Using Squeeziness to test component-based systems defined as Finite State Machines

Context: Testing is the main validation technique used to increase the reliability of software systems. The effectiveness of testing can be strongly reduced by Failed Error Propagation. This situation happens when the System Under Test executes a faulty statement, the state of the system is affected by this fault, but the expected output is observed. Squeeziness is an information theoretic measure designed to quantify the likelihood of Failed Error Propagation and previous work has shown that Squeeziness correlates strongly with Failed Error Propagation in white-box scenarios. Despite its usefulness, this measure, in its current formulation, cannot be used in a black-box scenario where we do not have access to the source code of the components. Objective: The main goal of this paper is to adapt Squeeziness to a black-box scenario and evaluate whether it can be used to estimate the likelihood that a component of a software system introduces Failed Error Propagation. Method: First, we defined our black-box scenario. Specifically, we considered the Failed Error Propagation that a component introduces when it receives its input from another component. We were interested in this since such fault masking makes it more difficult to find faults in the previous component when testing. Second, we defined our notion of Squeeziness in this framework. Finally, we carried out experiments in order to evaluate our measure. Results: Our experiments showed a strong correlation between the likelihood of Failed Error Propagation and Squeeziness. Conclusion: We can conclude that our new notion of Squeeziness can be used as a measure that estimates the probability of Failed Error Propagation being introduced by a component. As a result, it has the potential to be used as a measure of testability, allowing testers to assess how easy it is to test either the whole system or a single component. We considered a simple model (Finite State Machines) but the notions and results can be extended/adapted to deal with more complex state-based models, in particular, those containing data

Aplicaciones de la teoría de la información y la inteligencia artificial al testing de software

Tesis inédita de la Universidad Complutense de Madrid, Facultad de Informática, Departamento de Ingeniería de Sistemas lnformáticos y de Computación, leída el 4-05-2022Software Testing is a critical field for the software industry, as it has the main tools used to ensure the reliability of the produced software. Currently, mor then 50% of the time and resources for creating a software product are diverted to testing tasks, from unit testing to system testing. Moreover, there is a huge interest into automatising this field, as software gets bigger and the amount of required testing increases. however, software Testing is not only an industry oriented field; it is also a really interesting field with a noble goal (improving the reliability of software systems) that at the same tieme is full of problems to solve....Es Testing Software es un campo crítico para la industria del software, ya que éste contienen las principales herramientas que se usan para asegurar la fiabilidad del software producido. Hoy en día, más del 50% del tiempo y recursos necesarios para crear un producto software son dirigidos a tareas de testing, desde el testing unitario al testing a nivel de sistema. Más aún, hay un gran interés en automatizar este campo, ya que el software cada vez es más grande y la cantidad de testing requerido crece. Sin embargo, el Testing de Software no es solo un campo orientado a la industria; también es un campo muy interesante con un objetivo noble (mejorar la fiabilidad de los sistemas software) que al mismo tiempo está lleno de problemas por resolver...Fac. de InformáticaTRUEunpu

Using Squeeziness to test from Finite State Machines

Squeeziness is an information theoretic measure designed to quantify the likelihood of a form of fault masking called failed error propagation. It has been shown that Squeeziness correlates strongly with failed error propagation in white-box scenarios. In this thesis, we adapt Squeeziness to a black-box scenario and show how it can be used to estimate the likelihood of failed error propagation

Algoritmos de resolución de Wordle usando Teoría de la Información

Trabajo de Fin de Doble Grado en Ingeniería Informática y Matemáticas, Facultad de Informática UCM, Departamento de Sistemas Informáticos y Computación, Curso 2021/2022. https://github.com/enricava/CustomWordleAlgsWordle is a popular web based game where players must guess five-letter words in six attempts or less. Players are given hints about which letters are incorrect, misplaced or correct, and must use this information to discard and select new candidates for their next guesses. In this project we explore the connection between Information Theory and puzzle solving by using entropy-related concepts and algorithms to solve Wordle. First, we make a practical introduction to Information Theory, entropy and its applications. We define multiple Greedy and Genetic Algorithms and analyze them in order to improve their average scores and reduce their miss rates. We test our algorithms against relaxed versions of the puzzles to estimate a lower bound for the average scores of algorithm-based solutions. Finally, we discuss our results, provide suggestions for future reexaminations and present our candidate for best Wordle starter.Wordle es un juego de navegador popular en el que los jugadores deben averiguar palabras de cinco letras en seis intentos o menos. Se dan pistas a los jugadores acerca de las letras que son incorrectas, están mal situadas o son correctas, y deben usar esta información para descartar y seleccionar nuevos candidatos para sus siguientes intentos. En este proyecto exploramos la conexión entre la Teoría de la Información y la resolución de puzles mediante conceptos y algoritmos relacionados con la entropía. Primero hacemos una introducción práctica a la Teoría de la Información, la entropía y sus aplicaciones. Definimos múltiples algoritmos voraces y genéticos y los analizamos para mejorar sus puntuaciones medias y reducir sus porcentajes de fallo. Evaluamos nuestros algoritmos frente a versiones relajadas de los puzles para estimar una cota inferior de las puntuaciones medias de soluciones basadas en algoritmos. Finalmente, estudiamos nuestros resultados, sugerimos mejoras para futuras revisiones y presentamos nuestra palabra candidata a mejor apertura del Wordle.Depto. de Sistemas Informáticos y ComputaciónFac. de InformáticaTRUEunpu

Using mutual information to select test suites in a black-box framework

Mutual Information is an information theoretic measure designed to quantify the amount of similarity between two random variables ranging over two sets. In this paper, we adapt this concept and show how it can be used to select a good test suite, in a black-box scenario and following a maximize diversity approach. We provide experimental evidence to show the usefulness of the measure. We also show that the time needed to compute the measure is negligible when compared to the time needed to apply extra testing. Finally, we compare our measure with current test prioritization measures and show that our proposal outperforms them. As a side result, in this thesis we present a Genetic Programming approach, fully supported by a tool, to generate test suites using Information Theory based measures

Sculptured computational objects with smart and active computing materials

Thesis (Ph. D.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, School of Architecture and Planning, Program in Media Arts and Sciences, 2001.Includes bibliographical references (leaves 325-328).This thesis presents the creative, technological, and philosophical means and methodology, by which technology artists and researchers can materially and sculpturally transform physical computing technology from hard, remotely-designed, plastic shells, into intimately created, sensual computing objects and artifacts. It asserts that the rigid, square, and prefabricated physical materials of computing technology are a fundamental technological and artistic limitation to anyone who wishes to sensually transform physical computing technology, or develop a rich artistic vocabulary for it. Smart and active sculptural computing materials are presented as a solution to this problem. Practically, smart computing materials reduce the number of separate, rigid, and square prefabricated parts required to create physical computing objects. Artistically, active sculptural computing materials give artists and designers the ability to directly manipulate, shape, experiment with, and therefore aesthetically understand the real, physical materials of computing technology. Such active design materials will also enable creative people to develop a meaningful artistic relationship between physical form and computation. The total contributions of this thesis include a proposal for a future three-dimensional design/technology practice, a portfolio of sensually transformed expressive computational objects (including new physical interfaces, electronic fashions, and embroidered musical instruments), and the smart and active sculptural computing materials and processes (in this case smart textiles), which make that transformation possible. Projects from the design portfolio include: The Triangles, and its applications; Electronic Fashions, including the Firefly Dress and Necklace, New Year's Eve Ball Gown, and Serial Suit; The Musical Jacket; Electronic Tablecloths; and a series of Embroidered Musical Instruments with embroidered pressure sensors. Contributions from the supporting technical area include: the first fabric keypad (a row and column switch matrix), a new conductive yarn capable of tying and electrical/mechanical knot, an advanced process for machine embroidering highly conductive, flexible and visually diverse electrodes, an empirical model of complex impedance sensing, and a definition of and test for the machine sewability and flexibility of yarns. These contributions are presented in three sections: 1) the supporting arguments, and philosophy of materiality and computation behind this work, 2) the design portfolio, and 3) the supporting technical story.by Margaret A. Orth.Ph.D