Pattern based GUI testing for mobile applications

This paper presents a study aiming to assess the feasibility of using the Pattern Based GUI Testing approach, PBGT, to test mobile applications. PBGT is a new model based testing approach that aims to increase systematization, reusability and diminish the effort in modelling and testing. It is based on the concept of User Interface Test Patterns (UITP) that contain generic test strategies for testing common recurrent behaviour, the so-called UI Patterns, on GUIs through its possible different implementations after a configuration step. Although PBGT was developed having web applications in mind, it is possible to develop drivers for other platforms in order to test a wide set of applications. However, web and mobile applications are different and only the development of a new driver to execute test cases over mobile applications may not be enough. This paper describes a study aiming to identify the adaptations and updates the PBGT should undergo in order to test mobile applications. © 2014 IEEE

Understanding Class-level Testability Through Dynamic Analysis

It is generally acknowledged that software testing is both challenging and time-consuming. Understanding the factors that may positively or negatively affect testing effort will point to possibilities for reducing this effort. Consequently there is a significant body of research that has investigated relationships between static code properties and testability. The work reported in this paper complements this body of research by providing an empirical evaluation of the degree of association between runtime properties and class-level testability in object-oriented (OO) systems. The motivation for the use of dynamic code properties comes from the success of such metrics in providing a more complete insight into the multiple dimensions of software quality. In particular, we investigate the potential relationships between the runtime characteristics of production code, represented by Dynamic Coupling and Key Classes, and internal class-level testability. Testability of a class is consider ed here at the level of unit tests and two different measures are used to characterise those unit tests. The selected measures relate to test scope and structure: one is intended to measure the unit test size, represented by test lines of code, and the other is designed to reflect the intended design, represented by the number of test cases. In this research we found that Dynamic Coupling and Key Classes have significant correlations with class-level testability measures. We therefore suggest that these properties could be used as indicators of class-level testability. These results enhance our current knowledge and should help researchers in the area to build on previous results regarding factors believed to be related to testability and testing. Our results should also benefit practitioners in future class testability planning and maintenance activities

Advancements and Challenges in Object-Centric Process Mining: A Systematic Literature Review

Recent years have seen the emergence of object-centric process mining techniques. Born as a response to the limitations of traditional process mining in analyzing event data from prevalent information systems like CRM and ERP, these techniques aim to tackle the deficiency, convergence, and divergence issues seen in traditional event logs. Despite the promise, the adoption in real-world process mining analyses remains limited. This paper embarks on a comprehensive literature review of object-centric process mining, providing insights into the current status of the discipline and its historical trajectory

Scientific History of Incipit in the period 2010-2016

Historial de la actividad científica y técnica del Instituto de Ciencias del Patrimonio (Incipit) del CSIC, basado en Santiago de Compostela, desde su fecha de creación (2010) hasta el año 2016. Se presentan la misión y las líneas de investigación del Incipit, centradas principalmente en el estudio de los procesos de patrimonialización y de valorización social del patrimonio cultural realizadas con una perspectiva transdisciplinar. Se relacionan las publicaciones, proyectos de investigación, actividades de ciencia pública, eventos de comunicación y productos de divulgación que su personal investigador ha producido a lo largo de estos años.General introduction to the Incipit. Presentation of the Research Line: Cultural Heritage Studies: Sub-Theme: Landscape Archaeology and Cultural Landscapes, Sub-theme: Heritagization Processes: Memory, Power and Ethnicity, Sub-theme: Socioeconomics of Cultural Heritage, Sub-theme: Archaeology of the Contemporary Past, Sub-theme: Material culture and formalization processes of cultural heritage. Scientific Contributions. Transfer of Knowledge. International Activities. Other Activities and Results. Scientific DisseminationN

Streamlining code smells: Using collective intelligence and visualization

Context. Code smells are seen as major source of technical debt and, as such, should be detected and removed. Code smells have long been catalogued with corresponding mitigating solutions called refactoring operations. However, while the latter are supported in current IDEs (e.g., Eclipse), code smells detection scaffolding has still many limitations. Researchers argue that the subjectiveness of the code smells detection process is a major hindrance to mitigate the problem of smells-infected code. Objective. This thesis presents a new approach to code smells detection that we have called CrowdSmelling and the results of a validation experiment for this approach. The latter is based on supervised machine learning techniques, where the wisdom of the crowd (of software developers) is used to collectively calibrate code smells detection algorithms, thereby lessening the subjectivity issue. Method. In the context of three consecutive years of a Software Engineering course, a total “crowd” of around a hundred teams, with an average of three members each, classified the presence of 3 code smells (Long Method, God Class, and Feature Envy) in Java source code. These classifications were the basis of the oracles used for training six machine learning algorithms. Over one hundred models were generated and evaluated to determine which machine learning algorithms had the best performance in detecting each of the aforementioned code smells. Results. Good performances were obtained for God Class detection (ROC=0.896 for Naive Bayes) and Long Method detection (ROC=0.870 for AdaBoostM1), but much lower for Feature Envy (ROC=0.570 for Random Forrest). Conclusions. Obtained results suggest that Crowdsmelling is a feasible approach for the detection of code smells, but further validation experiments are required to cover more code smells and to increase external validityContexto. Os cheiros de código são a principal causa de dívida técnica (technical debt), como tal, devem ser detectados e removidos. Os cheiros de código já foram há muito tempo catalogados juntamente com as correspondentes soluções mitigadoras chamadas operações de refabricação (refactoring). No entanto, embora estas últimas sejam suportadas nas IDEs actuais (por exemplo, Eclipse), a deteção de cheiros de código têm ainda muitas limitações. Os investigadores argumentam que a subjectividade do processo de deteção de cheiros de código é um dos principais obstáculo à mitigação do problema da qualidade do código. Objectivo. Esta tese apresenta uma nova abordagem à detecção de cheiros de código, a que chamámos CrowdSmelling, e os resultados de uma experiência de validação para esta abordagem. A nossa abordagem de CrowdSmelling baseia-se em técnicas de aprendizagem automática supervisionada, onde a sabedoria da multidão (dos programadores de software) é utilizada para calibrar colectivamente algoritmos de detecção de cheiros de código, diminuindo assim a questão da subjectividade. Método. Em três anos consecutivos, no âmbito da Unidade Curricular de Engenharia de Software, uma "multidão", num total de cerca de uma centena de equipas, com uma média de três membros cada, classificou a presença de 3 cheiros de código (Long Method, God Class, and Feature Envy) em código fonte Java. Estas classificações foram a base dos oráculos utilizados para o treino de seis algoritmos de aprendizagem automática. Mais de cem modelos foram gerados e avaliados para determinar quais os algoritmos de aprendizagem de máquinas com melhor desempenho na detecção de cada um dos cheiros de código acima mencionados. Resultados. Foram obtidos bons desempenhos na detecção do God Class (ROC=0,896 para Naive Bayes) e na detecção do Long Method (ROC=0,870 para AdaBoostM1), mas muito mais baixos para Feature Envy (ROC=0,570 para Random Forrest). Conclusões. Os resultados obtidos sugerem que o Crowdsmelling é uma abordagem viável para a detecção de cheiros de código, mas são necessárias mais experiências de validação para cobrir mais cheiros de código e para aumentar a validade externa

Desarrollo dirigido por modelos de aplicaciones móviles multiplataforma a partir de un conjunto de reglas heurísticas basadas en esquemas preconceptuales

ilustraciones, diagramas, tablasModel driven development (MDD) approaches aim for increasing development team productivity and decreasing software time-to-market. Such approaches comprise a set of model-to-model and model-to-text transformation rules for generating the source code based on models. Some authors propose MDD approaches for cross-platform mobile applications. So, we perform a systematic literature review looking for MDD approaches for cross-platform mobile applications, having as a result 39 primary studies grouped on 19 different MDD approaches. We observe 100.0 % approaches lack close-to-natural modeling languages, 36.8 % approaches lack design patterns, and 84.2 % lack usability features. In addition, 42.1 % approaches use out-of-date programming languages as automation result. Therefore, we propose an MDD approach for cross-platform mobile applications by using pre-conceptual schemas. Such schemas allow for guaranteeing a close-to-natural modeling language, including design patterns, and including usability features. Moreover, we complete the UN-LEND specification language as an intermediate model between pre-conceptual schemas and cross-platform mobile applications, avoiding the usage of out-of-date programming languages. Then, we design a pre-conceptual-schema-based metamodel in order to develop an MDD prototype based on the Eclipse Modeling Framework and XPAND. We propose a set of heuristic rules divided into model, view, and controller layers, having the pre-conceptual schema as a rule left-hand side, UN-LEND as an intermediate model, and Java-Android and Swift-iOS code as a rule right-hand side. We validate our approach by using a case of study about MobileSQUARE: an Android application for requirements gathering based on a question answering model. As a result, we automatically generate 90.86 % of the MobileSQUARE application by using our approach. Specifically, we observe model layer is close to be fully automated having 98.95 % as automation percentage compared to view and controller layers with 82.31 % and 84.56 % respectively. We expect researchers and software engineering practitioners increase their productivity and decrease software time-to-market based on our results. We identify some future work and challenges such as: including Programming eXperience heuristics in the resulting code (PX); allowing round-trip transformations between code, UN-LEND, and pre-conceptual schemas; including rules related to pre-conceptual schema vectors, matrices, and achievement relationships; improving controller and view layers related rules to increase the automation percentage; developing a compiler for UN-LEND models.Los enfoques de desarrollo dirigidos por modelos (MDD) tienen como objetivo aumentar la productividad del equipo de desarrollo y reducir el tiempo de comercialización del software. Algunos autores proponen enfoques MDD para aplicaciones móviles multiplataforma. Por ello, se realiza una revisión sistemática de la literatura en busca de enfoques MDD para aplicaciones móviles multiplataforma, teniendo como resultado 39 estudios primarios agrupados en 19 enfoques MDD diferentes. Se observa que el 100,0 % de los enfoques carecen de lenguajes de modelado cercanos al natural, el 36,8 % de los enfoques carecen de patrones de diseño y el 84,2 % carecen de características de usabilidad. Además, el 42,1 % de los enfoques utilizan lenguajes de programación obsoletos como resultado de la automatización. Por lo tanto, se propone un enfoque MDD para aplicaciones móviles multiplataforma mediante el uso de esquemas preconceptuales. Estos esquemas permiten garantizar un lenguaje de modelado cercano al natural, incluir patrones de diseño e incluir características de usabilidad. Además, se completa el lenguaje de especificación UN-LEND como modelo intermedio entre los esquemas preconceptuales y las aplicaciones móviles multiplataforma, evitando el uso de lenguajes de programación desfasados. Luego, se diseña un metamodelo del esquema preconceptual para desarrollar un prototipo de MDD basado en el Eclipse Modeling Framework y XPAND. Se propone un conjunto de reglas heurísticas divididas en las capas modelo, vista, y controlador, teniendo al esquema preconceptual como el lado izquierdo de la regla, UN-LEND como modelo intermedio, y el código Android Java e iOS Swift como el lado derecho de la regla. Se valida este enfoque utilizando un caso de estudio sobre MobileSQUARE: una aplicación Android para la recopilación de requisitos basada en un modelo de respuesta a preguntas. Como resultado, se genera automáticamente el 90,86 % de la aplicación MobileS-QUARE utilizando las reglas propuestas. En concreto, se observa que la capa model está cerca de la automatización total teniendo un 98,95 % como porcentaje de automatización en comparación con las capas vista y controlador con un 82,31 % y 84,56 % respectivamente. Se espera que los investigadores y los profesionales de la ingeniería del software aumenten su productividad y reduzcan el tiempo de comercialización del software basándose en estos resultados. Como resultado de esta Tesis de Maestría, se identifican algunas propuestas y retos futuros como: incluir heurísticas de Experiencia del Programador (PX) en el código resultante; permitir las transformaciones de ida y vuelta entre código, UN-LEND y los esquemas preconceptuales; incluir reglas relacionadas con los vectores, la matrices y las relaciones de logro de los esquemas preconceptuales; y desarrollar un compilador para los modelos UN-LEND. (Texto tomado de la fuente)MaestríaMagister en Ingeniería - Ingeniería de SistemasSoftware engineeringÁrea Curricular de Ingeniería de Sistemas e Informátic