ISO/IEC 13210:1999

Overview

ISO/IEC 13210:1999 - Information technology - Requirements and Guidelines for Test Method Specifications and Test Method Implementations for Measuring Conformance to POSIX Standards - defines how to create and run test methods that measure an implementation’s conformance to POSIX (Portable Operating System Interface) standards. It provides requirements and guidance for test method specifications (the formal assertions and test designs) and for test method implementations (for example, Conformance Test Software - CTS, Conformance Test Procedures - CTP, and audits of Conformance Documents - CD). The standard is primarily aimed at developers and users of test specifications and implementations and encourages reuse by other API standard test-specification authors.

Key Topics and Requirements

• Assertion definitions, types, syntax and constructs - Section 3 specifies how to write formal assertions that identify what to test.
• Test result codes - A required set of result codes and rules for mapping intermediate results to final conformance judgments (see Section 4).
• Test method specification conformance - Specifications must use the required assertions and test-result constructs, define any additional structures, and list which result codes indicate conformance.
• Test method implementation conformance - Implementations must document conformance claims, test instances specified by assertions, and aim for maximum automation of CTS.
• Comprehensive documentation requirements - CTS documentation must include installation/execution instructions, the edition of the base standard tested, overview of tested features, deviations and limitations, release/configuration specifics, system requirements, and trouble‑clearing guidance.
• Profiles, complexity levels and examples - The standard includes guidance on profiles, assertion-writing, allowable result-code phrases, and comprehensive examples and rationale (annexes and figures).

Applications and Who Uses It

This standard is practical for:

• Assertion writers and test authors creating formal conformance tests for POSIX and similar API standards.
• Test implementers building CTS or CTP suites to evaluate implementations under test (IUT).
• Procurement teams and certification bodies interpreting test-suite outputs and auditing conformance documents.
• Standards developers seeking a template for specifying conformance test methods for other APIs.

Use cases include building automated conformance test suites, defining conformance criteria for product certification, and harmonizing assertion/result reporting across test tools.

Related Standards

• ISO/IEC 9646-1 (conformance testing methodology and framework)
• ISO/IEC Guide 25 (requirements for testing laboratory competence)
• IEEE Std 2003 series (POSIX-related standards and historical working group materials)

Keywords: ISO/IEC 13210:1999, POSIX conformance testing, test method specification, test method implementation, CTS, assertion tests, test result codes, conformance test procedures.