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1887

access icon free Mobile agent-based regression test case generation using model and formal specifications

© The Institution of Engineering and Technology
Received 03/08/2016, Accepted 02/04/2017, Revised 15/02/2017, Published 05/04/2017

Regression testing ensures that the functionality of previous code is not affected by the updates in the modified code. The focus of regression test case generation is to generate test cases for changed functionality. The authors’ research advocates the use of mobile agent-based technology for regression test case generation using syntax and semantics analysis based on model and formal specifications. In this study, the authors presented a tool for adopting multi-agent systems for regression test case generation on distributed environment using standard unified modelling language (UML) models and formal specifications. Different agents are designed to perform model comparison, behaviour comparison, specifications comparison, impact analysis, and regression test case generation. Agents designed in JADE framework perform these tasks by using XML files of UML class diagram, sequence diagram and formal specifications based on Object-Z and OCL. To the best of the authors’ knowledge, no research has reported regression test case generation using mobile agent-based technology along with model and formal specifications. It is found that the use of mobile agents will significantly reduce time and effort for regression test case generation in distributed systems.

Inspec keywords: program testing; regression analysis; mobile agents; source code (software); statistical testing; XML; formal specification; Unified Modeling Language; multi-agent systems

Other keywords: UML models; JADE framework; impact analysis; formal specifications; Object-Z; OCL; XML files; UML class diagram; semantics analysis; syntax analysis; unified modelling language models; behaviour comparison; sequence diagram; code functionality; model comparison; specification comparison; multiagent systems; mobile agent-based regression test case generation; model specifications

Subjects: Distributed systems software; Software engineering techniques; Programming support; Other topics in statistics; High level languages; Diagnostic, testing, debugging and evaluating systems; Expert systems and other AI software and techniques; Formal methods

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