Comments on Variables (on Jacques comments)

["Stephen Green" <stephen.green@documentengineeringservices.com>]

I had an action item to review Jacques comments on Variables

as seen here: http://wiki.oasis-open.org/tag/TestAssertionGuidelines?action=recall&rev=219
in section 3.8

I agree that it is a good thing to highlight the use of a variable in
a prerequisite by
including the use in the prerequisite in the example. I agree too that
this makes some
of the text following the example obsolete and some in need of changes.

I'm of the opinion though that we do want to illustrate not only a
simple variable for use
within a single TA but also demonstrate how a variable is used across
several TAs. I
think we were seeking to cover this with our equivalent of a LOCALE
variable. I think,
if the example seems too difficult for this level of Guidelines then
we need to come up
with a simpler example which shows the cross-TA use. Then we still can
emphasise the
need to make 'scope' explicit somehow for the variable - perhaps we
therefore need to
illustrate using a variable with a list where there varaible only has
scope for that list. Or
a variable could have scope for a Test Assertion Document, say.

-- 
Stephen D. Green

Partner
SystML, http://www.systml.co.uk
Tel: +44 (0) 117 9541606
Associate Director
Document Engineering Services
http://www.documentengineeringservices.com

http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=matthew+22:37 .. and voice