Search‐based software test data generation for string data using program‐specific search operators

This paper presents a novel approach to automatic software test data generation, where the test data is intended to cover program branches which depend on string predicates such as string equality, string ordering and regular expression matching. A search‐based approach is assumed and some potential search operators and corresponding evaluation functions are assembled. Their performance is assessed empirically by using them to generate test data for a number of test programs. A novel approach of using search operators based on programming language string operators and parameterized by string literals from the program under test is introduced. These operators are also assessed empirically in generating test data for the test programs and are shown to provide a significant increase in performance. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.