Explain with Lego:Severity and Priority
Testing software is like building with Lego blocks.
Testing software is like building with Lego blocks.
We want to make sure our creations work perfectly, just like you want your Lego tower to stand tall without falling over. In the world of software testing, two important ideas are “severity” and “priority.”
Let’s break these down using simple Lego examples.
Severity: The Impact on Your Lego Creation
Severity is about how important a problem is.
Imagine you’re building a cool Lego spaceship, but one of the wings keeps falling off.
That’s a high-severity issue because it makes your spaceship not work properly.
In software, it could be like a button on a game not doing what it’s supposed to do — that’s a big problem!
Priority: What to Fix First in Your Lego World
Now, think about priority as the order in which you fix things.
Let’s say your Lego spaceship has a small scratch on the bottom.
It doesn’t stop it from flying, but you want it to look perfect. This scratch is low severity because it doesn’t affect the main job of the spaceship.
However, if you have a Lego dragon with a broken wing, even though it’s a lower severity issue, fixing it might be a high priority because you want your dragon to be ready for a Lego competition.
But what about combinations?
High Severity, Low Priority: The Faded Lego Castle Banner
Imagine you’re making a fancy Lego castle, and one of the decorative banners looks faded. This is high severity because it affects how cool your castle looks.
But, if you have a tight deadline for a Lego competition and other important things to fix, it might become a low priority compared to more critical issues.
Low Severity, High Priority: The Wobbly Lego Tower
Now, think about a Lego tower with a small wobble.
It’s low severity because the tower is still standing.
However, fixing it becomes a high priority because you want your tower to be stable and impressive, especially if you’re entering a Lego building contest.
Balancing Severity and Priority
In the Lego world and the world of software testing, finding the right balance between severity and priority is key.
Fix the important things first, but also make sure your creation looks and works the best it can. So, just like building with Legos, testing software is about creating something amazing while making sure it stands tall and strong.