JPH02220146A - Production system for test data - Google Patents

Abstract

(57) [Summary] This bulletin contains application data before electronic filing, so abstract data is not recorded.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION [Object of the Invention] (Industrial Application Field) The present invention relates to an automatic test system for programs, and particularly to a test data generation system for automatically generating test data.

(Prior Art) A program is usually composed of a plurality of modules, and each module performs a predetermined function by exchanging data and control with each other.

When developing a program, a program design document is created that describes the interface, functions, structure, etc. of the modules that make up the program.

It is necessary to perform tests on such programs, but in conventional testing, humans create test data that can be used to confirm whether or not the program is performing its intended function. For this reason, there was no systematic method for creating test data, which often caused test omissions.

Also, whether or not errors can be detected by conducting a test completely depends on what kind of test data is created, and unless you are a person with the ability or experience, it is difficult to detect too many errors. I couldn't do that.

(Problem to be solved by the invention) In this way, in the conventional test data generation method, in order to create effective test data, the test data creator must have a sufficient understanding of the structure and functions of the program. Therefore, it was difficult for people other than program developers to create test data.

As a result, there were problems such as a decline in productivity and an obstruction to the division of labor in development work.

Furthermore, even for people with extensive technical experience, it is difficult to create effective test data that can detect errors, and it is even more difficult to thoroughly test programs.

Therefore, the quality of the developed program is highly dependent on the skill of the person who creates the test data, and tests are often omitted.

An object of the present invention is to provide a test data generation system that automatically generates test data that is systematic and has a certain degree of comprehensiveness directly from a program design document, without relying on the skills of a test data creator. It is to provide.

[Structure of the Invention] (Means for Solving the Problem) In order to achieve the above object, the present invention provides a storage means for storing variables and program design information necessary for executing a test target program, and the storage means. a program design information search means for searching for the variables and the program design information; a test case creation means for creating a test case by combining the variables; and selecting test data from the variables and the program design information according to the test case. The present invention is characterized by comprising: test data selection means for assigning the selected test data to each variable; and test data assignment means for assigning the selected test data to each variable.

(Function) In the present invention, variables and program design information necessary to execute a test target program are stored, and when performing a test, these variables and program design information are searched, and the variables are combined and tested. create a case,
According to this test case, test data is selected from variables and program design information, and the selected test data is assigned to variables.

(Example) Hereinafter, an example of the present invention will be described in detail based on the drawings.

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing the configuration of a test data generation system according to an embodiment of the present invention. As shown in the figure, this test data generation system has a test database 1, a program design information search means 3, a test case creation means 5, a test data selection means 7, a test data allocation means 9, and a terminal. It is connected to the device 11.

The test database 1 stores program design information 13 as shown in FIG. Program design information 13
consists of module design information 15 of modules configuring the program.

Module design information 15 is relationship information 17 between input and output variables.
and module input/output variable information 19a% 19b,
Consists of...

The relationship information 17 includes information on relationship names and variable names between attendance variables.

Variable information 19a, 19b,... is variable name, variable classification, variable type, variable type, variable attribute, area information 21a
..., contains information such as assertion descriptions and variable sizes.

The classification of variables is indicated by a combination of classification 1 and classification 2.

Classification 1 variables to the program under test. Parameter type passed as O argument, ○ External types passed as external variables, ○ Internal types passed through input/output devices Passed as return value of O function etc. return type, Indicates whether it is one of the following.

Classification 2 variables to the program under test. O human powered type, 0 output type, O input/output type, Indicates whether it is one of the following.

The variable type indicates whether the variable is an array type, a pointer type, or an armor type.

The variable type indicates which type the variable is: an integer type, a real number type, a character type, or a logical type.

The attribute of a variable indicates whether the variable is a selection type or a generation type.

Here, the selection type indicates that any of the elements of the area is selected. For example, when the variable Var is a set type and has areas of (1, 2, 31) as set elements, one of the set elements is selected as the value of the variable.Here, the variable Var
The value of is, for example, “1#”.

Furthermore, the generation type indicates generation by operations on the elements of the area. For example, in the above example, the value of the variable is generated by an operation in which the set elements are regarded as characters, a series is created, and the created series is regarded as numbers. Here, the value of the variable Var is, for example, "123".

The area information 21a is composed of an area description and a representative value.

A domain is a semantically possible range (domain) of a variable, and a domain description is either a set type or a relational type.

For example, in a set-type area description, in addition to descriptions such as "positive numbers" and "negative numbers," there are also descriptions that list the set elements described in the example above. In a relational domain description, the ° variable Var
is 3 or more (Var≧3)''.

The assertion description indicates a condition (logical expression) that the variable must satisfy in the program under test.

The size of a variable is the memory size of that variable,
The unit of size is bit, byte, or word.

Next, the operation of this embodiment will be explained.

When generation of test data is instructed from the terminal device 11,
The test case creation means 5 drives the program design information retrieval means 3 to search for types, classifications, types, attributes, areas, sizes, and relationships between variables of variables necessary to test the test target program, Create an input table number table as shown in Figure 3.

Next, a test case is created that provides the necessary combinations of input variables based on the input table number table shown in FIG. 3 and the relationship between the input variables. The relationship between input variables here refers to the strength of the relationship between input variables. FIG. 4 shows such a test case.

Next, the test data selection means 7 selects test data from the area of each input variable based on the type, size, and attribute of the input variable according to the test case shown in FIG.

FIG. 5 shows this selection of test data.

(1) When generating test data by selection, if the input variable domain is a set type domain, any element in the set is selected as test data; if it is a relational domain, any element that satisfies the relationship Select the elements of and use them as test data. At this time, in the case of an array type in which multiple pieces of test data are selected at the same time, multiple pieces of test data are created regarding the arrangement of the elements.

(2) When creating test data by generation, if the input variable area is a set type area, set elements are arbitrarily connected as test data, and if it is a relation type area, elements that satisfy the relationship are arbitrarily connected. Concatenate and use it as test data. At this time, in the case of an array type in which multiple pieces of test data are selected at the same time, multiple pieces of test data are created regarding the arrangement of the elements.

Next, the test data allocation means 9 generates test data by allocating test data to each input variable based on the type of input variable.

Thus, according to this embodiment, compared to the case where a human creates test data based on experience or intuition, it is possible to systematically generate test data without relying much on the skill of the human who creates the test data. . Furthermore, since test data is created from the program specifications, effective test data can be created without knowing the detailed internal structure of the program. Furthermore, creating test data placed a considerable burden on testers;
By using this system, test data can be created mechanically, resulting in a significant labor saving.

Therefore, by using this test data generation system, it is possible to save the tester the trouble of creating test data and to create test data with a high possibility of error detection. Therefore, efficient testing can be performed and the number of testing steps can be significantly reduced.

[Effects of the Invention] As explained in detail above, according to the present invention, test data that is systematic and has a certain degree of comprehensiveness can be generated in a program design document without depending on the skills of the test data creator. can be automatically generated directly from

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing the configuration of a test data generation system according to an embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 2 is a diagram showing the contents of program design information stored in the test database 1, and FIG. 3 is an input variable FIG. 4 is a diagram showing test cases, and FIG. 5 is a diagram showing selection of test data. 1...Test database 3...
...Program design information search means 5...
...Test case creation means 7...Test data selection means 9...Test data allocation means Applicant: Toshiba Corporation

Claims (1)

[Scope of Claims] Storage means for storing variables and program design information necessary for executing a test target program; Program design information retrieval means for retrieving the variables and the program design information from the storage means; a test case creation means for creating a test case by combining variables; a test data selection means for selecting test data from the variables and the program design information according to the test case; and a test for assigning the selected test data to each variable. A test data generation system comprising: a data allocation means;