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 detailed description of two controlled experiments concerning the usefulness of assertions as a means for programming

Assertions or more generally "Programming by contract" have gained widespread acceptance in the computer science community as a means for correct program development. However, the literature lacks an empirically evaluation of the benefits a programmer gains by using assertions in his software development. This paper reports about two controlled experiments to close this gap. Both experiments compared "Programming by contract" to the traditional programming style without assertions. The evaluation suggests that assertions tend to decrease the programming effort and that assertions lead to more reliable programs compared to those programs written without using them