Selecting and Using Data for Integration Testing

• Authors: Mary Jean Harrold;Mary Lou Soffa
• Venue: IEEE Software
• Year: 1991

The extension of dataflow testing to interprocedural testing is described. This was done by developing both an analysis technique that computes the required interprocedural definition-use information, for both direct and indirect dependencies and a testing technique that uses this information in selecting and executing the subpaths across procedure boundaries. A testing tool that implements this technique is presented. For the interprocedural dataflow analysis, the technique summarizes the individual procedures' definition and use information at call sites and then propagates this information throughout the interacting procedures. By efficiently computing the interprocedural data dependencies before testing, the approach lets the testing tool use existing path-selection techniques based on dataflow for interprocedural testing. To track the execution path, the technique recognizes the calls to and returns from procedures and handles the association of various names with a definition as the execution path is being inspected. The technique handles recursive procedures and supports separate compilation of procedures.