"test case" - what "case" actually stands for?

Question

The term test case used a lot, but what does it actually mean?

Test case as Fixture:

1. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Test_case

   A test case in software engineering is a set of conditions or variables under which a tester will determine whether an application or software system is working correctly or not.

2. http://www.junit.org/junit/javadoc/3.8.1/junit/framework/TestCase.html

   A test case defines the fixture to run multiple tests.

3. NUnit:

   [TestFixture] public class MyTests { }

Test case as tests container/organizer:

1. http://xunitpatterns.com/test%20case.html

   Usually a synonym for test. In XUnit, it may also refer to a Testcase Class which is actually a Test Suite Factory as well as a place to put a set of related Test Methods.

2. http://xunitpatterns.com/Testcase%20Class%20per%20Feature.html

   • Testcase Class Per Method
   • Testcase Class Per Feature
   • Testcase Class Per User Story

3. http://guides.rubyonrails.org/testing.html

   They differentiate fixture from TestCase

Non technical:

1. http://wordnetweb.princeton.edu/perl/webwn?s=test+case

   test case, test suit (a representative legal action whose outcome is likely to become a precedent)

So, what "case" actually stands for?

Answer 1

http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/case

1. an instance of the occurrence, existence, etc., of something: Sailing in such a storm was a case of poor judgment.

Answer 2

"case" means "an example of something".

For example:

if( x < 3 ){ }

A case when this may go into the block, is when x = 2. Another case could be when it won't go in, i.e. x = 9.

Answer 3

case = situation or condition