Theory of fault-based predicate testing for computer programs

Predicates appear in both the specification and implementation of a program. One approach to software testing, referred to as predicate testing, is to require certain types of tests for a predicate. In this paper, three fault-based testing criteria are defined for compound predicates, which are predicates with one or more AND/OR operators. BOR (boolean operator) testing requires a set of tests to guarantee the detection of (single or multiple) boolean operator faults, including incorrect AND/OR operators and missing/extra NOT operators. BRO (boolean and relational operator) testing requires a set of tests to guarantee the detection of boolean operator faults and relational operator faults (i.e., incorrect relational operators). BRE (boolean and relational expression) testing requires a set of tests to guarantee the detection of boolean operator faults, relational operator faults, and a type of fault involving arithmetical expressions. It is shown that for a compound predicate with n, n>0, AND/OR operators, at most n+2 constraints are needed for BOR testing and at most 2*n+3 constraints for BRO or BRE testing, where each constraint specifies a restriction on the value of each boolean variable or relational expression in the predicate. Algorithms for generating a minimum set of constraints for BOR, BRO, and BRE testing of a compound predicate are given, and the feasibility problem for the generated constraints is discussed. For boolean expressions that contain multiple occurrences of some boolean variables, how to combine BOR testing with the meaningful impact strategy (Weyuker et al., 1994) is described     

An interactive computer program to draw Newman projections

A generalized interactive computer program, NEWMAN, is described that draws quality Newman projections using various available graphics devices. NEWMAN     

NearFar: A computer program for nearside-farside decomposition of heavy-ion elastic scattering amplitude

The NearFar program is a package for carrying out an interactive nearside-farside decomposition of heavy-ion elastic scattering amplitude. The program is implemented in Java to perform numerical operations on the nearside and farside angular distributions. It contains a graphical display interface for the numerical results. A test run has been applied to the elastic scattering at Elab=1503 MeV.

Program summary

Title of program: NearFarCatalogue identifier: ADYP_v1_0Program summary URL:http://cpc.cs.qub.ac.uk/summaries/ADYP_v1_0Program obtainable from: CPC Program Library, Queen's University of Belfast, N. IrelandLicensing provisions: noneComputers: designed for any machine capable of running Java, developed on PC-Pentium-4Operating systems under which the program has been tested: Microsoft Windows XP (Home Edition)Program language used: JavaNumber of bits in a word: 64Memory required to execute with typical data: case dependentNo. of lines in distributed program, including test data, etc.: 3484Number of bytes distributed program, including test data, etc.: 142 051Distribution format: tar.gzOther software required: A Java runtime interpreter, or the Java Development Kit, version 5.0Nature of physical problem: Interactive nearside-farside decomposition of heavy-ion elastic scattering amplitude.Method of solution: The user must supply a external data file or PPSM parameters which calculates theoretical values of the quantities to be decomposed.Typical running time: Problem dependent. In a test run, it is about 35 s on a 2.40 GHz Intel P4-processor machine.     

Make — a program for maintaining computer programs

Good programmers break their projects into a number of pieces, each to be processed or compiled by a different chain of programs. After a set of changes is made, the series of actions that must be taken can be quite complex, and costly errors are frequently made. This paper describes a program that can keep track of the relationships between parts of a program, and issue the commands needed to make the parts consistent after changes are made. Make has been in use on UNIX

1 UNIX is a trademark of Bell Laboratories.

systems since 1975. The underlying idea is quite simple and can be adapted to many other environments.     

Roke,a computer program for nonlinear least-squares decomposition of mixtures of distributions

The problem of complex distributions resulting from mixtures of different populations is common in most branches of the earth sciences. The program ROKE estimates the parameters of mixtures of normal or lognormal distributions, from data available in histogram form. The full method is described, together with suggestions on the adaptation of the program for other distributions.     

An evidence-based interactive computer program to assist physicians in counseling smokers to quit

Computerized expert systems offer the promise of increasing the frequency and efficiency of physician counseling of smokers to quit by collecting pertinent data and presenting it to physicians in a useful manner to guide and inform the counseling session. This article explores one such program that collects patient information, before the physician visit, that is pertinent to counseling smokers as described in the Agency for Health Care Policy and Research's Smoking Cessation Guidelines and supported in the medical literature. The program uses the information collected to produce two reports: one for the physician to use during the visit and the other for the patient as a means of supplementing and reinforcing the counseling message. Pilot data are presented from volunteers and primary care patients.     

A computer aid for early diagnostic classification of jaundice (the COMIP program)

We describe the Computer Icterus Program (COMIP), a computer-assisted diagnosis (CAD) program which is designed to facilitate the early choice of a diagnostic strategy in cases of jaundice. To anticipate transfer to other centres, the COMIP program offers facilities to make local adjustments for relative disease incidences and for laboratory data. This is a useful extension for CAD systems.     

An algorithm for the derivation of codefinitions in computer programs

A codefinition is a set of definitions in the program that simultaneously reach an instruction in it. Codefinitions are used in data-based program testing. An intraprocedural iterative algorithm for the derivation of codefinitions is presented. It has been applied in a data-based testing tool recently implemented.     

An optimal distributed ear decomposition algorithm withapplications to biconnectivity and outerplanarity testing

We present an asynchronous distributed algorithm to determine an ear decomposition of an arbitrary, connected, bidirectional network containing n-nodes and m-links which uses O(m) messages and which can be completed in O(n) time. Using the ear decomposition, we obtain the following results for a distributed network: 1) The distributed ear decomposition algorithm can be used to test biconnectivity, determine biconnected components, find cutpoints and bridges using O(m) messages in O(n) time. 2) The distributed ear decomposition algorithm can be used to test if a biconnected network is outerplanar using O(n) messages in O(n) time, and if the network is outerplanar, the embedding is also given using the same message and time complexity     

WTRBLN: a computer program to calculate water balance

Program WTRBLN calculates water balance based on the basis of long-term average monthly precipitation, potential evapotranspiration, and combined soil and vegetation characteristics, according to the method proposed by Thornthwaite and Mather. Three additions to the original method are implemented: (1) direct runoff can be taken into account, (2) reference potential evapotranspiration can be adjusted to crop potential evapotranspiration by Kc factors, and (3) a successive approximation method can be selected by user if the area climate is so dry that the soil never reaches field capacity.     

An objective approach to exploring skill differences in strategies of computer program comprehension

An experiment was conducted to examine skill differences in the control strategy for computer program comprehension. A computer program along with its hierarchy of program plans was provided to 10 intermediate and 10 novice computer programmers. Each program plan is known as a program segment to the subjects. A random list of plan goals was also provided to the subjects. The subjects were asked to match each program segment with its goal while they were comprehending the program. Several measures of the subjects' performance and control strategy were collected and analysed. The results indicated the use of an overall top-down strategy by both intermediates and novices for program comprehension. Novices' control strategies involved more opportunistic elements than experts' in the overall top-down process of program comprehension. Those differences in the control strategy between intermediates and novices result in better performance in intermediates than novices.     

An objective approach to exploring skill differences in strategies of computer program comprehension

An experiment was conducted to examine skill differences in the control strategy for computer program comprehension. A computer program along with its hierarchy of program plans was provided to 10 intermediate and 10 novice computer programmers. Each program plan is known as a program segment to the subjects. A random list of plan goals was also provided to the subjects. The subjects were asked to match each program segment with its goal while they were comprehending the program. Several measures of the subjects' performance and control strategy were collected and analysed. The results indicated the use of an overall top-down strategy by both intermediates and novices for program comprehension. Novices' control strategies involved more opportunistic elements than experts' in the overall top-down process of program comprehension. Those differences in the control strategy between intermediates and novices result in better performance in intermediates than novices.     

Semantic similarity-based grading of student programs

An automatic grading approach is presented based on program semantic similarity. Automatic grading of a student program is achieved by calculating semantic similarities between the student program and each correct model program after they are standardized. This approach was implemented in an on-line examination system for the programming language C. Different form other existing approaches, it can evaluate how close a student’s source code is to a correct solution and give a matching accuracy.     

Path testing of computer programs with loops using a tool for simple loop patterns

The purpose of this paper is to present a method for testing computer programs with iteration loops. Given such programs, we have shown that for classes of program paths, identified as sequences of simple loop paths, there is a characterizing function called a simple loop pattern. The key idea of simple loop patterns is that these special functions form a base set which can represent any path computation in the given program. A software tool called SILOP has been developed to automatically generate these simple loop patterns, and each corresponding sequence of simple loop paths can be considered as a test case. The tester uses each test case, and with knowledge of the application program, can generate corresponding test data. This paper also presents a method for selecting the specific paths and test data to determine the simple loop pattern reliably. The tester can use this selection method to predict the number of tests required. In order to apply this selection method, the given program must be a linear computer program. The SILOP tool and this test selection method have been applied to commercial software; in this paper, this computational experience is reported and several examples are given to demonstrate the approach.     

An interactive computer program for calculating ternary phase diagrams

A computer program is described which calculates ternary phase diagrams from the thermodynamic properties of the phases. Sample calculations are given for the molten salt system KClCaCl₂NaCI, the alloy system 7nSnBi, the super-alloy system CrNlFe, and the organic system acetone-chloroform-methyl isobutyl ketone. A computational strategy known as the base phase method is used. This results in a simplification of the algorithms and a large Increase in efficiency. The program, which is highly Interactive with very flexible input and graphical output, is available on-line to North American and European users.