Software quality

About: Software quality is a research topic. Over the lifetime, 20114 publications have been published within this topic receiving 366412 citations.

DART: directed automated random testing

Abstract: We present a new tool, named DART, for automatically testing software that combines three main techniques: (1) automated extraction of the interface of a program with its external environment using static source-code parsing; (2) automatic generation of a test driver for this interface that performs random testing to simulate the most general environment the program can operate in; and (3) dynamic analysis of how the program behaves under random testing and automatic generation of new test inputs to direct systematically the execution along alternative program paths. Together, these three techniques constitute Directed Automated Random Testing, or DART for short. The main strength of DART is thus that testing can be performed completely automatically on any program that compiles -- there is no need to write any test driver or harness code. During testing, DART detects standard errors such as program crashes, assertion violations, and non-termination. Preliminary experiments to unit test several examples of C programs are very encouraging.

Applying 'design by contract'

Abstract: Methodological guidelines for object-oriented software construction that improve the reliability of the resulting software systems are presented. It is shown that the object-oriented techniques rely on the theory of design by contract, which underlies the design of the Eiffel analysis, design, and programming language and of the supporting libraries, from which a number of examples are drawn. The theory of contract design and the role of assertions in that theory are discussed. >

Time-Dependent Error-Detection Rate Model for Software Reliability and Other Performance Measures

Abstract: This paper presents a stochastic model for the software failure phenomenon based on a nonhomogeneous Poisson process (NHPP). The failure process is analyzed to develop a suitable meanvalue function for the NHPP; expressions are given for several performance measures. Actual software failure data are analyzed and compared with a previous analysis.

System structure for software fault tolerance

Abstract: The paper presents, and discusses the rationale behind, a method for structuring complex computing systems by the use of what we term “recovery blocks”, “conversations” and “fault-tolerant interfaces”. The aim is to facilitate the provision of dependable error detection and recovery facilities which can cope with errors caused by residual design inadequacies, particularly in the system software, rather than merely the occasional malfunctioning of hardware components.

N degrees of separation: multi-dimensional separation of concerns

Abstract: Done well, separation of concerns can provide many software engineering benefits, including reduced complexity, improved reusability, and simpler evolution. The choice of boundaries for separate concerns depends on both requirements on the system and on the kind(s) of decomposition and composition a given formalism supports. The predominant methodologies and formalisms available, however, support only orthogonal separations of concerns, along single dimensions of composition and decomposition. These characteristics lead to a number of well-known and difficult problems. The paper describes a new paradigm for modeling and implementing software artifacts, one that permits separation of overlapping concerns along multiple dimensions of composition and decomposition. This approach addresses numerous problems throughout the software lifecycle in achieving well-engineered, evolvable, flexible software artifacts and traceability across artifacts.