uses the value defined in the data definition.

Data Definition-use Coverage: The percentage of data definition-use pairs in a component that are exercised by a test case suite.

Data Definition-use Testing: A test case design technique for a component in which test cases are designed to execute data definition-use pairs.

Data Dictionary: A database that contains definitions of all data items defined during analysis.

Data Driven Testing: A framework where test input and output values are read from data files and are loaded into variables in caputred or manually coded scripts. In this framework, variables are used for both input values and output values. Navigation through the program, reading of the data files, and logging of test status and information are all coded in the test script.

This is similar to Keyword-Driven Testing in that the test case is contained in the data file and not in the script; the script is just a "driver", or delivery mechanism, for the data. Unlike in table-driven testing, though, the navigation data isn't contained in the table structure. In data-driven testing, only test data is contained in the data files.

Data Flow Diagram: A modeling notation that represents a functional decomposition of a system.

Data Flow Coverage: Test coverage measure based on variable usage within the code. Examples are data definition-use coverage, data definition P-use coverage, data definition C-use coverage, etc.

Data Flow Testing: Data-flow testing looks at the lifecycle of a particular piece of data (i.e. a variable) in an application. By looking for patterns of data usage, risky areas of code can be found and more test cases can be applied.

Data Protection: Technique in which the condition of the underflying database is synchronized with the test scenario so that differences can be attributed to logical changes. This technique also automatically re-sets the database after tests - allowing for a constant data set if a test is re-run. See TestBench.

Data Protection Act: UK Legislation surrounding the security, use and access of an individual's information. May impact the use of live data used for testing purposes.

Data Use: An executable statement where the value of a variable is accessed.

Database Testing: The process of testing the functionality, security, and integrity of the database and the data held within.

Functionality of the database is one of the most critical aspects of an application's quality; problems with the database could lead to data loss or security breaches, and  may put a company at legal risk depending on the type of data being stored. For more information on database testing see TestBench.

Debugging: A methodical process of finding and reducing the number of bugs, or defects, in a computer program or a piece of electronic hardware thus making it behave as expected. Debugging tends to be harder when various subsystems are tightly coupled, as changes in one may cause bugs to emerge in another.

Decision: A program point at which the control flow has two or more alternative routes.

Decision Condition: A condition held within a decision.

Decision Coverage: The percentage of decision outcomes that have been exercised by a test case suite.

Decision Outcome: The result of a decision.

Defect: Nonconformance to requirements or functional/program specification.

Delta Release: A delta, or partial, release is one that includes only thse areas within the release unit that have actually changed or are new since the last full or delta release. For example, if the release unit is the program, a delta release contains only those modules that have changed, or are new, since the last full release of the program or the last delta release of certain modules.

Dependency Testing: Examines an application's requirements for pre-existing software, initial states and configuration in order to maintain proper functionality.

Depth Testing: A test that exercises a feature of a product in full detail.

Desk checking: The testing of software by the manual simulation of its execution.

Design-Based Testing: Designing tests based on objectives derived from the architectural or detail design of the software (e.g., tests that execute specific invocation paths or probe the worst case behavior of algorithms).

Dirty Testing: Testing which demonstrates that the system under test does not work. (Also known as Negative Testing)

Documentation Testing: Testing concerned with the accuracy of documentation.

Domain: The set from which values are selected.

Domain Expert: A person who has significant knowledge in a specific domain.

Domain Testing: Domain testing is the most frequently described test technique. The basic notion is that you take the huge space of possible tests of an individual variable and subdivide it into subsets that are (in some way) equivalent. Then you test a representative from each subset.

Downtime: Total period that a service or component is not operational.

Dynamic Testing: Testing of the dynamic behavior of code. Dynamic testing involves working with the software, giving input values and checking if the output is as expected.

Dynamic Analysis: the examination of the physical response from the system to variables that are not constant and change with time.