---
id: coverage.candidate-in-use-cases
title: Candidate and In-Use Cases
summary: Distinguish examples under consideration from cases that actively support benchmark evidence.
kind: reference
product_area: coverage_engineering
status: stable
updated: 2026-09-07
canonical: /docs/coverage-engineering/candidate-and-in-use-cases
---

# Candidate and In-Use Cases

## Definition

Candidate Cases are Cases or prepared Case proposals still being considered for reuse or benchmark membership. In-use Cases are already selected by one or more Benchmarks. The distinction describes current use, not intrinsic quality: a Candidate can be excellent but not yet selected, while an in-use Case can later require correction or removal from the editable dataset.

## Fields, states, or lifecycle rules

- Case Pool rows can retain source type, source label, coverage targets, review notes, and the Benchmarks that currently include the Case.
- Adding a Case to a Benchmark changes editable membership. It does not retroactively add the Case to an existing Snapshot or Benchmark Version.
- Removing a Case from a Benchmark does not delete the reusable project Case.
- A Case can be in use by several Benchmarks at once; membership must be interpreted per Benchmark.
- Generated or contributed Cases still require review for schema conformance, materials, realism, and intended coverage before selection.
- Historical Runs continue to reference the Case versions frozen into their Benchmark Version.

## Related objects

Use [Case Pool](/docs/coverage-engineering/case-pool) to inspect reusable Cases and sourcing work. Use [Benchmark Dataset Cases](/docs/benchmark-datasets/cases) to inspect or change membership for one Benchmark. Use [Dataset Snapshots](/docs/benchmark-datasets/snapshots) when that membership must become immutable evaluation evidence.

{% example-demo title="Promotion without rewriting history" %}
Case Foundry prepares a Case for a missing high-impact exception tuple. It remains a Candidate while reviewers inspect its input and materials. After approval, the operator adds it to the current dataset for the support Benchmark, so it becomes in use there. Earlier Snapshots remain unchanged; the Case enters evaluation evidence only after the team creates a new Snapshot and Benchmark Version.
{% /example-demo %}

## Source confidence

Code-backed: Case Pool navigation, benchmark Dataset Case actions, and Case sourcing types expose candidate counts, in-use counts, source context, coverage targets, and benchmark inclusion. Snapshot pages define the separate immutable evidence boundary.

## Related task pages

{% related-card-grid title="Related task pages" %}
- [Case Pool](/docs/coverage-engineering/case-pool)
- [Case pool](/docs/object-model/case-pool)
- [Importing cases](/docs/operating-manual/import-and-prepare-cases)
- [Product quickstart](/docs/quickstart)
- [Task index](/docs/operating-manual/task-index)
{% /related-card-grid %}