Enhanced Outcomes refers to the addition of several new control outcomes to the InSpec vocabulary.
## Test Outcomes vs Control Outcomes
It is important to be clear that Enhanced Outcomes refers to new **control outcomes** - the results of running a control. The results of running a test - a `describe block` are determined by RSpec, and are limited to Pass, Fail, and Skip. Test outcomes are much more difficult to extend than control outcomes.
## New Control Outcomes
Enhanced Outcomes adds three new control outcomes to the existing Pass, Fail and Skip outcomes.
### Error
The Error outcome represents the situation when the system has encountered an error when attempting to evaluate the control code. But to a technical limitation, an accurate outcome is not possible to be obtained.
In the first iteration of Enhanced Outcomes, Error outcome will be detected:
Additional means of detecting Error may be developed in the future.
Error's abbreviation is ERR.
Error's UI color assignment is Indigo.
### Not Applicable
If the control is not in Error and the impact of a control is 0.0, then the control's outcome is Not Applicable.
Not Applicable's abbreviation is N/A.
Not Applicable's UI color assignment is Sky Blue.
### Not Reviewed
If the control is not in Error or Not Applicable and all test results are Skipped, then the control outcome is Not Reviewed.
Not Reviewed replaces Skipped as a control outcome.
Not Reviewed's abbreviation is N/R.
Not Reviewed's UI color assignment is Amber.
## The --enhanced-outcomes option
A new CLI option will be introduced for `inspec exec`, `inspec shell`, and `inspec schema` that controls the Enhanced Outcomes functionality.
### InSpec 5
In InSpec 5.x, a user must request the enhanced outcomes functionality explicitly by adding the --enhanced-outcomes option.
### InSpec 6
In InSpec 6.x, --enhanced-outcomes will default to true. A user may request disabling the enhanced outcomes functionality by adding the --no-enhanced-outcomes option.
