Achieving software quality with testing coverage measures

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Abstract
Coverage testing helps the tester create a thorough set of tests and gives a measure of test completeness. The concepts of coverage testing are well-described in the literature. However, there are few tools that actually implement these concepts for standard programming languages, and their realistic use on large-scale projects is rare. In this article, we describe the uses of a dataflow coverage-testing tool for C programs-called ATAC for Automatic Test Analysis for C/sup 3/-in measuring, controlling,and understanding the testing process. We present case studies of two real-world software projects using ATAC. The first study involves 12 program versions developed by a university/industry fault-tolerant software project for a critical automatic-flight-control system. The second study involves a Bellcore project of 33 program modules. These studies indicate that coverage analysis of programs during testing not only gives a clear measure of testing quality but also reveals important aspects of software structure. Understanding the structure of a program, as revealed in coverage testing, can be a significant component in confident assessment of overall software quality.

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