Automated Test Case Generation from UML Diagrams
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Solution Overview
Problem
In software development, especially for basic software with strong hardware dependency, manually generating test cases to ensure consistency with design specifications is labor-intensive, and formal verification is often infeasible due to high effort requirements, especially in projects lacking semi-formal design specifications and test code.
Innovation Solution
An automated method that converts a semi-formal design representation, such as a UML diagram, into test case code by selecting symbols of interest and generating test cases based on predefined checks, reducing the effort required for achieving high test coverage and facilitating the generation of unit tests for functions under test.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If formal verification is used to guarantee software consistency, then reliability is improved, but the effort and complexity increase significantly making it infeasible for most projects
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the essential verification logic from complex formal methods and implements it as automated test case generation. Instead of performing full formal verification, the system extracts key design specifications and generates targeted test cases that verify critical consistency aspects, thereby maintaining reliability while reducing complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces automated test case generation as an intermediary between formal verification and manual testing. This intermediary automatically creates test cases from design specifications, bridging the gap between the need for rigorous verification and the practical constraints of project resources.
2Measurement precision
If manual test case generation is performed to ensure consistency with design specifications, then measurement precision is improved, but productivity decreases due to high effort requirements
Solution Approach 1:
The patent performs preliminary action by automatically generating test cases from design specifications before manual testing begins. This preliminary automated generation captures the essential consistency checks, reducing the burden on manual testers to create test cases from scratch while maintaining precision in verifying design compliance.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses copying by generating test case structures automatically from design specification templates. The automated system copies the logical structure and verification requirements from specifications into test case frameworks, ensuring consistency precision while dramatically improving generation speed compared to purely manual creation.
3Reliability
If comprehensive test coverage is achieved to ensure software quality, then reliability is improved, but the resources and time required increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies partial action by generating test cases that focus on the most critical consistency aspects derived from design specifications rather than attempting exhaustive manual testing of all possible scenarios. This targeted approach achieves sufficient reliability for practical purposes while significantly reducing the time and resources required.
Data Source
AI summary
Examples relate to an apparatus, a device, a method and a computer program for generating code for test cases for testing a function under test. The apparatus comprises circuitry configured to obtain a diagram representation of the function under test, select a plurality of symbols of interest from the diagram representation of the function under test, the symbols of interest being based on a pre-defined set of symbols of interest, and generate, for the symbols of interest, code of a plurality of test cases based on a pre-defined set of checks related to the pre-defined symbols of interest.