Research On Component-Based Software Observation Model Based On Concurrent Automaton Theory

Component-Based Software developing technology has been widely used to improve software production efficiency and cut off effort. With development of component-based software, various Component-Based software technologies and standards have also become more mature and are approaching to perfect. The most advantage taken from component-based software is that developers using components can focus their efforts on solving problems straightly relevant to application domain instead of details of implementation due to the fact that services are provided by components on their interfaces and client can access components only on the interfaces. However such information hiding technology and the advantages following it are blocking component-based software from being adequately tested in traditional ways.In this paper, we discuss the features of component-based software integration testing and limitations of current testing methods, and analyze what in essence makes traditional testing methods not suitable for component-based software, and point out that only an observation model for a component-based software is set up can a systematic and consistent integration testing be carried out. Based on this idea, control graph is analyzed with respect to how it describe a sequential procedure and we draw a conclusion that return values from predications and statement in control flow graph can be represented by event and state, respectively. Later a DFA(deterministic finite automaton) model for control flow is put forth, making possible complete and consistent description of software dynamic behavior using event and state sequences. In consideration of concurrency is widely existing in component-based software system, a Parallel Automaton-Based Component-Based Software Behavior Observation Model(PABCBSBOM) is finally proposed as a result of Husson and Morin's On Recognizable Stable Trace Languages, in which some important definitions and properties relevant to independent relationships are proposed for describing concurrent behavior, and Parallel automaton model. The PABCBSBOM model is then evaluated by Software Test Data Adequacy Axiom and construction of software behavior observation axiom with respect to usability and correctness. Finally, a set of criteria is proposed based on PABCBSBOM and the availability of PABCBSBOM for test is validated by an example.The significance of PABCBSBOM is that the dynamic behavior of software can be described in a set of event-state sequences, providing a general frame under which both sequential and concurrent behavior can be studied. Also, a theory and a good beginning are provided for top-down test since event and state are profiles of data and data can be retrieved as needed.