A method for the automatic generation of test suites from object models

ABSTRACT

This paper explains how object models written in the Unified Modeling Language (UML) can be translated into formal, behavioural descriptions and used as a basis for automatic test generation. The behavioural descriptions are written in a language of communicating state machines: the Intermediate Format (IF). The translation from UML to IF is based upon an earlier formal semantics, written in the Abstract State Machine (ASM) notation. Descriptions written in IF can be automatically explored; the results of these explorations are test trees, ready for input to a variety of testing packages.

REFERENCES

• 1: Egon Börger , Alessandra Cavarra , Elvinia Riccobene, Modeling the Dynamics of UML State Machines, Proceedings of the International Workshop on Abstract State Machines, Theory and Applications, p.223-241, March 19-24, 2000
• 2: E. Börger, A. Cavarra, and E. Riccobene. A precise semantics of UML State Machines: making semantic variation points and ambiguities explicit. In G. Luettgen and M. Mendler and F. Maraninchi, editor, Proceedings of Semantic Foundations of Engineering Design Languages, ETAPS 2002, 2002.
• 3: Marius Bozga , Jean-Claude Fernandez , Lucian Ghirvu , Susanne Graf , Jean-Pierre Krimm , Laurent Mounier, IF: An Intermediate Representation and Validation Environment for Timed Asynchronous Systems, Proceedings of the Wold Congress on Formal Methods in the Development of Computing Systems-Volume I, p.307-327, September 20-24, 1999
• 4: Marius Bozga , Susanne Graf , Laurent Mounier , Iulian Ober , Jean-Luc Roux , Daniel Vincent, Timed Extensions for SDL, Proceedings of the 10th International SDL Forum Copenhagen on Meeting UML, p.223-240, June 27-29, 2001
• 5: A. Cavarra. Applying Abstract State Machines to Formalize and Integrate the UML Lightweight Method. PhD thesis, University, of Catania, Italy, 2000.
• 6: Rational Software Corporation. Rational rose. June 2001, "http://www.ratin.al.com".
• 7: Ibrahim Khalil Ibrahim El-Far. Automated construction of software behavior models. Master's thesis, American University of Beirut, 1995.
• 8: Martin S. Feather , Ben Smith, Automatic Generation of Test Oracles—From Pilot Studies to Application, Automated Software Engineering, v.8 n.1, p.31-61, January 2001 [doi>10.1023/A:1008711707946]
• 9: Erich Gamma and Kent Beck. Junit: a regression testing framework. www.junit.org.
• 10: Gentleware. Poseidon for uml (formerly argouml). June 2001, http://www.gentleware.com.
• 11: B. Gregor and V. Petrenko. Protocol testing: review of methods and relevance for software testing, 1994.
• 12: I. Gronau, A. Hartman, A. Kirshin, K. Nagin, and S. Olvovsky. A methodology and architecture for automated software testing. http://www.haifa.il.ibm.com/projects/verification/gtcb/papers/gtcbmanda.pdf, 2000.
• 13: Object Management Group. Unified modeling language specification, version 1.4. http://www.omg.org/cgi-bin/doc?formal/01-09-67.
• 14: David Harel , Eran Gery, Executable object modeling with statecharts, Proceedings of the 18th international conference on Software engineering, p.246-257, March 25-29, 1996, Berlin, Germany
• 15: ITU-T. Recommendation Z.100. Specification and Description Language (SDL). Technical Report Z-100, International Telecommunication Union - Standardization Sector, Genève, November 1999.
• 16: T. Jéron , A. Le Guennec, Validation and Test Generation for Object-Oriented Distributed Software, Proceedings of the International Symposium on Software Engineering for Parallel and Distributed Systems, p.51, April 20-21, 1998
• 17: Thierry Jéron , Pierre Morel, Test Generation Derived from Model-Checking, Proceedings of the 11th International Conference on Computer Aided Verification, p.108-121, July 06-10, 1999
• 18: Minna Kangasluoma. Test case generation from uml state charts. Master's thesis, Helsinki University of Technology, 2000.
• 19: UML Modeler. Objecteering. "http://www.softeam.fr/us/produits.htm".
• 20: S. Rosaria and Microsoft Corporation H. Robinson, Intelligent Search Test Group. Applying models in your testing process. Information and Software Technology, 42:815--824, 2000.
• 21: TogetherSoft. Together control centre. June 2001, "http://www.togethersoft.com".
• 22: J. Tretmans. Test generation with inputs, outputs and repetitive quiescence. Software---Concepts and Tools, 17(3):103--120, 1996.

INDEX TERMS

Keywords:
UML, formal methods, model based testing