CATS: computer aided testing of software

ABSTRACT

This paper describes the implementation of an automated test system for APL functions. It extends an implementation of assertive comments in APL to derive a notation for formal specification using pre and post conditions. These conditions are APL statements and so can be built into test functions. Data supplied to provide examples is captured and subjected to mutations to test behaviour under edge conditions. The techniques make extensive use of modern APL ideas such as defined operators, phrasal forms and function assignment.

REFERENCES

• 1: D.Mathieson, R.Sha% and J.White: Civilising APL: An Approach to Integrated APL Systems; APLS0 Conference Proceedings, North Holland Publishing Company (1980).
• 2: David B. Allen , Leslie H. Goldsmith , Mark R. Dempsey , Kevin L. Harrell, LOGOS: An APL programming environment, ACM SIGAPL APL Quote Quad, v.16 n.4, p.314-325, 1986
• 3: Dyadic Systems: Dyalog APL Reference Manual; Dyadic Systems Ltd, Riverside View, Basing Road, Basingstoke RG24 0AL, England (1989).
• 4: Ian Sommerville, Software Engineering, Addison-Wesley Longman Publishing Co., Inc., Boston, MA, 1989
• 5: David M. Weintraub, Assertive comments in APL programming, ACM SIGAPL APL Quote Quad, v.16 n.4, p.232-234, 1986
• 6: Jean-Jacques Girardot, The A+ programming language, a different APL, ACM SIGAPL APL Quote Quad, v.20 n.4, p.149-160, July 1990
• 7: Kenneth E. Iverson, A dictionary of APL, ACM SIGAPL APL Quote Quad, v.18 n.1, p.5-40, September 1, 1987 [doi>10.1145/36983.36984]
• 8: Kenneth E. Iverson, A commentary on APL development, ACM SIGAPL APL Quote Quad, v.19 n.1, p.3-8, Sept. 1988 [doi>10.1145/379279.379330]
• 9: E. E. McDonnell , K. E. Iverson, Phrasal forms, ACM SIGAPL APL Quote Quad, v.19 n.4, p.197-199, Aug. 1989
• 10: Roger K. W. Hui , Kenneth E. Iverson , E. E. McDonnell , Arthur T. Whitney, APL\?, ACM SIGAPL APL Quote Quad, v.20 n.4, p.192-200, July 1990
• 11: K.E.Iverson: J; Vector, The Journal of the British APL Association, Vol 7 Nr 1 (1990).
• 12: M.H.Jordan: Thoughts on J + f g h; Vector, The Journal of the British APL Association Vol 7 Nr 4 (1991).
• 13: J. Philip Benkard, Nonce functions, ACM SIGAPL APL Quote Quad, v.20 n.4, p.27-39, July 1990
• 14: Edward Cherlin, APL trivia, ACM SIGAPL APL Quote Quad, v.20 n.4, p.71-75, July 1990
• 15: James A. Brown, Function assignment and arrays of functions, Proceedings of the international conference on APL, p.81-84, June 11-15, 1984, Finland
• 16: C.M.Cheney: APL*Plus Nested Arrays System Reference Manual; STSC Inc, 2115 East Jefferson Street, Rockville, Maryland 20852 (1981).
• 17: R. Hamlet, Introduction to special section on software testing, Communications of the ACM, v.31 n.6, p.662-667, June 1988 [doi>10.1145/62959.62962]
• 18: Robert Bernecky, Profiling, performance, and perfection (tutorial session), Proceedings of the ACM/SIGAPL conference on APL as a tool of thought (session tutorials), p.31-52, August 1989, New York, New York, United States [doi>10.1145/328877.328879]
• 19: A.O'Hagan et al: APL Statistics Library Project; Vector, The Journal of the British APL Association, Vol 7 Nr 1 (1990)
• 20: D.Eastwood(ed): The Random Vector, Vector, The Journal of the British APL Association, Vol 7 Nr 3(1991)
• 21: D. Gelperin , B. Hetzel, The growth of software testing, Communications of the ACM, v.31 n.6, p.687-695, June 1988 [doi>10.1145/62959.62965]
• 22: Glenford J. Myers, Softwear Reliability, John Wiley & Sons, Inc., New York, NY, 1976
• 23: Jack G. Rudd , James A. Brown, Toward a common prototyping language, ACM SIGAPL APL Quote Quad, v.20 n.4, p.322-330, July 1990

INDEX TERMS

Primary Classification:
  D. Software
  D.3 PROGRAMMING LANGUAGES
      D.3.2 Language Classifications

          Nouns: APL

Additional Classification:
  D. Software
  D.2 SOFTWARE ENGINEERING
      D.2.m Miscellaneous
          Subjects: Reusable software**
  D.3 PROGRAMMING LANGUAGES
      D.3.3 Language Constructs and Features
          Subjects: Procedures, functions, and subroutines

General Terms:
Algorithms, Languages