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Susan Stepney.
Testing as Abstraction.

In J. P. Bowen, M. G. Hinchey, editors. ZUM '95: 9th International Conference of Z Users, Limerick, Ireland, 1995. LNCS 967, pp 137--151. Springer, 1995.

[Joint winner of the Best Presentation Award, ZUM '95]

Abstract

The PROST-Objects project has developed a method for formally specifying tests. The method is based on systematic abstraction from a 'state-plus-operation' style specification. It is explained here, and illustrated with a small example. Test developers can use this method, along with their own skills for choosing good tests, to produce a suite of formal test specifications. The project has also developed a prototype tool, which provides organisational support for the (potentially large) collection of test specifications as they are generated.

This paper reports on part of the OO testing method developed in PROST Objects, one strand of the UK DTI's Programme of Research in Open Systems Testing. The partners were Logica UK Ltd, BT, and NCC. PROST Objects investigated the formal specification of Managed Objects (using ZEST, an object oriented dialect of Z), and produced a novel approach to conformance test case generation. Project outputs include a Formaliser syntax and type checker for ZEST, and Zylva, a prototype test case generation tool.

Full paper : PDF 213K

@inproceedings(SS-ZUM95,
  author = "Susan Stepney",
  title = "Testing as Abstraction",
  pages = "137--151",
  crossref = "ZUM95"
)

@proceedings(ZUM95,
  title = "ZUM '95: 9th International Conference of Z Users,
           Limerick, Ireland, 1995",
  booktitle = "ZUM '95: 9th International Conference of Z Users,
               Limerick, Ireland, 1995",
  editor = "J. P. Bowen and M. G. Hinchey",
  series = "LNCS",
  volume = 967,
  publisher = "Springer",
  year = 1995
)