An automated framework for structural test-data generation

N Tracey; J Clark; K Mander; J McDermid

doi:10.1109/ASE.1998.732680

An automated framework for structural test-data generation

N Tracey, J Clark, K Mander, J McDermid

Computer Science

Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceeding › Conference contribution

Abstract

Structural testing criteria are mandated in many software development standards and guidelines. The process of generating test-data to achieve 100% coverage of a given structural coverage metric is labour intensive and expensive. This paper presents an approach to automate the generation of such lest-data. The test-data generation is based on the application of a dynamic optimisation-based search for the required test-data. The same approach cast be generalised to solve other test-data generation problems. Three such applications are discussed - boundary value analysis, assertion/run-time exception testing and component re-use testing. A prototype tool-set has been developed to facilitate the automatic generation of test-data for these structural testing problems. The results of preliminary experiments using this technique and the prototype tool-set are presented and show the efficiently and effectiveness of this approach.

Original language	English
Title of host publication	13TH IEEE INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE ON AUTOMATED SOFTWARE ENGINEERING, PROCEEDINGS
Place of Publication	LOS ALAMITOS
Publisher	IEEE Computer Society
Pages	285-288
Number of pages	4
ISBN (Print)	0-8186-8750-9
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1109/ASE.1998.732680
Publication status	Published - 1998
Event	13th IEEE International Conference on Automated Software Engineering - HONOLULU Duration: 13 Oct 1998 → 16 Oct 1998

Conference

Conference	13th IEEE International Conference on Automated Software Engineering
City	HONOLULU
Period	13/10/98 → 16/10/98

Access to Document

10.1109/ASE.1998.732680

Cite this

@inproceedings{f00a1ea93290478db082bdee6ff5fd62,

title = "An automated framework for structural test-data generation",

abstract = "Structural testing criteria are mandated in many software development standards and guidelines. The process of generating test-data to achieve 100% coverage of a given structural coverage metric is labour intensive and expensive. This paper presents an approach to automate the generation of such lest-data. The test-data generation is based on the application of a dynamic optimisation-based search for the required test-data. The same approach cast be generalised to solve other test-data generation problems. Three such applications are discussed - boundary value analysis, assertion/run-time exception testing and component re-use testing. A prototype tool-set has been developed to facilitate the automatic generation of test-data for these structural testing problems. The results of preliminary experiments using this technique and the prototype tool-set are presented and show the efficiently and effectiveness of this approach.",

author = "N Tracey and J Clark and K Mander and J McDermid",

year = "1998",

doi = "10.1109/ASE.1998.732680",

language = "English",

isbn = "0-8186-8750-9",

pages = "285--288",

booktitle = "13TH IEEE INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE ON AUTOMATED SOFTWARE ENGINEERING, PROCEEDINGS",

publisher = "IEEE Computer Society",

address = "United States",

note = "13th IEEE International Conference on Automated Software Engineering ; Conference date: 13-10-1998 Through 16-10-1998",

}

Tracey, N, Clark, J, Mander, K & McDermid, J 1998, An automated framework for structural test-data generation. in 13TH IEEE INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE ON AUTOMATED SOFTWARE ENGINEERING, PROCEEDINGS. IEEE Computer Society, LOS ALAMITOS, pp. 285-288, 13th IEEE International Conference on Automated Software Engineering, HONOLULU, 13/10/98. https://doi.org/10.1109/ASE.1998.732680

TY - GEN

T1 - An automated framework for structural test-data generation

AU - Tracey, N

AU - Clark, J

AU - Mander, K

AU - McDermid, J

PY - 1998

Y1 - 1998

N2 - Structural testing criteria are mandated in many software development standards and guidelines. The process of generating test-data to achieve 100% coverage of a given structural coverage metric is labour intensive and expensive. This paper presents an approach to automate the generation of such lest-data. The test-data generation is based on the application of a dynamic optimisation-based search for the required test-data. The same approach cast be generalised to solve other test-data generation problems. Three such applications are discussed - boundary value analysis, assertion/run-time exception testing and component re-use testing. A prototype tool-set has been developed to facilitate the automatic generation of test-data for these structural testing problems. The results of preliminary experiments using this technique and the prototype tool-set are presented and show the efficiently and effectiveness of this approach.

AB - Structural testing criteria are mandated in many software development standards and guidelines. The process of generating test-data to achieve 100% coverage of a given structural coverage metric is labour intensive and expensive. This paper presents an approach to automate the generation of such lest-data. The test-data generation is based on the application of a dynamic optimisation-based search for the required test-data. The same approach cast be generalised to solve other test-data generation problems. Three such applications are discussed - boundary value analysis, assertion/run-time exception testing and component re-use testing. A prototype tool-set has been developed to facilitate the automatic generation of test-data for these structural testing problems. The results of preliminary experiments using this technique and the prototype tool-set are presented and show the efficiently and effectiveness of this approach.

U2 - 10.1109/ASE.1998.732680

DO - 10.1109/ASE.1998.732680

M3 - Conference contribution

SN - 0-8186-8750-9

SP - 285

EP - 288

BT - 13TH IEEE INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE ON AUTOMATED SOFTWARE ENGINEERING, PROCEEDINGS

PB - IEEE Computer Society

CY - LOS ALAMITOS

T2 - 13th IEEE International Conference on Automated Software Engineering

Y2 - 13 October 1998 through 16 October 1998

ER -