ISSN:
1573-1367
Keywords:
LCSAJ
;
LCSAJ testing
;
white box testing
;
infeasable paths
;
test path selection
Source:
Springer Online Journal Archives 1860-2000
Topics:
Computer Science
Notes:
Abstract In general, LCSAJ testing more thoroughly exercises the control structure of a piece of software than does either statement or branch testing. Despite this, the exceptionally small number of papers which detail experience of using LCSAJ testing clearly indicates that its popularity falls considerably short of that of the other two methods. One factor that has contributed to this situation is the apparent absence of any attempt to assess the effort entailed by LCSAJ testing in practice, thereby precluding any meaningful cost-effectiveness analysis of the method. Such an attempt is reported in this paper. A significant influence on the effort associated with LCSAJ testing is the number of test paths that must be generated to achieve a specified level of cover, and this is determined by the number of such paths that are found to be infeasible. Effort, therefore, is dependent upon the effectiveness of the path generation method/strategy in avoiding infeasible paths. The attempt to assess the effort entailed by LCSAJ testing which is reported here makes use of a new path selection strategy. This strategy seeks to reduce,a priori, the incidence of infeasible paths in the test set that is generated. Details of the strategy are presented, as are the results which were obtained by applying it to a set of subroutines. From the results, a measure of the effort entailed in employing the strategy is deduced. Subsequently, it is argued that features of the strategy enable pertinent comments to be made not only about the effort associated with employing the strategy, but also about the effort entailed by LCSAJ testing in general.
Type of Medium:
Electronic Resource
URL:
http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/BF01351925
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