Automatic generation of MPEG test streams from high-level grammars

This paper describes a technique to generate complex, moving picture experts group (MPEG) data streams containing packets which range through a selected set of variants, as allowed by the grammar of the packet stream. The Prolog logic programming language has been used, whose declarative power allows data generation almost directly from the grammar, i.e. without the need for explicitly programming a grammar traversal mechanism as would be the case with an imperative language. A reasonably declarative style of grammar and variation definition is achieved, and at the same time, a reasonably efficient generation process. The basic idea is to use a declarative fragment of Prolog for the grammar, but to use imperative features of Prolog for matters like packet enumeration and packet payload generation. Generation of test data from grammars is not new, nor is the use of Prolog programs for generation of test data, but as far as we know, the combination of both has not reported on in the literature, nor its application to MPEG demultiplexers/decoders.