Model-Based Filtering of Combinatorial Test Suites

International audienceTobias is a combinatorial test generation tool which can efficiently generate a large number of test cases by unfolding a test pattern and computing all combinations of parameters. In this paper, we first propose a model-based testing approach where Tobias test cases are first run on an executable UML/OCL specification. This animation of test cases on a model allows to filter out invalid test sequences produced by blind enumeration, typically the ones which violate the pre-conditions of operations, and to provide an oracle for the valid ones. We then introduce recent extensions of the Tobias tool which support an incremental unfolding and filtering process, and its associated toolset. This allows to address explosive test patterns featuring a large number of invalid test cases, and only a small number of valid ones. For instance, these new constructs could mandate test cases to satisfy a given predicate at some point or to follow a given behavior. The early detection of invalid test cases improves the calculation time of the whole generation and execution process, and helps fighting combinatorial explosion

Using test cases as contract to ensure service compliance across releases

Abstract. Web Services are entailing a major shift of perspective in software engineering: software is used and not owned, and operation happens on machines that are out of the user control. This means that the user cannot decide the strategy to migrate to a new version of a service, as it happens with COTS. Therefore, a key issue is to provide users with means to build confidence that a service i) delivers over the time the desired function and ii) at the same time it is able to meet Quality of Service requirements. This paper proposes the use of test cases as a form of contract between the provider and the users of a service, and describes an approach and a tool to allow users running a test suite against a service, to discover if functional or non–functional expectations are maintained over the time. The approach has been evaluated by applying it to two case studies