A New Software Test Framework Based On Model-use And Executable Specification

How to enhance the correctness and reliability of the testing software is one of the toughest problems in software engineering, one solution to which is by software test. For large scale and complicated software system, however, model-based test always faces the common difficulties of model establishment and input space explosion, while model-use-based test usually fails to verify the test results of the tested software. To better address these problems, this paper suggests a new software test framework which is based on model-use and executable specification. The major work covered lies in the following three aspects:First, the paper application of the forward a new software test framework based on model-use and executable specification. The combination of the two solves, or at least reduces, the difficulties mentioned. The application of this test framework lies in the precondition that the expenses of the making of the specification by the test engineers must be considerably smaller than that of the tested object. In this way, with the construction of complicated use model, the test cost will be maintained at a relatively low level, which has been confirmed by detailed analysis in the test of the main server software slapd of OpenLDAP.Second, the paper use of a software framework based on playback, which can improve the reliability of test software. Currently, playback technology mainly involves the development of tools, the demerits of which are mainly the following two:on the one hand, tool development is costly; on the other hand, it lacks transplantablility, which means that the playback tech in one platform may not be usable in another platform. A software system based on playback framework itself is playbackable.Third, the paper introduced forward two conceptions:"pure entity" and "pure attribute" and confirms that the errors of the two can both be tested out by systemized playback. In the testing experiment of the main server software slapd of OpenLDAP, according to the requirement of the test framework based on model-use and executable specification, and with the application of playbackable software framework, it realizes the test software Tester, a further research of which shows that the majority of codes of Tester can be organized as pure entity or pure attribute.