A structural test selection criterion (Q1115573)

The authors present a new structural test selection criterion that is based on the identification of all input variables that influence each output variable in a source program. This criterion requires that each critical association between each input variable and the output variable that is influenced by this input variable be examined at least once during the testing. A program is either a main program or a single subprogram. A program is represented by a corresponding flowgraph G(V,E), where V is the set of nodes, each node representing a statement or a sequence of statements such that if the first one is executed then the whole sequence is executed, and E is the set of edges that represent the control flow between nodes. An output-input path (OI-path) is a path \((n_ 1,...,n_ m)\) where \(n_ 1\) contains an input I and \(n_ m\) contains an output O which is influenced by I. A simple OI-path is an OI-path that contains some conditions on loops. The all simple OI-path criterion is defined as follows: For a given flowgraph G, select those complete paths that cover each simple OI-path of G at least once. The main result is: Every edge of a flowgraph G is covered by some simple OI-path. The complexity of the proposed criterion is the same as the all du-path criterion, but it strictly includes all du-path.