A Specification-Based Coverage Metric to Evaluate Test Sets

Published

December 1, 2000

Author(s)

P E. Ammann, Paul E. Black

Abstract

Software developers use a variety of methods, including both formal methods and testing, to argue that their systems are suitable components for high assurance applications. In this paper, we develop another connection between formal methods and testing by defining a specification-based coverage metric to evaluate test sets. Formal methods in the form of a model checker supply the necessary automation to make the metric practical. The metric gives the software developer assurance that a given test set is sufficiently sensitive to the structure of an application's specification. In this paper, we develop the necessary foundation for the metric and then illustrate the metric on an example.

Proceedings Title

High- Assurance Systems Engineering, International Symposium | 5th | 5th IEEE International Symposium on High-Assurance Systems Engineering, HASE 2000 | IEEE

Volume

8

Issue

No. 4

Conference Dates

November 15-17, 2000

Conference Location

Undefined

Conference Title

IEEE International High Assurance Systems Engineering Symposium

Pub Type

Conferences

Download Paper

Local Download

Keywords

coverage, formal specification, model checking, SCR, SMV, test metric, test sets

Citation

Ammann, P. and Black, P. (2000), A Specification-Based Coverage Metric to Evaluate Test Sets, High- Assurance Systems Engineering, International Symposium | 5th | 5th IEEE International Symposium on High-Assurance Systems Engineering, HASE 2000 | IEEE, Undefined, [online], https://tsapps.nist.gov/publication/get_pdf.cfm?pub_id=151676 (Accessed January 2, 2025)