Abstract
This paper investigates the use of normalisation for testing from structured algebraic specifications. The intention is to compute a related, possibly simpler, specification, namely the normal form, and use it to test programs whenever testing from the original specification is too complex or undecidable in the sense that a procedure for interpreting the results cannot be given, the so-called oracle problem. We focus on specifications with testing interface, where test suites are defined at specification level, with axioms expressed in first-order logic. Three normal forms are presented for coping with some obstacles encountered when testing from structured specifications. Furthermore, it turns out that, under certain circumstances, tests based on normal forms can be more rigorous than tests based on the original specification.
Access this chapter
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Purchases are for personal use only
Preview
Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Bergstra, J.A., Heering, J., Klint, P.: Module algebra. Journal of the Association for Computing Machinery 37(2), 335–372 (1990)
Bidoit, M., Cengarle, M.V., Hennicker, R.: Proof Systems for Structured Specifications and Their Refinements. In: IFIP State-of-The-Art Reports, ch. 11, Springer, Heidelberg (1999)
Bidoit, M., Hennicker, R.: Behavioural Theories and the Proof of Behavioural Properties. Theoretical Computer Science 165(1), 3–55 (1996)
Gaudel, M.: Testing can be formal, too. In: Mosses, P.D., Nielsen, M., Schwartzbach, M.I. (eds.) CAAP 1995, FASE 1995, and TAPSOFT 1995. LNCS, vol. 915. Springer, Heidelberg (1995)
Hennicker, R.: Structured Specifications with Behavioural Operators: Semantics, Proof Methods and Applications. Habilitation thesis, Institut fur Informatik, Ludwig-Maximillians-Universitat Munchen, Munchen, Germany (June 1997)
Machado, P.D.L.: On Oracles for Interpreting Test Results Against Algebraic Specifications. In: Haeberer, A.M. (ed.) AMAST 1998. LNCS, vol. 1548, p. 502. Springer, Heidelberg (1998)
Machado, P.D.L.: Testing from Structured Algebraic Specifications. In: Rus, T. (ed.) AMAST 2000. LNCS, vol. 1816, p. 529. Springer, Heidelberg (2000)
Sannella, D., Tarlecki, A.: Essential concepts of algebraic specification and program development. Formal Aspects of Computing 9, 229–269 (1997)
Wirsing, M.: Algebraic specification. In: van Leeuwen, J. (ed.) Handbook of Theoretical Computer Science, ch. 13, vol. B, pp. 675–788. Elsevier Science Publishers, Amsterdam (1990)
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Editor information
Editors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 2000 Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg
About this paper
Cite this paper
Machado, P.D.L. (2000). The Rôle of Normalisation in Testing from Structured Algebraic Specifications. In: Bert, D., Choppy, C., Mosses, P.D. (eds) Recent Trends in Algebraic Development Techniques. WADT 1999. Lecture Notes in Computer Science, vol 1827. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-540-44616-3_26
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-540-44616-3_26
Publisher Name: Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg
Print ISBN: 978-3-540-67898-4
Online ISBN: 978-3-540-44616-3
eBook Packages: Springer Book Archive