Version-control the test cases

Question

Should the test plan be kept in the version control with the code ? That is, the test plan and the code are put under the same version control system and have the same revision numerating. I am not talking about unit test code, but a test plan document populating with manual test cases. There are some web-based test case management systems, but I doubt how the test cases are version-controlled and synchronized with the code ?

UPDATE: Acutally I am looking for a web-based test management system for my oragnization, because it allows easy access to the non-developers team members (i.e. no need to use VC to check out the test plan from the repository). However, I'd prefer to version-control these test plans, synchronized with major milestone/releases of the software. I've not found any test management system satisfying this need. Or I am looking in the wrong direction ?

Answer 1

It makes sense to me. I would expect tests (whether manual specifications or unit tests) and the corresponding code to be in lockstep. I would also expect (perhaps optimistically!) that documentation would largely be in step with the code for a particular checkin.

Perhaps if you can't keep them completely in step, you can make use of your source code tagging (or branching?) mechanisms to identify consistent version sets ? That may make more sense if your version control contains tests that you're revising/building your code base to attain (i.e. your tests lead your code - not by any means an unusual situation).