22,001 research outputs found
Towards Statistical Prioritization for Software Product Lines Testing
Software Product Lines (SPL) are inherently difficult to test due to the
combinatorial explosion of the number of products to consider. To reduce the
number of products to test, sampling techniques such as combinatorial
interaction testing have been proposed. They usually start from a feature model
and apply a coverage criterion (e.g. pairwise feature interaction or
dissimilarity) to generate tractable, fault-finding, lists of configurations to
be tested. Prioritization can also be used to sort/generate such lists,
optimizing coverage criteria or weights assigned to features. However, current
sampling/prioritization techniques barely take product behavior into account.
We explore how ideas of statistical testing, based on a usage model (a Markov
chain), can be used to extract configurations of interest according to the
likelihood of their executions. These executions are gathered in featured
transition systems, compact representation of SPL behavior. We discuss possible
scenarios and give a prioritization procedure illustrated on an example.Comment: Extended version published at VaMoS '14
(http://dx.doi.org/10.1145/2556624.2556635
Spinal Test Suites for Software Product Lines
A major challenge in testing software product lines is efficiency. In
particular, testing a product line should take less effort than testing each
and every product individually. We address this issue in the context of
input-output conformance testing, which is a formal theory of model-based
testing. We extend the notion of conformance testing on input-output featured
transition systems with the novel concept of spinal test suites. We show how
this concept dispenses with retesting the common behavior among different, but
similar, products of a software product line.Comment: In Proceedings MBT 2014, arXiv:1403.704
Analysis of Feature Models Using Alloy: A Survey
Feature Models (FMs) are a mechanism to model variability among a family of
closely related software products, i.e. a software product line (SPL). Analysis
of FMs using formal methods can reveal defects in the specification such as
inconsistencies that cause the product line to have no valid products. A
popular framework used in research for FM analysis is Alloy, a light-weight
formal modeling notation equipped with an efficient model finder. Several works
in the literature have proposed different strategies to encode and analyze FMs
using Alloy. However, there is little discussion on the relative merits of each
proposal, making it difficult to select the most suitable encoding for a
specific analysis need. In this paper, we describe and compare those strategies
according to various criteria such as the expressivity of the FM notation or
the efficiency of the analysis. This survey is the first comparative study of
research targeted towards using Alloy for FM analysis. This review aims to
identify all the best practices on the use of Alloy, as a part of a framework
for the automated extraction and analysis of rich FMs from natural language
requirement specifications.Comment: In Proceedings FMSPLE 2016, arXiv:1603.0857
Behavioral types in programming languages
A recent trend in programming language research is to use behav- ioral type theory to ensure various correctness properties of large- scale, communication-intensive systems. Behavioral types encompass concepts such as interfaces, communication protocols, contracts, and choreography. The successful application of behavioral types requires a solid understanding of several practical aspects, from their represen- tation in a concrete programming language, to their integration with other programming constructs such as methods and functions, to de- sign and monitoring methodologies that take behaviors into account. This survey provides an overview of the state of the art of these aspects, which we summarize as the pragmatics of behavioral types
A Historical Perspective on Runtime Assertion Checking in Software Development
This report presents initial results in the area of software testing and analysis produced as part of the Software Engineering Impact Project. The report describes the historical development of runtime assertion checking, including a description of the origins of and significant features associated with assertion checking mechanisms, and initial findings about current industrial use. A future report will provide a more comprehensive assessment of development practice, for which we invite readers of this report to contribute information
A survey on engineering approaches for self-adaptive systems (extended version)
The complexity of information systems is increasing in recent years, leading to increased effort for maintenance and configuration. Self-adaptive systems (SASs) address this issue. Due to new computing trends, such as pervasive computing, miniaturization of IT leads to mobile devices with the emerging need for context adaptation. Therefore, it is beneficial that devices are able to adapt context. Hence, we propose to extend the definition of SASs and include
context adaptation. This paper presents a taxonomy of self-adaptation and a survey on engineering SASs. Based on the taxonomy and the survey, we motivate a new perspective on SAS including context adaptation
- …