Virtual Test Specification Generation for Software Testing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing methods for testing software products lack an efficient way to align requirement specifications with test specifications, especially when different test methods are required for the same requirement and when facing changing requirements during development, and they fail to effectively reuse existing tests for new software versions.
Innovation Solution
A system and method that integrate software product requirements, test specifications, and test results into a database, generating virtual test specifications to support planning, implementation, and execution of tests, ensuring adequate test coverage, and allowing for efficient management of complex test data by loading requirements and test specifications, and storing test results with statistical metadata.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If test specifications are manually aligned with requirement specifications, then test coverage can be ensured, but the work量和 time required increases significantly when requirements change or when multiple test methods are needed
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary action by automatically generating the mapping between requirement specifications and test specifications before actual test execution. The test specification loader pre-processes test specifications and creates the alignment structure in advance, so that when requirements change, the system can quickly adapt without manual realignment work.
Solution Approach 2:
The system uses copying by creating virtual test specifications that reference and inherit from base test specifications. When the same test method needs to be applied to multiple requirements, the system copies the test specification structure and automatically adapts it to different requirements, eliminating repetitive manual alignment work.
2Reliability
If comprehensive test specifications are created for all requirements, then adequate test coverage is achieved, but the complexity of managing and tracking test progress increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system applies segmentation by dividing the large set of test specifications into manageable units that can be individually tracked and managed. The virtual test specification structure allows segmentation of test coverage views by requirement, test method, or other criteria, making complex test management tractable through hierarchical organization.
Solution Approach 2:
The system introduces an intermediary layer - the virtual test specification - that mediates between the actual test specifications and the requirement specifications. This intermediary automatically maintains the mapping relationships and provides a simplified view for test progress tracking, reducing the complexity of managing comprehensive test coverage.
3Productivity
If test specifications are recreated for each new software version, then tests can be executed, but the time and resources required for test development increase
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary action by creating virtual test specifications that can be reused across software versions. The test specification loader establishes the mapping structure in advance, and virtual test specifications are generated once and then automatically applied to new versions, eliminating the need to recreate tests for each version.
Solution Approach 2:
The system applies universality by designing virtual test specifications to be version-agnostic. The same virtual test specification can serve multiple software versions by referencing requirements through their identifiers rather than version-specific implementations, allowing one test specification to fulfill multiple functions across different versions.
Data Source
AI summary
A system for testing at least one software product comprising a requirement loader and a test specification loader. The requirement loader is adapted for loading a plurality of requirements on the software product into a database. The test specification loader is adapted for loading a plurality of test specifications for the software product into the database, each test specification being related to one or more of the requirements. The test specification loader is further adapted for generating during loading of a test specification a virtual test specification in the database for each of the one or more related requirements, the virtual test specification comprising all test specifications for the respective requirement on the software product stored in the database.