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New Data Flow Testing

Data flow testing focuses on variables by examining how they are defined and used. Define/use testing identifies defining and usage nodes in a program graph to find definition-use paths and definition-clear paths for each variable. This allows various test coverage metrics like all-uses and all-definitions to be defined. Program slice testing uses slices of the program graph to identify parts of the code contributing to a variable's value.

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Umamageswari Kumaresan
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167 views

New Data Flow Testing

Data flow testing focuses on variables by examining how they are defined and used. Define/use testing identifies defining and usage nodes in a program graph to find definition-use paths and definition-clear paths for each variable. This allows various test coverage metrics like all-uses and all-definitions to be defined. Program slice testing uses slices of the program graph to identify parts of the code contributing to a variable's value.

Uploaded by

Umamageswari Kumaresan
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Data Flow Testing

Mark New

University of Wales Swansea


Saturday 2nd December, 2006

Overview

Background

Data flow testing

Define/Use testing

Slice-based testing

Background

Data Flow Testing

Structural testing

A form of path testing?

Focus on variables

Most programs work with data

Variables receive values

Values are then used/referenced in calculations

(maybe used when setting other variables)

Data Flow Testing Cont'd

Start with a program graph (next slide)

2 forms:
1. Define/Use testing
2. Program slice testing

Early data flow testing centred on three faults:

Variable defined but never used/referenced

Variable used but never defined

Variable defined twice before use

Define/reference anomalies static analysis

Program Graphs
1

program Example()

var staffDiscount, totalPrice, finalPrice, discount, price

3
4

staffDiscount = 0.1
totalPrice = 0

5
6
7
8
9

input(price)
while(price != -1) do
totalPrice = totalPrice + price
input(price)
od

10 print(Total price: + totalPrice)


11 if(totalPrice > 15.00) then
12 discount = (staffDiscount * totalPrice) + 0.50
13 else
14 discount = staffDiscount * totalPrice
15 fi
16 print(Discount: + discount)
17 finalPrice = totalPrice - discount
18 print(Final price: + finalPrice)
19 endprogram

Define/Use Testing

Define/Use Testing

First formalised by Rapps/Weyuker in early '80s


A way to examine points where faults may
occur

Uses statement fragments (or statements)

For structured program P

Program graph: G(P)

Single entry & exit nodes; no edges from node to


itself

Set of program variables: V

Set of all paths in P: PATHS(P)

Defining and Usage Nodes

Defining node (e.g. input x, v = 2, etc.):


DEF(v, n): Node n in G(P) is a defining node of
var v in V iff value of v is defined at n.
Usage node (e.g. output x, a = 2+v, etc.):
USE(v, n): Node n in G(P) is a usage node of
var v in V iff value of v is used at n.

Du- and Dc-Paths

Definition-use (du) path (wrt. variable v)

A path in PATHS(P) such that

for some v in V

There exist DEF(v, m), USE(v, n) nodes s.t.

m and n are initial and final nodes of the path


respectively.
DEF

DEF

USE

Du- and Dc-Paths

Definition-clear (dc) path (wrt. variable v)

A du-path in PATHS(P) where

the initial node of the path is the only defining


node of v (in the path).
DEF

DEF

USE
DEF

USE

Example

For price variable in example


2 define nodes
DEF(price, 5)
DEF(price, 8)
Du-paths:
<5, 6>
<5, 6, 7>
<8, 9, 6>
<8, 9, 6, 7>
All are definition-clear.

2 use nodes
USE(price, 6)
USE(price, 7)

Definitions

USE five types:

P-use predicate (decision) (e.g. if(x=5))

C-use computation (e.g. b=3+d)

O-use output (e.g. output(x))

L-use location (pointers, etc.)

I-use Iteration (internal counters, loop indices)

DEF two types:

I-def input

A-def assignment

Def/Use Test Coverage Metrics


All-Paths

Du-paths allow you to


define a set of test
coverage metrics
Rapps-Weyuker data
flow metrics
Defined in early
1980s
Relationship:
subsumption
between metrics

All-DU-Paths

All-Uses

All-C-Uses/Some-P-Uses

All-Defs

All-P-Uses/Some-C-Uses

All-P-Uses

All-Edges

All-Nodes

The Metrics

All-Paths, All-Edges and All-Nodes are


equivalent to Miller's metrics (Path Testing)
For the others, assume that define & usage
nodes have been defined for all variables

Du-paths identified wrt. each variable

T = a set of paths in G(P)

DEF nodes X USE nodes to define du-paths

Can result in infeasible paths.

Metrics cont'd

T satisfies All-Defs for P iff for every var v in V,


T contains dc-paths from every DEF of v to a
USE of v.
T satisfies All-P-Uses for P iff T contains dcpaths from every DEF of v to every P-use of v.
T satisfies All P-Uses/Some C-Uses for P iff
for every var v in V, T contains dc-paths from
every DEF of v to every P-use of v if a def of v
has no P-uses, dc-path leads to at least 1 Cuse.
All-C-Uses/Some-P-Uses - vice-versa!

Metrics cont'd

T satisfies All-Uses for P iff for every var v in


V, T contains dc-paths from every DEF of v to
every USE of v and to the successor node of
each USE(v, n).
T satisfies All-DU-Paths for P iff for every var v
in V, T contains dc-paths from every DEF of v
to every USE of v and to the successor node of
each USE(v, n)

And paths are either single loop traversals or loop


free.

Subsumption of Metrics
All-Paths

Arrows show relationship


e.g. All-Paths stronger
than All-DU-Paths
All-Defs not
comparable to AllEdges/Nodes
Typically accepted
minimum metric: AllEdges
All-Paths often infeasible

All-DU-Paths

All-Uses

All-C-Uses/Some-P-Uses

All-Defs

All-P-Uses/Some-C-Uses

All-P-Uses

All-Edges

All-Nodes

Slice-Based Testing

What is a slice?

Given a program P, program graph G(P) and


set of variables (in P) V
Slice on V at statement (fragment) n S(V, n)
S(V, n) is the set of node numbers of all
statements in P prior to n that contribute to the
values of variables in V at n.
Exclude all non-executable statements
Also exclude O-use, L-use, I-use nodes from
slices

Slice: Example

Variable price in example program

S(price, 5) = {5}

S(price, 6) = {5, 6, 8, 9}

S(price, 7) = {5, 6, 8, 9}

S(price, 8) = {8}

Use of Slices

Slice composition (code slices, test, merge)

Relative complements of slices

e.g. S(a, 35) is a subset of S(b, 48) (b uses a)

Problem with b at line 48?

If there is no problem with a at line 35, then...

...problem is in S(b, 48) S(a, 35)

Otherwise problem could be in either part.

When slice for DEF for var = slice for USE for
var, then path is definition-clear.

Summary

Data flow testing

Looking at variable usage to find faults

Define/Use

DEF, USE, Du-paths, Dc-paths

Rapps/Weyuker metrics

Program slice testing

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