Specification-based regression test selection with risk analysis

  • Authors:

  • Yanping Chen;Robert L. Probert;D. Paul Sims

  • Affiliations:

  • School of Information Technology and Engineering, University of Ottawa, Canada;School of Information Technology and Engineering, University of Ottawa, Canada;Test Continual Improvement, E-commerce Development, IBM Canada Ltd., Canada

  • Venue:
  • CASCON '02 Proceedings of the 2002 conference of the Centre for Advanced Studies on Collaborative research
  • Year:
  • 2002

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Abstract

Regression testing is essential to ensure software quality. The test team applies a regression test suite to ensure that new or modified features do not regress (make worse) existing features. Although existing research has addressed many problems and put forward solutions, most regression test techniques are code-based. Code-based regression test selection is good for unit testing, but it has a scalability problem. When the size of the subject under test grows, it becomes hard to manage all the information and to create corresponding traceability matrices. In this paper, we describe a specification-based method for regression test selection.The basic model we use for describing requirements based on customer features or behaviors is the activity diagram, which is a notation of the Unified Modeling Language (UML). A process for identifying the affected test cases is presented. To summarize our approach, we select two kinds of regression tests: i) Targeted Tests, which ensure that important current customer features are still supported adequately in the new release and ii) Safety Tests, which are risk-directed, and ensure that potential problem areas are properly handled. Our test selection technique will be based on a practical risk analysis model.