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SOFTWARE TESTING
(OPGDST402)
MODULE 4 Part 2
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Syllabus
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Data Flow Testing
• Data Flow Testing is a white-box testing technique that focuses
on the lifecycle of data variables within a program — how data is
defined, used, and killed (i.e., goes out of scope or is redefined).
• The goal is to uncover potential issues in variable usage, such
as using a variable before it's initialized, or defining a variable that is
never used.
• It builds upon the Control Flow Graph (CFG) by analyzing data
usage across different paths in the program.
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Variable Use: p-use and c-use
• Use in the predicate of a branch statement is a predicate use or “p-
use”
• Any other use is a computation-use or “c-use”
• For example, in the program fragment:
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DU Pair
A definition-use pair (“du-pair”) with respect to a variable v is a pair
(d,u) such that
• d is a node defining v
• u is a node or edge using v
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DU Pair - Example 1
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Identifying DU-Pairs (Variable A)
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DU Path
A path <n1,n2,...,nj,nk> is a du-path with respect to a
variable v, if v is defined at node n1 and either:
• there is a c-use of v at node nk and <n1,n2,...,nj,nk> is
a def-clear simple path, or
• there is a p-use of v at edge <nj,nk> and <n1,n2,...nj>
is a def-clear loop-free path.
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Example
1. int x = 10; // def(x) DU Path for variable x:
2. if (x > 5) { // p-use(x)
(1->2) Valid
3. y = x + 1; // c-use(x), def(y) (1->3) Valid
4. } (1->6) Invalid (because x is
redefined at line 5)
5. x = 20; // re-def(x)
6. z = x + y; // c-use(x, y)
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Uses of DU Path
• A DU Path connects a definition of a variable to its use with no
redefinition in between.
• It’s essential for detecting:
– Uninitialized variable usage
– Dead code (definitions that are never used)
– Data anomalies
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DD Path
A DD Path stands for Decision-to-Decision Path, and it is a concept
used in path testing in software testing to simplify the control flow
graph (CFG) of a program. It represents a sequence of statements or
nodes in the program that do not contain any decision point (like if,
while, for, etc.) except at the beginning and end.
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DD Path
A DD Path is a maximal sequence of program statements such that:
•The first node is a decision point, or the entry point of the program.
•The last node is a decision point, a merge point, or the exit.
•All intermediate nodes are non-decision statements (like assignments,
print statements).
DD paths help reduce the complexity of the control flow graph and
make test path analysis more manageable.
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Centre for Distance and Online
Education (CDOE)
Centre for Distance and Online
Education (CDOE)
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Summary
• Data Flow Testing
• DU Pair
• DU Path
• DD Path
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Happy Studying !
