A Safe Regression Test Selection Technique for Database-Driven Applications

Regression testing is a widely-used method for checking whether modifications to software systems have adversely affected the overall functionality. This is potentially an expensive process, since test suites can be large and timeconsuming to execute. The overall costs can be reduced if tests that cannot possibly be affected by the modifications are ignored. Various techniques for selecting subsets of tests for re-execution have been proposed, as well as methods for proving that particular test selection criteria do not omit relevant tests. However, current selection techniques are focussed on identifying the impact of modifications on program state. They assume that the only factor that can change the result of a test case is the set of input values given for it, while all other influences on the behaviour of the program (such as external interrupts or hardware faults) will be constant for each re-execution of the test. This assumption is impractical in the case of an important c...

• Type: Conference
• Year: 2005
• Where: ICSM
• Authors: David Willmor, Suzanne M. Embury
• Keywords: ICSM 2005, Regression Test Selection, Software Engineering, Test Selection, Test Selection Algorithms