Verify Defect Lifecycle Status Transitions

Preconditions (2)

Step 1: Open the defect details page

Step 2: Change defect status from 'New' to 'Assigned'

Step 3: Save the defect

Step 4: Verify the status is updated to 'Assigned'

Step 5: Change defect status from 'Assigned' to 'Fixed'

Step 6: Save the defect

Step 7: Verify the status is updated to 'Fixed'

Step 8: Change defect status from 'Fixed' to 'Retest'

Step 9: Save the defect

Step 10: Verify the status is updated to 'Retest'

Step 11: Change defect status from 'Retest' to 'Closed'

Step 12: Save the defect

Step 13: Verify the status is updated to 'Closed'

✅ Expected Result: The defect status changes correctly through the lifecycle states: New -> Assigned -> Fixed -> Retest -> Closed, and each status update is saved and displayed properly.

Automation Requirements - Selenium with Python

Assertions Needed:

Verify defect status text matches expected status after each update

Verify defect status element is visible and enabled before interaction

Best Practices:

Use explicit waits to wait for elements to be clickable or visible

Use Page Object Model to separate page interactions

Use clear and maintainable locators (id, name, or CSS selectors)

Include meaningful assertion messages

Automated Solution

Testing Fundamentals

from selenium import webdriver
from selenium.webdriver.common.by import By
from selenium.webdriver.support.ui import WebDriverWait
from selenium.webdriver.support import expected_conditions as EC
import unittest

class DefectLifecyclePage:
    def __init__(self, driver):
        self.driver = driver
        self.status_dropdown = (By.ID, 'defect-status')
        self.save_button = (By.ID, 'save-defect')
        self.status_text = (By.ID, 'current-status')

    def select_status(self, status):
        dropdown = WebDriverWait(self.driver, 10).until(
            EC.element_to_be_clickable(self.status_dropdown))
        dropdown.click()
        option = WebDriverWait(self.driver, 10).until(
            EC.element_to_be_clickable((By.XPATH, f"//select[@id='defect-status']/option[text()='{status}']")))
        option.click()

    def save_defect(self):
        save_btn = WebDriverWait(self.driver, 10).until(
            EC.element_to_be_clickable(self.save_button))
        save_btn.click()

    def get_status(self):
        status_element = WebDriverWait(self.driver, 10).until(
            EC.visibility_of_element_located(self.status_text))
        return status_element.text

class TestDefectLifecycle(unittest.TestCase):
    def setUp(self):
        self.driver = webdriver.Chrome()
        self.driver.get('http://defect-tracker.example.com/defect/123')
        # Assume user is already logged in for simplicity
        self.page = DefectLifecyclePage(self.driver)

    def test_defect_status_transitions(self):
        statuses = ['Assigned', 'Fixed', 'Retest', 'Closed']
        for status in statuses:
            self.page.select_status(status)
            self.page.save_defect()
            current_status = self.page.get_status()
            self.assertEqual(current_status, status, f"Expected status to be '{status}' but got '{current_status}'")

    def tearDown(self):
        self.driver.quit()

if __name__ == '__main__':
    unittest.main()

This script uses Selenium with Python and unittest framework to automate the defect lifecycle status changes.

The DefectLifecyclePage class represents the defect details page. It uses explicit waits to ensure elements are clickable or visible before interacting. This avoids timing issues.

The test_defect_status_transitions method changes the defect status through the lifecycle states one by one. After each change, it saves and verifies the status text matches the expected value.

Assertions include clear messages to help understand failures.

The setUp and tearDown methods handle browser start and cleanup.

This structure follows the Page Object Model for maintainability and uses best practices like explicit waits and meaningful assertions.

Common Mistakes - 3 Pitfalls

Using hardcoded sleep (time.sleep) instead of explicit waits

Using brittle XPath selectors with absolute paths

Not verifying the status after each update

Bonus Challenge

Now add data-driven testing with 3 different defect IDs to verify lifecycle transitions for multiple defects.

Show Hint