Automatic Generation of Test Cases Using Document Analysis Techniques

In software maintenance, software testing consumes 55% of the total software maintenance work. The problem is how to reduce the software testing work while still insuring high quality software.nbsp Some solutions involve software execution automation tools, outsourcing the testing tasks at lower labor rates. Such solutions still depend upon individual skills in generation of the test cases. In contrast, we focused on generation of test cases rather than the skills and developed a method for the automatic generation of test cases by using our natural language document analysis techniques which use text parsers for extracting and complementing parameter values from documents. We applied the method to Internet banking system maintenance projects and insurance system maintenance projects.nbsp In this paper, we discuss our method and techniques for automatic generation of test cases and their use in these industry case studies.nbsp Our document analysis tool helped automatically generate 95% of the required test cases from the design documents. The work of creating test cases was reduced by 48% in our case studies

A REVIEW OF PROBLEMS AND CHALLENGES OF USING MULTIPLE CONCEPTUAL MODELS

Conceptual models are used to visualise, envisage, and communicate the requirements, structure, and behaviour of a system. Particularly, during design and analysis phases, a model can serve as a tool to recognise different components, elements, actors, and relationships involved in a system. However, as a domain becomes complex, multiple models are needed to capture different aspects of a system. Further, each conceptual model develops using different grammars, methods, and tools. Therefore, using multiple models to represent a complex system may result in several problems, and challenges. This research aims to identify, analyse, and classify the different problems and issues encountered when using multiple models during information systems analysis and design through a structured literature review. Several problems are identified and are classified into seven main categories based on their common characteristics. The results of this study may serve as a baseline information for researchers in further understand-ing different modelling approaches and how multiple models can be used in harmony and reduce risks and issues. Also, the list of problems gathered will give insights to professionals on which issues they may possibly encounter when inter-relating various models

Certified Reinforcement Learning with Logic Guidance

This paper proposes the first model-free Reinforcement Learning (RL) framework to synthesise policies for unknown, and continuous-state Markov Decision Processes (MDPs), such that a given linear temporal property is satisfied. We convert the given property into a Limit Deterministic Buchi Automaton (LDBA), namely a finite-state machine expressing the property. Exploiting the structure of the LDBA, we shape a synchronous reward function on-the-fly, so that an RL algorithm can synthesise a policy resulting in traces that probabilistically satisfy the linear temporal property. This probability (certificate) is also calculated in parallel with policy learning when the state space of the MDP is finite: as such, the RL algorithm produces a policy that is certified with respect to the property. Under the assumption of finite state space, theoretical guarantees are provided on the convergence of the RL algorithm to an optimal policy, maximising the above probability. We also show that our method produces ''best available'' control policies when the logical property cannot be satisfied. In the general case of a continuous state space, we propose a neural network architecture for RL and we empirically show that the algorithm finds satisfying policies, if there exist such policies. The performance of the proposed framework is evaluated via a set of numerical examples and benchmarks, where we observe an improvement of one order of magnitude in the number of iterations required for the policy synthesis, compared to existing approaches whenever available.Comment: This article draws from arXiv:1801.08099, arXiv:1809.0782

De l'Ingénierie des Besoins à l'Ingénierie des Exigences : Vers une Démarche Méthodologique d'Ingénierie de Systèmes Complexes, de Vérification et de Validation Appliquée à l'Informatisation des PME

Most enterprises, and especially SMEs, must develop their business in very competitive and rapidly changing fields. Where they have to adapt to volatile customers who want to find cheaper products and services and that are more corresponding to their needs. The SME is then confronted with problems of responsiveness and flexibility in responding to these customers. As an effect, it seeks to reduce the costs and time to market and to provide high quality and innovative goods and services. The SME’s information system is an asset on which it can rely to implement this strategy and so to maximize its responsiveness and flexibility but also to reach the sought profitability and quality. These are key qualities that guarantee autonomy and recognition, qualities that are highly needed by any SME. The Information system is indeed the drive belt of information not only inside the enterprise, between decision and operational systems proving added value of the enterprise, but also within its environment that includes its external partners. Part of this information system is computerized. It stores and processes the information needed by the different decision-making, business and support processes that serve the enterprise’s strategy. It is crucial to understand the features, interfaces and data that make up this computerized system and develop them according to the needs of SME. The SME is therefore tempted to embark, alone or accompanied, in so-called computerization projects i.e. projects for the development or improvement of its computerized system. We are interested in projects aimed at developing management applications of SMEs. The SME – then assuming the role of project owner – along with the development team – supporting the role of project management – have to share a common vision of the computerization needs. They are then called upon to carry out jointly requirements engineering (RE) activities. RE guides the SMEs to be able to describe and formalize its needs. It then allows the development team to specify more formally these needs as requirements which then define the required development work. RE is often carried out with the assistance of project owner support. This crucial step remains difficult for SMEs. It is most often performed by the development team itself to address the lack of resources, time and skills of SMEs. However, the involvement of the SME’s members is vital to the success of any computerization project, especially if it permanently affects the functioning of the enterprise. This work, developed through a collaborative with the company RESULIS, consisted in developing a requirements engineering method which offers SMEs concepts, simple languages, modeling and verification means that are easily and intuitively manipulated and provide sufficient and relevant formalization of the SME’s requirements. This method is based on principles derived from both enterprise modeling and systems engineering fields for requirements elicitation. Semi-formal verification and validation means are applied to guarantee some expected qualities of the resulting requirements. The method is also integrated in the model driven development cycle to enable a posteriori the production of prototypes and make interoperable the languages and tools used by both the SME and the development team.Une entreprise, et particulièrement une PME ou une PMI, doit être apte à évoluer sur des secteurs d’activités souvent très concurrentiels qui évoluent rapidement, par exemple, en fonction d’une clientèle volatile et soucieuse de trouver des produits et des services moins chers et plus adaptés à ses besoins. La PME se trouve alors confrontée à des problèmes de réactivité et de flexibilité face à cette clientèle. Par effet direct, elle recherche à réduire les délais et les coûts de réalisation tout en privilégiant aussi la qualité et le degré d’innovation des biens et des services qu’elle propose. Le sys-tème d’information de cette PME est un enjeu essentiel pour mettre en œuvre cette stratégie et maximiser donc la réactivité et la flexibilité mais aussi la rentabilité et la qualité recherchées. Ce sont des qualités incontournables, garantes d’une autonomie et d’une reconnaissance dont la PME a grand besoin. Le système d’information est en effet la courroie de transmission entre le système de décision et le système productif qui génère la valeur ajoutée de la PME. Il fait le lien entre les différents acteurs de l’organisation mais aussi avec les partenaires externes de l’entreprise. Une partie de ce système d’information est de fait informatisée. Celui-ci supporte, mémorise et traite les informations nécessaires aux différents processus de décision, métiers et supports qui tapissent l’organisation pour servir la stratégie de l’entreprise. Les fonctionnalités, les interfaces et les données qui forment ce système informatisé sont donc cruciales à comprendre, à développer en accord avec les besoins de la PME, à améliorer au fur et à mesure de l’évolution de ces besoins. La PME est donc tentée de se lancer, seule ou accompagnée, dans des projets dits d’informatisation i.e. des projets visant le développement ou l’amélioration de son système informatisé. Nous nous intéressons ici à des projets visant à développer des applicatifs de gestion et de pilotage de la PME. La PME – prenant alors le rôle de la maîtrise d’ouvrage (MOA) – tout comme la société de services qui l’accompagne – prenant alors en charge le rôle de maîtrise d’œuvre (MOE) – doivent partager une vision commune des besoins d’informatisation. Elles sont alors appelées à mener en commun des activités d’ingénierie des besoins et des exigences (IBE). L’IBE guide et accompagne la PME pour arriver à décrire et formaliser ses besoins. Elle permet ensuite à la société de service de spécifier de manière plus formelle ces besoins sous forme d’exigences qui définissent alors les travaux de développement souhaités. L’IBE est souvent réalisée avec une assistance à maîtrise d’ouvrage. Cette étape cruciale reste cependant difficile pour une PME. Elle est de plus souvent réalisée par la MOE elle-même pour faire face au manque de moyens, de temps et de compétences de la PME. Or, l’implication des collaborateurs de la PME est primordiale pour la réussite de tout projet d’informatisation, surtout si celui-ci impacte durablement le fonctionnement de la PME. Ces travaux, développés dans le cadre d’une collaboration Industrie/recherche avec la SSII RESULIS, ont consisté à déve-lopper une méthode d’IBE qui offre aux PME des concepts, des langages et des moyens de modélisation et de vérification simples mais suffisants tout en tant aisément manipulables de manière intuitive et donnant lieu à une formalisation perti-nente pour la MOE. Cette méthode est basée sur le croisement et la complémentarité de principes issus de la Modélisation d’Entreprise et de l’Ingénierie Système pour l’élicitation de besoins. Des moyens de vérification et de validation semi-formels sont appliqués pour garantir certaines qualités attendues des exigences résultantes. La méthode s’intègre égale-ment au cycle de développement basé sur les modèles pour permettre a posteriori d’accélérer la production de prototypes et de rendre interopérables les langages et outils de la MOA et de la MOE