TY - GEN
T1 - State-based testing
T2 - 2012 IEEE 23rd International Symposium on Software Reliability Engineering, ISSRE 2012
AU - Holt, Nina Elisabeth
AU - Torkar, Richard
AU - Briand, Lionel
AU - Hansen, Kai
PY - 2012
Y1 - 2012
N2 - In the context of safety-critical software development, one important step in ensuring safe behavior is conformance testing, i.e., checking compliance between expected behavior and implementation. Round-trip path testing (RTP) is one example of conformance testing. Another essential step, however, is sneak-path testing, that is testing of how software reacts to unexpected events for a particular system state. Despite the importance of being systematic while testing, all testing activities take place, even for safety-critical software, under resource constraints. In this paper, we present an empirical evaluation of the cost-effectiveness of RTP when combined with sneak-path testing in the context of an industrial control system. Results highlight the importance of sneak-path testing since unexpected behavior is shown to be difficult to detect by other common, state-based test strategies. Results also suggest that sneak-path testing is a cost-effective supplement to RTP.
AB - In the context of safety-critical software development, one important step in ensuring safe behavior is conformance testing, i.e., checking compliance between expected behavior and implementation. Round-trip path testing (RTP) is one example of conformance testing. Another essential step, however, is sneak-path testing, that is testing of how software reacts to unexpected events for a particular system state. Despite the importance of being systematic while testing, all testing activities take place, even for safety-critical software, under resource constraints. In this paper, we present an empirical evaluation of the cost-effectiveness of RTP when combined with sneak-path testing in the context of an industrial control system. Results highlight the importance of sneak-path testing since unexpected behavior is shown to be difficult to detect by other common, state-based test strategies. Results also suggest that sneak-path testing is a cost-effective supplement to RTP.
KW - Automated tool support
KW - Cost-effectiveness
KW - Empirical evaluation
KW - Industrial case study
KW - Round-trip path testing
KW - Sneak-path testing
KW - State-based testing
KW - UML
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=84876350634&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1109/ISSRE.2012.17
DO - 10.1109/ISSRE.2012.17
M3 - Conference contribution
AN - SCOPUS:84876350634
SN - 9780769548883
T3 - Proceedings - International Symposium on Software Reliability Engineering, ISSRE
SP - 321
EP - 330
BT - Proceedings - 2012 IEEE 23rd International Symposium on Software Reliability Engineering, ISSRE 2012
Y2 - 27 November 2012 through 30 November 2012
ER -
