Top-down testing is a mechanism that, by setting up a central location for the modification of test documentation and test execution, provides for close proximity of the text execution and the description of the test. In particular, by providing assertions which point to the line of end user documentation being tested, as well as the associated test script code, top-down testing enables a tester easily trace back to the origin in the end user documentation reference. In addition, the tester can quickly become productive with little product knowledge or test expertise.