Authoring User Stories

Overview

User stories in TestChimp are markdown files with structured frontmatter, allowing you to maintain detailed requirements that are both human-readable and machine-parseable. The platform provides a rich form-based interface for authoring, with AI assistance that leverages your full application context.

Creating a User Story

From the Test Planning Explorer

1. Navigate to Test Planning in the main navigation
2. In the explorer pane, right-click on a folder under stories (or the stories root)
3. Select New Story
4. Enter a title for your user story
5. The story form opens for detailed authoring

Story Fields

Each user story includes the following fields:

Field	Description
Title	A concise, descriptive name for the user story
Description	The detailed user story content, typically in "As a... I want... So that..." format
Priority	Importance level (e.g., High, Medium, Low)
Status	Workflow state (e.g., Draft, In Review, Approved)
Labels	Tags for categorization and filtering
Due Date	Target completion date
Acceptance Criteria	Specific conditions that must be met

The Form View

The Form tab provides structured fields for each story attribute:

• Text inputs for title and description
• Dropdowns for priority and status
• Tag input for labels
• Date picker for due date
• Rich text area for acceptance criteria

The Markdown View

Switch to the Markdown tab to see the raw markdown representation:

---
title: User Login with Email
priority: high
status: draft
labels:
  - authentication
  - core-flow
due_date: 2024-02-15
---

## Description

As a registered user, I want to log in using my email and password
so that I can access my personalized dashboard.

## Acceptance Criteria

- [ ] Email field validates proper email format
- [ ] Password field masks input
- [ ] "Forgot Password" link is visible
- [ ] Invalid credentials show clear error message
- [ ] Successful login redirects to dashboard
- [ ] "Remember me" option persists session

AI-Assisted Authoring

The "Write for Me" Feature

TestChimp can generate detailed user stories using AI that understands your application:

1. Enter a title for your story (e.g., "User Password Reset")
2. Click "Write for Me"
3. TestChimp generates a comprehensive user story including:
   • Detailed description
   • Acceptance criteria
   • Edge cases to consider
   • Related user flows

How AI Context Works

Unlike generic AI tools, TestChimp's story generation is informed by:

• Your application's structure: The Atlas SiteMap captures your app's screens and states
• Existing user stories: AI understands patterns from stories you've already authored
• Related scenarios: Linked test scenarios provide additional context
• Folder context: Stories in the same folder are considered related

This means the AI gets better as you author more stories. Each new story adds to the context, making subsequent generations more accurate and consistent.

Context Accumulation

The more you use TestChimp, the smarter it becomes:

Context Source	What It Provides
Atlas SiteMap	Your app's screens, states, and navigation patterns
Existing Stories	Terminology, patterns, and domain language
Test Scenarios	Expected behaviors and edge cases
Folder Organization	Feature boundaries and relationships

Folder Organization

Organizing Stories by Feature

Create a folder structure that mirrors your application's architecture:

stories/
├── authentication/
│   ├── login.md
│   ├── registration.md
│   ├── password-reset.md
│   └── two-factor-auth.md
├── user-management/
│   ├── profile-settings.md
│   └── notification-preferences.md
└── billing/
    ├── subscription-management.md
    └── payment-methods.md

Benefits of Folder Organization

• Scoped insights: View coverage metrics for just authentication stories
• Team ownership: Assign folders to specific teams or owners
• Filtered views: Apply filters within a folder scope
• AI context: Related stories in the same folder inform generation

Creating Folders

1. Right-click on an existing folder in the explorer
2. Select New Folder
3. Enter a name for the folder
4. Stories created in this folder inherit its context

Workflow Management

Status Tracking

Track story progress through workflow states:

• Draft: Initial creation, still being written
• In Review: Ready for stakeholder review
• Approved: Signed off and ready for implementation
• Implemented: Development complete
• Deprecated: No longer relevant

Priority Levels

Prioritize your backlog effectively:

• Critical: Must be addressed immediately
• High: Important for upcoming release
• Medium: Standard priority
• Low: Nice to have, can be deferred

Labels for Cross-Cutting Concerns

Use labels to categorize stories across folders:

• Feature labels: authentication, checkout, reporting
• Technical labels: api-change, database-migration
• Sprint labels: sprint-42, q1-release

Best Practices

Writing Effective User Stories

1. Start with the user: Use "As a [role], I want [feature], so that [benefit]"
2. Be specific: Include concrete acceptance criteria
3. Keep scope manageable: One story should be completable in a sprint
4. Include edge cases: Document what happens when things go wrong

Leveraging AI Effectively

1. Start with a clear title: A good title guides the AI generation
2. Review and refine: AI-generated content is a starting point, not final
3. Build context gradually: Each authored story improves future generations
4. Use folder organization: Place related stories together for better context

Maintaining Quality

1. Review regularly: Keep stories up-to-date with application changes
2. Archive outdated stories: Move deprecated stories to an archive folder
3. Link scenarios: Connect stories to their test scenarios for traceability
4. Use consistent terminology: Establish naming conventions for your team

Next Steps

Once you have user stories authored:

1. Link test scenarios — Create scenarios that validate your stories
2. Export to Git — Sync stories to your repository
3. Track coverage — Monitor test coverage at the folder level