Enhancing functional tests coverage using traceability and static analysis

Abstract

A method that may include: building a dependencies graph representing dependencies between code elements of a computer code; associating portions of the computer code with corresponding design specifications or requirements derived from a design specifications document or a requirements document respectively which is associated with the computer code, to yield a design specifications or requirements-code tracing map; and analyzing the design specifications or requirements-code tracing map based on the dependencies graph to yield an ordered list of design specifications or requirements respectively, wherein the order is selected such that functional tests written for the computer code and addressing design specifications or requirements of a higher order, will yield a higher level of functional test coverage of the computer code in terms of design specifications or requirements.

Description

BACKGROUND[0001]1. Technical Field[0002]The present invention relates to computer code testing and more particularly, to improving functional test coverage for a given computer code.[0003]2.Discussion of the Related Art[0004]Functional tests are used throughout the life cycle of computer code development in order to verify that the computer code being developed meets the functional requirements or the design according to which the computer code has been written. The functional requirements are usually set forth in a specification document, possibly written in a natural language by the client. A design is then written, also in a natural language by a computer system engineer. The design specifications contain high level description, in computer system terms, detailing how to address the requirements.[0005]An important quantitative parameter in the code testing domain is the coverage of the design specifications or requirements. The design specifications or requirements coverage usual...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

[0006]One aspect of the invention provides a method that may include the following steps: building a dependencies graph representing dependencies between code elements of a computer code; associating portions of the computer code with corresponding design specifications or requirements derived from a design document or a requirements document respectively which is associated with the computer code, to yield a design specifications or requirements-code tracing map; and analyzing the design specifications or requirements-code tracing map based at least partially on the dependenci

Problems solved by technology

Currently, there are no known methods to achieve such a coverage assessment without an explicit link between the design specifications or requirements and the tests.

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