Software Testing Process Research Articles

A conceptual model of software testing

AbstractAs code is executed correctly under test, confidence in the correctness of the code increases. In this context, an intuitive conceptual model of the process of software testing which draws upon experience gained with mutation analysis is presented. The model is used to explain how the testing of one path can influence confidence in other (possibly unexecuted) paths. It is also discussed in relation to software reliability and systematic structural testing, and is shown to be consistent with observations made during these forms of testing.

Environments for Testing Software Systems

As software becomes a larger part of many products, thorough testing becomes increasingly important. The testing process begins before the requirements are finished and continues until the product is discontinued. In this paper, we discuss the software testing process, its difficulties and costs. We set forth the features of a testing support system and how the Buster test support system — currently in use at over 50 sites throughout AT&T — helps realize those features. We also discuss further steps to increase the effectiveness of software testing and increase the value of the final product.

An analysis of several software defect models

Results are presented of an analysis of several defect models using data collected from two large commercial projects. Traditional models typically use either program matrices (i.e. measurements from software products) or testing time or combinations of these as independent variables. The limitations of such models have been well-documented. The models considered use the number of defects detected in the earlier phases of the development process as the independent variable. This number can be used to predict the number of defects to be detected later, even in modified software products. A strong correlation between the number of earlier defects and that of later ones was found. Using this relationship, a mathematical model was derived which may be used to estimate the number of defects remaining in software. This defect model may also be used to guide software developers in evaluating the effectiveness of the software development and testing processes.< <ETX xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">&gt;</ETX>

Data space testing

A complete software testing process must concentrate on examination of the software characteristics as they may impact reliability. Software testing has largely been concerned with structural tests, that is, test of program logic flow. In this paper, a companion software test technique for the program data called data space testing is described. An approach to data space analysis is introduced with an associated notation. The concept is to identify the sensitivity of the software to a change in a specific data item. The collective information on the sensitivity of the program to all data items is used as a basis for test selection and generation of input values.