Comparing the Effectiveness of Software Testing Strategies

This study applies an experimentation methodology to compare three state-of-the-practice software testing techniques: a) code reading by stepwise abstraction, b) functional testing using equivalence partitioning and boundary value analysis, and c) structural testing using 100 percent statement cover...

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Veröffentlicht in:IEEE transactions on software engineering Jg. SE-13; H. 12; S. 1278 - 1296
Hauptverfasser: Basili, V.R., Selby, R.W.
Format: Journal Article
Sprache:Englisch
Veröffentlicht: Legacy CDMS IEEE 01.12.1987
Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers
IEEE Computer Society
Schlagworte:
Applied sciences
Code reading
Comparative analysis
Computer programming
Computer Programming And Software
Computer science
Computer science; control theory; systems
Computer systems performance. Reliability
Costs
Design for experiments
Effectiveness
empirical study
Exact sciences and technology
Fault detection
functional testing
Measurement
methodology evaluation
Methods
Military computing
NASA
off-line software review
Programmers
Programming profession
Reading
Scholarships & fellowships
Software
Software development
Software measurement
Software reviews
Software testing
Statistical analysis
structural testing
Techniques
Testing
Uncertainty
Value analysis
Evaluation
Methodology
Functional test
Empirical method
Test method
Critical study
Software
Test efficiency
Comparative study
Defect detection
ISSN:0098-5589, 1939-3520
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Beschreibung
Zusammenfassung:This study applies an experimentation methodology to compare three state-of-the-practice software testing techniques: a) code reading by stepwise abstraction, b) functional testing using equivalence partitioning and boundary value analysis, and c) structural testing using 100 percent statement coverage criteria. The study compares the strategies in three aspects of software testing: fault detection effectiveness, fault detection cost, and classes of faults detected. Thirty-two professional programmers and 42 advanced students applied the three techniques to four unit-sized programs in a fractional factorial experimental design. The major results of this study are the following. 1) With the professional programmers, code reading detected more software faults and had a higher fault detection rate than did functional or structural testing, while functional testing detected more faults than did structural testing, but functional and structural testing were not different in fault detection rate. 2) In one advanced student subject group, code reading and functional testing were not different in faults found, but were both superior to structural testing, while in the other advanced student subject group there was no difference among the techniques. 3) With the advanced student subjects, the three techniques were not different in fault detection rate. 4) Number of faults observed, fault detection rate, and total effort in detection depended on the type of software tested. 5) Code reading detected more interface faults than did the other methods. 6) Functional testing detected more control faults than did the other methods.
Bibliographie:CDMS
Legacy CDMS
ISSN: 0098-5589
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ISSN:0098-5589
1939-3520
DOI:10.1109/TSE.1987.232881