A hybrid object-oriented class testing method : based on state-based and data-flow testing

A new hybrid object-oriented class testing method, which combines state-based testing with data-flow testing approaches, is proposed in this paper. Based on this approach, an automated class test tool, called MACT (Method for Automated Class Testing), has been built. This consists of five components: a test case tree generator, a test message generator, a test driver, a test result inspector and a def-use info generator. The first four components support functional testing, and the rest enables testers to execute structural testing. A threaded multi-way tree is produced from a state machine by the test case tree generator. The tree comprises all possible expected states of all transitions of the object class, and it also contains definitionuse information with respect to data members in the public methods of the class. This tree can be used to create a test message file for the class, and can also be used as a test oracle. The test result file is produced automatically after the test driver has examined the class under test. Moreover, it can produce def-use information for data-flow testing at the intra-class level.