Can fault-exposure-potential estimates improve the fault detection abilities of test suites?

Code-coverage-based test data adequacy criteria typically treat all coverable code elements (such as statements, basic blocks, or outcomes of decisions) as equal. In practice, however, the probability that a test case can expose a fault in a code element varies: some faults are more easily revealed than others. Thus, several researchers have suggested that if one could estimate the probability that a fault in a code element will cause a failure, one could use this estimate to determine the number of executions of a code element that are required to achieve a certain level of confidence in that element's correctness. This estimate, in turn, could be used to improve the fault-detection effectiveness of test suites, and help testers distribute testing resources more effectively. This conjecture is intriguing; however, like many such conjectures it has never been directly examined empirically. If empirical evidence were to support this conjecture, it would motivate further research i...

• Type: Journal
• Year: 2002
• Where: STVR
• Authors: Wei Chen, Roland H. Untch, Gregg Rothermel, Sebastian G. Elbaum, Jeffery von Ronne
• Keywords: Code Element, Code-coverage-based Test Data, STVR 2002, Test Data