UNIT II

TRANSACTION FLOW TESTING AND DATA FLOW TESTING

Transaction Flow Testing:-transaction flows, transaction flow testing
techniques. Dataflow testing:- Basics of dataflow testing, strategies in
dataflow testing, application of dataflow testing.

INTRODUCTION

o A transaction is a unit of work seen from a system user's point of view.

o A transaction consists of a sequence of operations, some of which are performed
by a system, persons or devices that are outside of the system.
o Transaction begins with Birth-that is they are created as a result of some external
act.
o At the conclusion of the transaction's processing, the transaction is no longer in
the system.
o Example of a transaction: A transaction for an online information retrieval
system might consist of the following steps or tasks:
ß Accept input (tentative birth)
ß Validate input (birth)
ß Transmit acknowledgement to requester
ß Do input processing
ß Search file
ß Request directions from user
ß Accept input
ß Validate input
ß Process request
ß Update file
ß Transmit output
ß Record transaction in log and clean up (death)

∑ TRANSACTION FLOW GRAPHS:

o Transaction flows are introduced as a representation of a system's processing.

o The methods that were applied to control flow graphs are then used for
functional testing.
o Transaction flows and transaction flow testing are to the independent system
tester what control flows are path testing are to the programmer.
o The transaction flow graph is to create a behavioral model of the program that
leads to functional testing.
o The transaction flowgraph is a model of the structure of the system's behavior
(functionality).
o An example of a Transaction Flow is as follows:

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 Figure 3.1: An Example of a Transaction Flow

∑ USAGE:
o Transaction flows are indispensable for specifying requirements of complicated
systems, especially online systems.
o A big system such as an air traffic control or airline reservation system, has not
hundreds, but thousands of different transaction flows.
o The flows are represented by relatively simple flowgraphs, many of which have a
single straight-through path.
o Loops are infrequent compared to control flowgraphs.
o The most common loop is used to request a retry after user input errors. An ATM
system, for example, allows the user to try, say three times, and will take the
card away the fourth time.

∑ COMPLICATIONS:
o In simple cases, the transactions have a unique identity from the time they're
created to the time they're completed.
o In many systems the transactions can give birth to others, and transactions can
also merge.
o Births: There are three different possible interpretations of the decision symbol,
or nodes with two or more out links. It can be a Decision, Biosis or a Mitosis.
1. Decision: Here the transaction will take one alternative or the other
alternative but not both. (See Figure 3.2 (a))
2. Biosis: Here the incoming transaction gives birth to a new transaction,
and both transaction continue on their separate paths, and the parent
retains it identity. (See Figure 3.2 (b))
3. Mitosis: Here the parent transaction is destroyed and two new
transactions are created.(See Figure 3.2 (c))

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 Figure 3.2: Nodes with multiple outlinks
Mergers: Transaction flow junction points are potentially as troublesome as transaction flow splits. There are three
types of junctions: (1) Ordinary Junction (2) Absorption (3) Conjugation
1 Ordinary Junction: An ordinary junction which is similar to the junction in a control flow
graph. A transaction can arrive either on one link or the other. (See Figure 3.3 (a))
2 Absorption: In absorption case, the predator transaction absorbs prey transaction. The
prey gone but the predator retains its identity. (See Figure 3.3 (b))
3 Conjugation: In conjugation case, the two parent transactions merge to form a new
daughter. In keeping with the biological flavor this case is called as conjugation.(See Figure
3.3 (c))

Figure 3.3: Transaction Flow Junctions and Mergers

We have no problem with ordinary decisions and junctions. Births, absorptions, and conjugations are as
problematic for the software designer as they are for the software modeler and the test designer; as a
consequence, such points have more than their share of bugs. The common problems are: lost daughters,
wrongful deaths, and illegitimate births.

TRANSACTION FLOW TESTING TECHNIQUES:

GET THE TRANSACTIONS FLOWS:

o Complicated systems that process a lot of different, complicated transactions
should have explicit representations of the transactions flows, or the equivalent.
o Transaction flows are like control flow graphs, and consequently we should
expect to have them in increasing levels of detail.
o The system's design documentation should contain an overview section that
details the main transaction flows.
o Detailed transaction flows are a mandatory pre requisite to the rational design
of a system's functional test.

INSPECTIONS, REVIEWS AND WALKTHROUGHS:

o Transaction flows are natural agenda for system reviews or inspections.
o In conducting the walkthroughs, you should:

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 ß Discuss enough transaction types to account for 98%-99% of the
transaction the system is expected to process.
ß Discuss paths through flows in functional rather than technical terms.
ß Ask the designers to relate every flow to the specification and to show
how that transaction, directly or indirectly, follows from the
requirements.
o Make transaction flow testing the corner stone of system functional testing just
as path testing is the corner stone of unit testing.
o Select additional flow paths for loops, extreme values, and domain boundaries.
o Design more test cases to validate all births and deaths.
o Publish and distribute the selected test paths through the transaction flows as
early as possible so that they will exert the maximum beneficial effect on the
project.

PATH SELECTION:
o Select a set of covering paths (c1+c2) using the analogous criteria you used for
structural path testing.
o Select a covering set of paths based on functionally sensible transactions as you
would for control flow graphs.
o Try to find the most tortuous, longest, strangest path from the entry to the exit
of the transaction flow.

PATH SENSITIZATION:
o Most of the normal paths are very easy to sensitize-80% - 95% transaction flow
coverage (c1+c2) is usually easy to achieve.
o The remaining small percentage is often very difficult.
o Sensitization is the act of defining the transaction. If there are sensitization
problems on the easy paths, then bet on either a bug in transaction flows or a
design bug.

PATH INSTRUMENTATION:
o Instrumentation plays a bigger role in transaction flow testing than in unit path
testing.
o The information of the path taken for a given transaction must be kept with that
transaction and can be recorded by a central transaction dispatcher or by the
individual processing modules.
o In some systems, such traces are provided by the operating systems or a running
log.

BASICS OF DATA FLOW TESTING:

DATA FLOW TESTING:

o Data flow testing is the name given to a family of test strategies based on
selecting paths through the program's control flow in order to explore sequences
of events related to the status of data objects.
o For example, pick enough paths to assure that every data object has been
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 initialized prior to use or that all defined objects have been used for something.
o Motivation: It is our belief that, just as one would not feel confident about a
program without executing every statement in it as part of some test, one should
not feel confident about a program without having seen the effect of using the value produced by each and every
computation.

DATA FLOW MACHINES:

o There are two types of data flow machines with different architectures. (1) Von
Neumann machines (2) Multi-instruction, multi-data machines (MIMD).
o Von Neumann Machine Architecture:
ß Most computers today are von-neumann machines.
ß This architecture features interchangeable storage of instructions and
data in the same memory units.
ß The Von Neumann machine Architecture executes one instruction at a
time in the following, micro instruction sequence:
ß Fetch instruction from memory
ß Interpret instruction
ß Fetch operands
ß Process or Execute
ß Store result
ß Increment program counter
ß GOTO 1
o Multi-instruction, Multi-data machines (MIMD) Architecture:
ß These machines can fetch several instructions and objects in parallel.
ß They can also do arithmetic and logical operations simultaneously on
different data objects.
ß The decision of how to sequence them depends on the compiler.

BUG ASSUMPTION:
The bug assumption for data-flow testing strategies is that control flow is generally correct and that
something has gone wrong with the software so that data objects are not available when they should be,
or silly things are being done to data objects.
o Also, if there is a control-flow problem, we expect it to have symptoms that can
be detected by data-flow analysis.
o Although we'll be doing data-flow testing, we won't be using data flow graphs as
such. Rather, we'll use an ordinary control flow graph annotated to show what
happens to the data objects of interest at the moment.

DATA FLOW GRAPHS:

o The data flow graph is a graph consisting of nodes and directed links.
o We will use a control graph to show what happens to data objects of interest at
that moment.
o Our objective is to expose deviations between the data flows we have and the
data flows we want.

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 Figure 3.4: Example of a data flow graph

o Data Object State and Usage:

ß Data Objects can be created, killed and used.
ß They can be used in two distinct ways: (1) In a Calculation (2) As a part of
a Control Flow Predicate.
ß The following symbols denote these possibilities:
1. Defined: d - defined, created, initialized etc
2. Killed or undefined: k - killed, undefined, released etc
3. Usage: u - used for something (c - used in Calculations, p - used in
a predicate)
ß 1. Defined (d):
ß An object is defined explicitly when it appears in a data
declaration.
ß Or implicitly when it appears on the left hand side of the
assignment.
ß It is also to be used to mean that a file has been opened.
ß A dynamically allocated object has been allocated.
ß Something is pushed on to the stack.
ß A record written.
2. Killed or Undefined (k):
ß An object is killed on undefined when it is released or otherwise
made unavailable.

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 ß When its contents are no longer known with certitude (with
absolute certainty / perfectness).
ß Release of dynamically allocated objects back to the availability
pool.
ß Return of records.
ß The old top of the stack after it is popped.
ß An assignment statement can kill and redefine immediately. For
example, if A had been previously defined and we do a new
assignment such as A : = 17, we have killed A's previous value and
redefined A
3. Usage (u):
ß A variable is used for computation (c) when it appears on the right
hand side of an assignment statement.
ß A file record is read or written.
ß It is used in a Predicate (p) when it appears directly in a predicate.

DATA FLOW ANOMALIES:

An anomaly is denoted by a two-character sequence of actions. For example, ku means that the object is killed and
then used, where as dd means that the object is defined twice without an intervening usage.
What is an anomaly is depend on the application.
There are nine possible two-letter combinations for d, k and u. some are bugs, some are suspicious, and some are
okay.

1 dd :- probably harmless but suspicious. Why define the object twice without an intervening
usage?
2 dk :- probably a bug. Why define the object without using it?
3 du :- the normal case. The object is defined and then used.
4 kd :- normal situation. An object is killed and then redefined.
5 kk :- harmless but probably buggy. Did you want to be sure it was really killed?
6 ku :- a bug. the object doesnot exist.
7 ud :- usually not a bug because the language permits reassignment at almost any time.
8 uk :- normal situation.
9 uu :- normal situation.

In addition to the two letter situations, there are six single letter situations.We will use a leading dash to mean that
nothing of interest (d,k,u) occurs prior to the action noted along the entry-exit path of interest.
A trailing dash to mean that nothing happens after the point of interest to the exit.
They possible anomalies are:
1 -k :- possibly anomalous because from the entrance to this point on the path, the
variable had not been defined. We are killing a variable that does not exist.
2 -d :- okay. This is just the first definition along this path.
3 -u :- possibly anomalous. Not anomalous if the variable is global and has been
previously defined.

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 4 k- :- not anomalous. The last thing done on this path was to kill the variable.
5 d- :- possibly anomalous. The variable was defined and not used on this path. But
this could be a global definition.
6 u- :- not anomalous. The variable was used but not killed on this path. Although
this sequence is not anomalous, it signals a frequent kind of bug. If d and k mean
dynamic storage allocation and return respectively, this could be an instance in
which a dynamically allocated object was not returned to the pool after use.

DATA FLOW ANOMALY STATE GRAPH:

Data flow anomaly model prescribes that an object can be in one of four distinct states:
0. K :- undefined, previously killed, doesnot exist
1. D :- defined but not yet used for anything
2. U :- has been used for computation or in predicate
3. A :- anomalous
These capital letters (K, D, U, A) denote the state of the variable and should not be confused with the program
action, denoted by lower case letters.
Unforgiving Data - Flow Anomaly Flow Graph: Unforgiving model, in which once a variable becomes
anomalous it can never return to a state of grace.

Figure 3.5: Unforgiving Data Flow Anomaly State Graph

Assume that the variable starts in the K state - that is, it has not been defined or does not exist. If an attempt is
made to use it or to kill it (e.g., say that we're talking about opening, closing, and using files and that 'killing' means
closing), the object's state becomes anomalous (state A) and, once it is anomalous, no action can return the
variable to a working state.

If it is defined (d), it goes into the D, or defined but not yet used, state. If it has been defined (D) and redefined (d)
or killed without use (k), it becomes anomalous, while usage (u) brings it to the U state. If in U, redefinition (d)
brings it to D, u keeps it in U, and k kills it.

Forgiving Data - Flow Anomaly Flow Graph: Forgiving model is an alternate model where
redemption (recover) from the anomalous state is possible

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 Figure 3.6: Forgiving Data Flow Anomaly State Graph
This graph has three normal and three anomalous states and he considers the kk sequence not to be anomalous.
The difference between this state graph and Figure 3.5 is that redemption is possible. A proper action from any of
the three anomalous states returns the variable to a useful working state.

The point of showing you this alternative anomaly state graph is to demonstrate that the specifics of an anomaly
depends on such things as language, application, context, or even your frame of mind. In principle, you must
create a new definition of data flow anomaly (e.g., a new state graph) in each situation. You must at least verify
that the anomaly definition behind the theory or imbedded in a data flow anomaly test tool is appropriate to your
situation.

STATIC Vs DYNAMIC ANOMALY DETECTION:

Static analysis is analysis done on source code without actually executing it. For example: source code syntax error
detection is the static analysis result.

Dynamic analysis is done on the fly as the program is being executed and is based on intermediate values that
result from the program's execution. For example: a division by zero warning is the dynamic result.

If a problem, such as a data flow anomaly, can be detected by static analysis methods, then it doesn’t belongs in
testing - it belongs in the language processor.
There is actually a lot more static analysis for data flow analysis for data flow anomalies going on in current
language processors.

For example, language processors which force variable declarations can detect (-u) and (ku) anomalies.But still
there are many things for which current notions of static analysis are INADEQUATE.

Why Static Analysis isn't enough? There are many things for which current notions of static
analysis are inadequate. They are:

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 ß Dead Variables: Although it is often possible to prove that a variable is dead or alive at a
given point in the program, the general problem is unsolvable.

ß Arrays: Arrays are problematic in that the array is defined or killed as a single object, but
reference is to specific locations within the array. Array pointers are usually dynamically
calculated, so there's no way to do a static analysis to validate the pointer value. In many
languages, dynamically allocated arrays contain garbage unless explicitly initialized and
therefore, -u anomalies are possible.

ß Records and Pointers: The array problem and the difficulty with pointers is a special case of
multipart data structures. We have the same problem with records and the pointers to
them. Also, in many applications we create files and their names dynamically and there's no
way to determine, without execution, whether such objects are in the proper state on a
given path or, for that matter, whether they exist at all.

ß Dynamic Subroutine and Function Names in a Call: subroutine or function name is a

dynamic variable in a call. What is passed, or a combination of subroutine names and data
objects, is constructed on a specific path. There's no way, without executing the path, to
determine whether the call is correct or not.

ß False Anomalies: Anomalies are specific to paths. Even a "clear bug" such as ku may not be
a bug if the path along which the anomaly exist is unachievable. Such "anomalies" are false
anomalies. Unfortunately, the problem of determining whether a path is or is not
achievable is unsolvable.

ß Recoverable Anomalies and Alternate State Graphs: What constitutes an anomaly depends
on context, application, and semantics. How does the compiler know which model I have in
mind? It can't because the definition of "anomaly" is not fundamental. The language
processor must have a built-in anomaly definition with which you may or may not (with
good reason) agree.

ß Concurrency, Interrupts, System Issues: As soon as we get away from the simple single-
task uniprocessor environment and start thinking in terms of systems, most anomaly issues
become vastly more complicated.

How often do we define or create data objects at an interrupt level so that they can be processed by a lower-
priority routine? Interrupts can make the "correct" anomalous and the "anomalous" correct. True concurrency
(as in an MIMD machine) and pseudo concurrency (as in multiprocessing) systems can do the same to us.
Much of integration and system testing is aimed at detecting data-flow anomalies that cannot be detected in
the context of a single routine.

Although static analysis methods have limits, they are worth using and a continuing trend in language
processor design has been better static analysis methods, especially for data flow anomaly detection. That's
good because it means there's less for us to do as testers and we have far too much to do as it is.

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 DATA FLOW MODEL:

The data flow model is based on the program's control flow graph - Don't confuse that with the program's data flow
graph.
Here we annotate each link with symbols (for example, d, k, u, c, and p) or sequences of symbols (for example, dd,
du, ddd) that denote the sequence of data operations on that link with respect to the variable of interest. Such
annotations are called link weights.
The control flow graph structure is same for every variable: it is the weights that change.

Components of the model:

1. To every statement there is a node, whose name is unique. Every node has at least one
outlink and at least one inlink except for exit nodes and entry nodes.
2. Exit nodes are dummy nodes placed at the outgoing arrowheads of exit statements (e.g.,
END, RETURN), to complete the graph. Similarly, entry nodes are dummy nodes placed
at entry statements (e.g., BEGIN) for the same reason.
3. The outlink of simple statements (statements with only one outlink) are weighted by the
proper sequence of data-flow actions for that statement. Note that the sequence can
consist of more than one letter. For example, the assignment statement A:= A + B in
most languages is weighted by cd or possibly ckd for variable A. Languages that permit
multiple simultaneous assignments and/or compound statements can have anomalies
within the statement. The sequence must correspond to the order in which the object
code will be executed for that variable.
4. Predicate nodes (e.g., IF-THEN-ELSE, DO WHILE, CASE) are weighted with the p - use(s)
on every outlink, appropriate to that outlink.
5. Every sequence of simple statements (e.g., a sequence of nodes with one inlink and one
outlink) can be replaced by a pair of nodes that has, as weights on the link between
them, the concatenation of link weights.
6. If there are several data-flow actions on a given link for a given variable, then the weight
of the link is denoted by the sequence of actions on that link for that variable.
7. Conversely, a link with several data-flow actions on it can be replaced by a succession of
equivalent links, each of which has at most one data-flow action for any variable.
Let us consider the example:

Figure 3.7: Program Example (PDL)

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 Figure 3.8: Unannotated flow graph for example program in Figure 3.7

Figure 3.9: Control flow graph annotated for X and Y data flows.

Figure 3.10: Control flow graph annotated for Z data flow.

Figure 3.11: Control flow graph annotated for V data flow.

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 STRATEGIES OF DATA FLOW TESTING:

∑ INTRODUCTION:

o Data Flow Testing Strategies are structural strategies.

o In contrast to the path-testing strategies, data-flow strategies take into account
what happens to data objects on the links in addition to the raw connectivity of
the graph.
o In other words, data flow strategies require data-flow link weights (d,k,u,c,p).
o Data Flow Testing Strategies are based on selecting test path segments (also
called sub paths) that satisfy some characteristic of data flows for all data
objects.
o For example, all sub paths that contain a d (or u, k, du, dk).
o A strategy X is stronger than another strategy Y if all test cases produced under Y
are included in those produced under X - conversely for weaker.

∑ TERMINOLOGY:
1. Definition-Clear Path Segment, with respect to variable X, is a connected
sequence of links such that X is (possibly) defined on the first link and not
redefined or killed on any subsequent link of that path segment. ll paths in
Figure
3.9 are definition clear because variables X and Y are defined only on the first link (1,3) and not thereafter. In Figure
3.10, we have a more complicated situation. The following path segments are definition-clear: (1,3,4), (1,3,5),
(5,6,7,4), (7,8,9,6,7), (7,8,9,10), (7,8,10), (7,8,10,11). Subpath (1,3,4,5) is not definition-clear because the variable is
defined on (1,3) and again on (4,5). For practice, try finding all the definition-clear subpaths for this routine (i.e., for all
variables).
2. Loop-Free Path Segment is a path segment for which every node in it is visited
atmost once. For Example, path (4,5,6,7,8,10) in Figure 3.10 is loop free, but path
(10,11,4,5,6,7,8,10,11,12) is not because nodes 10 and 11 are each visited twice.
3. Simple path segment is a path segment in which at most one node is visited
twice. For example, in Figure 3.10, (7,4,5,6,7) is a simple path segment. A simple
path segment is either loop-free or if there is a loop, only one node is involved.
4. A du path from node i to k is a path segment such that if the last link has a
computational use of X, then the path is simple and definition-clear; if the
penultimate (last but one) node is j - that is, the path is (i,p,q,...,r,s,t,j,k) and link
(j,k) has a predicate use - then the path from i to j is both loop-free and
definition- clear.

STRATEGIES: The structural test strategies discussed below are based on the program's control flow graph. They
differ in the extent to which predicate uses and/or computational uses of variables are included in the test set.
Various types of data flow testing strategies in decreasing order of their effectiveness are:

All - du Paths (ADUP): The all-du-paths (ADUP) strategy is the strongest data-flow testing strategy discussed here.
It requires that every du path from every definition of every variable to every some test.

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 For variable X and Y:In Figure 3.9, because variables X and Y are used only on link (1,3), any test that starts at
the entry satisfies this criterion (for variables X and Y, but not for all variables as required by the strategy).

For variable Z: The situation for variable Z (Figure 3.10) is more complicated because the variable is redefined in
many places. For the definition on link (1,3) we must exercise paths that include subpaths (1,3,4) and (1,3,5). The
definition on link (4,5) is covered by any path that includes (5,6), such as subpath (1,3,4,5,6, ...). The (5,6)
definition requires paths that include subpaths (5,6,7,4) and (5,6,7,8).

For variable V: Variable V (Figure 3.11) is defined only once on link (1,3). Because V has a predicate use at node 12
and the subsequent path to the end must be forced for both directions at node 12, the all-du-paths strategy for
this variable requires that we exercise all loop-free entry/exit paths and at least one path that includes the loop
caused by (11,4).

Note that we must test paths that include both subpaths (3,4,5) and (3,5) even though neither of these has V
definitions. They must be included because they provide alternate du paths to the V use on link (5,6). Although
(7,4) is not used in the test set for variable V, it will be included in the test set that covers the predicate uses of
array variable V() and U.

The all-du-paths strategy is a strong criterion, but it does not take as many tests as it might seem at first because
any one test simultaneously satisfies the criterion for several definitions and uses of several different variables.

All Uses Startegy (AU):The all uses strategy is that at least one definition clear path from every definition of every
variable to every use of that definition be exercised under some test.

Just as we reduced our ambitions by stepping down from all paths (P) to branch coverage (C2), say, we can reduce
the number of test cases by asking that the test set should include at least one path segment from every definition
to every use that can be reached by that definition.

For variable V: In Figure 3.11, ADUP requires that we include subpaths (3,4,5) and (3,5) in some test because
subsequent uses of V, such as on link (5,6), can be reached by either alternative. In AU either (3,4,5) or (3,5) can be
used to start paths, but we don't have to use both. Similarly, we can skip the (8,10) link if we've included the
(8,9,10) subpath.

Note the hole. We must include (8,9,10) in some test cases because that's the only way to reach the c use at link
(9,10) - but suppose our bug for variable V is on link (8,10) after all? Find a covering set of paths under AU for
Figure 3.11.

All p-uses/some c-uses strategy (APU+C) : For every variable and every definition of that variable, include at least
one definition free path from the definition to every predicate use; if there are definitions of the variables that are
not covered by the above prescription, then add computational use test cases as required to cover every
definition.

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 For variable Z:In Figure 3.10, for APU+C we can select paths that all take the upper link (12,13) and therefore we do
not cover the c-use of Z: but that's okay according to the strategy's definition because every definition is covered.

Links (1,3), (4,5), (5,6), and (7,8) must be included because they contain definitions for variable
Z. Links (3,4), (3,5), (8,9), (8,10), (9,6), and (9,10) must be included because they contain
predicate uses of Z. Find a covering set of test cases under APU+C for all variables inthis
example - it only takes two tests.

For variable V:In Figure 3.11, APU+C is achieved for V by (1,3,5,6,7,8,10,11,4,5,6,7,8,10,11,12[upper], 13,2) and
(1,3,5,6,7,8,10,11,12[lower], 13,2). Note
that the c-use at (9,10) need not be included under the APU+C criterion.

All c-uses/some p-uses strategy (ACU+P) : The all c-uses/some p-uses strategy (ACU+P) is to first ensure coverage
by computational use cases and if any definition is not covered by the previously selected paths, add such
predicate use cases as are needed to assure that every definition is included in some test.

For variable Z: In Figure 3.10, ACU+P coverage is achieved for Z by path (1,3,4,5,6,7,8,10, 11,12,13[lower], 2), but
the predicate uses of several definitions are not covered. Specifically, the (1,3) definition is not covered for the
(3,5) p-use, the (7,8) definition is not covered for the (8,9), (9,6) and (9, 10) p-uses.

The above examples imply that APU+C is stronger than branch coverage but ACU+P may be weaker than, or
incomparable to, branch coverage.

All Definitions Strategy (AD) : The all definitions strategy asks only every definition of every variable be covered by
atleast one use of that variable, be that use a computational use or a predicate use.

For variable Z: Path (1,3,4,5,6,7,8, . . .) satisfies this criterion for variable Z, whereas any entry/exit path
satisfies it for variable V.
From the definition of this strategy we would expect it to be weaker than both ACU+P and APU+C.

1. All Predicate Uses (APU), All Computational Uses (ACU) Strategies : The all predicate uses
strategy is derived from APU+C strategy by dropping the requirement that we include a c- use
for the variable if there are no p-uses for the variable. The all computational uses strategy is
derived from ACU+P strategy by dropping the requirement that we include a p-use for the
variable if there are no c-uses for the variable.

It is intuitively obvious that ACU should be weaker than ACU+P and that APU should be weaker than APU+C.

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 ORDERING THE STRATEGIES:

Figure 3.12compares path-flow and data-flow testing strategies. The arrows denote that the strategy at the
arrow's tail is stronger than the strategy at the arrow's head

Figure 3.12: Relative Strength of Structural Test Strategies.

o The right-hand side of this graph, along the path from "all paths" to "all
statements" is the more interesting hierarchy for practical applications.
o Note that although ACU+P is stronger than ACU, both are incomparable to the
predicate-biased strategies. Note also that "all definitions" is not comparable to
ACU or APU.

SLICING AND DICING:

o A (static) program slice is a part of a program (e.g., a selected set of statements)

defined with respect to a given variable X (where X is a simple variable or a data
vector) and a statement i: it is the set of all statements that could (potentially,
under static analysis) affect the value of X at statement i - where the influence of
a faulty statement could result from an improper computational use or predicate
use of some other variables at prior statements.
o If X is incorrect at statement i, it follows that the bug must be in the program slice
for X with respect to i
o A program dice is a part of a slice in which all statements which are known to be
correct have been removed.
o In other words, a dice is obtained from a slice by incorporating information
obtained through testing or experiment (e.g., debugging).

50
 o The debugger first limits her scope to those prior statements that could have
caused the faulty value at statement i (the slice) and then eliminates from
further consideration those statements that testing has shown to be correct.
o Debugging can be modeled as an iterative procedure in which slices are further
refined by dicing, where the dicing information is obtained from ad hoc tests
aimed primarily at eliminating possibilities. Debugging ends when the dice has
been reduced to the one faulty statement.

o Dynamic slicing is a refinement of static slicing in which only statements on

achievable paths to the statement in question are included.

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 UNIT III
DOMAIN TESTING
Domain Testing:-domains and paths, Nice & ugly domains, domain testing, domains and
interfaces testing, domain and interface testing, domains and testability.

DOMAINS AND PATHS:

∑ INTRODUCTION:
o Domain: In mathematics, domain is a set of possible values of an
independent variable or the variables of a function.
o Programs as input data classifiers: domain testing attempts to determine
whether the classification is or is not correct.
o Domain testing can be based on specifications or equivalent
implementation information.
o If domain testing is based on specifications, it is a functional test technique.
o If domain testing is based implementation details, it is a structural test technique.
o For example, you're doing domain testing when you check extreme values of
an input variable.
All inputs to a program can be considered as if they are numbers. For example, a character string can be
treated as a number by concatenating bits and looking at them as if they were a binary integer. This is the
view in domain testing, which is why this strategy has a mathematical flavor.

∑ THE MODEL: The following figure is a schematic representation of domain testing.

Figure 4.1: Schematic Representation of Domain Testing.

o Before doing whatever it does, a routine must classify the input and set it
moving on the right path.
o An invalid input (e.g., value too big) is just a special processing case called
'reject'.
o The input then passes to a hypothetical subroutine rather than on calculations.
o In domain testing, we focus on the classification aspect of the routine rather
than on the calculations.

52
 o Structural knowledge is not needed for this model - only a consistent,
complete specification of input values for each case.
o We can infer that for each case there must be at least one path to process that case.
∑ A DOMAIN IS A SET:
o An input domain is a set.
o If the source language supports set definitions (E.g. PASCAL set types and C
enumerated types) less testing is needed because the compiler does much of it
for us.
o Domain testing does not work well with arbitrary discrete sets of data objects.
o Domain for a loop-free program corresponds to a set of numbers defined over
the input vector.

∑ DOMAINS, PATHS AND PREDICATES:

o In domain testing, predicates are assumed to be interpreted in terms of input
vector variables.
o If domain testing is applied to structure, then predicate interpretation must be
based on actual paths through the routine - that is, based on the implementation
control flow graph.
o Conversely, if domain testing is applied to specifications, interpretation is based
on a specified data flow graph for the routine; but usually, as is the nature of
specifications, no interpretation is needed because the domains are specified
directly.
o For every domain, there is at least one path through the routine.
o There may be more than one path if the domain consists of disconnected parts
or if the domain is defined by the union of two or more domains.
o Domains are defined their boundaries. Domain boundaries are also where most
domain bugs occur.
o For every boundary there is at least one predicate that specifies what numbers belong to the domain and what
numbers don't.
For example, in the statement IF x>0 THEN ALPHA ELSE BETA we know that numbers greater than zero belong to ALPHA
processing domain(s) while zero and smaller numbers belong to BETA domain(s).
o A domain may have one or more boundaries - no matter how many variables
define it. For example, if the predicate is x2 + y2 < 16, the domain is the inside of
a circle of radius 4 about the origin. Similarly, we could define a spherical domain
with one boundary but in three variables.
o Domains are usually defined by many boundary segments and therefore by
many predicates. i.e. the set of interpreted predicates traversed on that path
(i.e., the path's predicate expression) defines the domain's boundaries.

∑ A DOMAIN CLOSURE:
o A domain boundary is closed with respect to a domain if the points on the
boundary belong to the domain.
o If the boundary points belong to some other domain, the boundary is said to be
open.
o Figure 4.2 shows three situations for a one-dimensional domain - i.e., a domain
defined over one input variable; call it x
53
 The importance of domain closure is that incorrect closure bugs are frequent domain bugs. For example, x >= 0 when x >
0 was intended

Figure 4.2: Open and Closed Domains.

∑ DOMAIN DIMENSIONALITY:
o Every input variable adds one dimension to the domain.
o One variable defines domains on a number line.
o Two variables define planar domains.
o Three variables define solid domains.
o Every new predicate slices through previously defined domains and cuts them
in half.
o Every boundary slices through the input vector space with a dimensionality
which is less than the dimensionality of the space.
o Thus, planes are cut by lines and points, volumes by planes, lines and points
and n-spaces by hyperplanes.

∑ BUG ASSUMPTION:
o The bug assumption for the domain testing is that processing is okay but the
domain definition is wrong.
o An incorrectly implemented domain means that boundaries are wrong, which
may in turn mean that control flow predicates are wrong.
o Many different bugs can result in domain errors. Some of them are:

Domain Errors:
ß Double Zero Representation: In computers or Languages that have a
distinct positive and negative zero, boundary errors for negative zero are
common.

ß Floating point zero check: A floating point number can equal zero only if
the previous definition of that number set it to zero or if it is subtracted
from itself or multiplied by zero. So the floating point zero check to be
done against an epsilon value.
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 ß Contradictory domains: An implemented domain can never be
ambiguous or contradictory, but a specified domain can. A
contradictory
domain specification means that at least two supposedly distinct domains overlap.

ß Ambiguous domains: Ambiguous domains means that union of the

domains is incomplete. That is there are missing domains or holes in the
specified domains. Not specifying what happens to points on the domain
boundary is a common ambiguity.

ß Over specified Domains: his domain can be overloaded with so many

conditions that the result is a null domain. Another way to put it is to say
that the domain's path is unachievable.

ß Boundary Errors: Errors caused in and around the boundary of a domain.

Example, boundary closure bug, shifted, tilted, missing, extra boundary.

ß Closure Reversal: A common bug. The predicate is defined in terms of

>=. The programmer chooses to implement the logical complement and incorrectly uses
<= for the new predicate; i.e., x >= 0 is incorrectly negated as x <= 0, thereby shifting
boundary values to adjacent domains.

ß Faulty Logic: Compound predicates (especially) are subject to faulty logic

transformations and improper simplification. If the predicates define
domain boundaries, all kinds of domain bugs can result from faulty logic
manipulations.

∑ RESTRICTIONS TO DOMAIN TESTING: Domain testing has restrictions, as do other

testing techniques. Some of them include:

o Co-incidental Correctness: Domain testing isn't good at finding bugs for which
the outcome is correct for the wrong reasons. If we're plagued by coincidental
correctness we may misjudge an incorrect boundary. Note that this implies
weakness for domain testing when dealing with routines that have binary
outcomes (i.e., TRUE/FALSE)

o Representative Outcome: Domain testing is an example of partition testing.

Partition-testing strategies divide the program's input space into domains such
that all inputs within a domain are equivalent (not equal, but equivalent) in the
sense that any input represents all inputs in that domain.
o If the selected input is shown to be correct by a test, then processing is
presumed correct, and therefore all inputs within that domain are expected
(perhaps unjustifiably) to be correct. Most test techniques, functional or
structural, fall under partition testing and therefore make this representative
outcome assumption. For example, x2 and 2x are equal for x = 2, but the
functions are different. The functional differences between adjacent domains are
usually simple, such as x + 7 versus x + 9, rather than x2 versus 2x.

55
 Simple Domain Boundaries and Compound Predicates: Compound predicates in which
each part of the predicate specifies a different boundary are not a problem: for example,
x
>= 0 AND x < 17, just specifies two domain boundaries by one compound predicate. As
an example of a compound predicate that specifies one boundary, consider: x = 0 AND y
>= 7 AND y <= 14. This predicate specifies one boundary equation (x = 0) but alternates closure, putting it
in one or the other domain depending on whether y < 7 or y > 14. Treat compound predicates with respect
because they’re more complicated than they seem.

o Functional Homogeneity of Bugs: Whatever the bug is, it will not change the
functional form of the boundary predicate. For example, if the predicate is ax >=
b, the bug will be in the value of a or b but it will not change the predicate to
ax
>= b, say.

o Linear Vector Space: Most papers on domain testing, assume linear boundaries -
not a bad assumption because in practice most boundary predicates are linear.

o Loop Free Software: Loops are problematic for domain testing. The trouble with
loops is that each iteration can result in a different predicate expression (after
interpretation), which means a possible domain boundary change.

NICE AND UGLY DOMAINS:

∑ NICE DOMAINS:
o Where do these domains come from?
Domains are and will be defined by an imperfect iterative process aimed at achieving (user, buyer, voter) satisfaction.
o Implemented domains can't be incomplete or inconsistent. Every input will be
processed (rejection is a process), possibly forever. Inconsistent domains will be
made consistent.
o Conversely, specified domains can be incomplete and/or inconsistent.
Incomplete in this context means that there are input vectors for which no path
is specified, and inconsistent means that there are at least two contradictory
specifications over the same segment of the input space.
o Some important properties of nice domains are: Linear, Complete, Systematic,
And Orthogonal, Consistently closed, Convex and simply connected.
o To the extent that domains have these properties domain testing is easy as
testing gets.
o The bug frequency is lesser for nice domain than for ugly domains.

56
 Figure 4.3: Nice Two-Dimensional Domains.
∑ LINEAR AND NON LINEAR BOUNDARIES:
o Nice domain boundaries are defined by linear inequalities or equations.
o The impact on testing stems from the fact that it takes only two points to
determine a straight line and three points to determine a plane and in general n+
1 point to determine an n-dimensional hyper plane.
o In practice more than 99.99% of all boundary predicates are either linear or can
be linearized by simple variable transformations.

∑ COMPLETE BOUNDARIES:
o Nice domain boundaries are complete in that they span the number space from
plus to minus infinity in all dimensions.
o Figure 4.4 shows some incomplete boundaries. Boundaries A and E have gaps.
o Such boundaries can come about because the path that hypothetically
corresponds to them is unachievable, because inputs are constrained in such a
way that such values can't exist, because of compound predicates that define a
single boundary, or because redundant predicates convert such boundary values
into a null set.
o The advantage of complete boundaries is that one set of tests is needed to
confirm the boundary no matter how many domains it bounds.
o If the boundary is chopped up and has holes in it, then every segment of that
boundary must be tested for every domain it bounds.

Figure 4.4: Incomplete Domain Boundaries.

∑ SYSTEMATIC BOUNDARIES:
o Systematic boundary means that boundary inequalities related by a simple
function such as a constant.
In Figure 4.3 for example, the domain boundaries for u and v differ only by a
constant.

57
 o where fi is an arbitrary linear function, X is the input vector, ki and c are
constants, and g(i,c) is a decent function over i and c that yields a constant, such
as k + ic.
o The first example is a set of parallel lines, and the second example is a set of
systematically (e.g., equally) spaced parallel lines (such as the spokes of a wheel,
if equally spaced in angles, systematic).
o If the boundaries are systematic and if you have one tied down and generate
tests for it, the tests for the rest of the boundaries in that set can be
automatically generated.

∑ ORTHOGONAL BOUNDARIES:
o Two boundary sets U and V (See Figure 4.3) are said to be orthogonal if every
inequality in V is perpendicular to every inequality in U.
o If two boundary sets are orthogonal, then they can be tested independently
o In Figure 4.3 we have six boundaries in U and four in V. We can confirm the
boundary properties in a number of tests proportional to 6 + 4 = 10 (O(n)). If we
tilt the boundaries to get Figure 4.5,
o we must now test the intersections. We've gone from a linear number of cases
to a quadratic: from O(n) to O(n2).

58
 Figure 4.5: Tilted Boundaries.

Figure 4.6: Linear, Non-orthogonal Domain Boundaries.

o Actually, there are two different but related orthogonality conditions. Sets of
boundaries can be orthogonal to one another but not orthogonal to the
coordinate axes (condition 1), or boundaries can be orthogonal to the coordinate
axes (condition 2).

∑ CLOSURE CONSISTENCY:
o Figure 4.6 shows another desirable domain property: boundary closures are
consistent and systematic.
o The shaded areas on the boundary denote that the boundary belongs to the
domain in which the shading lies - e.g., the boundary lines belong to the domains
on the right.
o Consistent closure means that there is a simple pattern to the closures - for
example, using the same relational operator for all boundaries of a set of parallel
boundaries.

∑ CONVEX:
o A geometric figure (in any number of dimensions) is convex if you can take two
arbitrary points on any two different boundaries, join them by a line and all
points on that line lie within the figure.
o Nice domains are convex; dirty domains aren't.
o You can smell a suspected concavity when you see phrases such as: ". . . except if
. . .," "However . . .," ". . . but not. . . ." In programming, it's often the buts in the specification that kill you.

∑ SIMPLY CONNECTED:
o Nice domains are simply connected; that is, they are in one piece rather than
pieces all over the place interspersed with other domains.
o Simple connectivity is a weaker requirement than convexity; if a domain is
convex it is simply connected, but not vice versa.
o Consider domain boundaries defined by a compound predicate of the (Boolean)
form ABC. Say that the input space is divided into two domains, one defined by

59
 ABC and, therefore, the other defined by its negation.
o For example, suppose we define valid numbers as those lying between 10 and 17
inclusive. The invalid numbers are the disconnected domain consisting of
numbers less than 10 and greater than 17.
o Simple connectivity, especially for default cases, may be impossible.

∑ UGLY DOMAINS:
o Some domains are born ugly and some are uglified by bad specifications.
o Every simplification of ugly domains by programmers can be either good or bad.
o Programmers in search of nice solutions will "simplify" essential complexity out
of existence. Testers in search of brilliant insights will be blind to essential
complexity and therefore miss important cases.
o If the ugliness results from bad specifications and the programmer's
simplification is harmless, then the programmer has made ugly good.
o But if the domain's complexity is essential (e.g., the income tax code), such
"simplifications" constitute bugs.
o Nonlinear boundaries are so rare in ordinary programming that there's no
information on how programmers might "correct" such boundaries if they're
essential.

∑ AMBIGUITIES AND CONTRADICTIONS:

o Domain ambiguities are holes in the input space.
o The holes may lie within the domains or in cracks between domains.
o Two kinds of contradictions are possible: overlapped domain specifications and
overlapped closure specifications
o Figure 4.7c shows overlapped domains and Figure 4.7d shows dual closure
assignment.

Figure 4.7: Domain Ambiguities and Contradictions.

∑ SIMPLIFYING THE TOPOLOGY:

o The programmer's and tester's reaction to complex domains is the same - simplify
o There are three generic cases: concavities, holes and disconnected pieces.
o Programmers introduce bugs and testers misdesign test cases by: smoothing out
concavities (Figure 4.8a), filling in holes (Figure 4.8b), and joining disconnected
pieces (Figure 4.8c).
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 Figure 4.8: Simplifying the topology.
∑ RECTIFYING BOUNDARY CLOSURES:
o If domain boundaries are parallel but have closures that go every which way
(left, right, left . . .) the natural reaction is to make closures go the same way (see
Figure 4.9).

Figure 4.9: Forcing Closure Consistency.

DOMAIN TESTING:

∑ DOMAIN TESTING STRATEGY: The domain-testing strategy is simple, although possibly

tedious (slow).
o Domains are defined by their boundaries; therefore, domain testing
concentrates test points on or near boundaries.
o Classify what can go wrong with boundaries, then define a test strategy for each
case. Pick enough points to test for all recognized kinds of boundary errors.
o Because every boundary serves at least two different domains, test points used
to check one domain can also be used to check adjacent domains. Remove
redundant test points.
o Run the tests and by posttest analysis (the tedious part) determine if any

61
 boundaries are faulty and if so, how.
o Run enough tests to verify every boundary of everydomain.

∑ DOMAIN BUGS AND HOW TO TEST FOR THEM:

o An interior point (Figure 4.10) is a point in the domain such that all points within
an arbitrarily small distance (called an epsilon neighborhood) are also in the
domain.
o A boundary point is one such that within an epsilon neighborhood there are
points both in the domain and not in the domain.
o An extreme point is a point that does not lie between any two other arbitrary
but distinct points of a (convex) domain.

Figure 4.10: Interior, Boundary and Extreme points.

o An on point is a point on the boundary.
o If the domain boundary is closed, an off point is a point near the boundary but in
the adjacent domain.
o If the boundary is open, an off point is a point near the boundary but in the
domain being tested; see Figure 4.11. You can remember this by the acronym
COOOOI: Closed Off Outside, Open Off Inside.

Figure 4.11: On points and Off points.

o Figure 4.12 shows generic domain bugs: closure bug, shifted boundaries, tilted
boundaries, extra boundary, missing boundary.
62
 Figure 4.12: Generic Domain Bugs.

TESTING ONE DIMENSIONAL DOMAIN:

The closure can be wrong (i.e., assigned to the wrong domain) or the boundary (a point in this case) can be shifted
one way or the other, we can be missing a boundary, or we can have an extra boundary.
1. Figure 4.13 shows possible domain bugs for a one-dimensional open domain
boundary.
2. In Figure 4.13a we assumed that the boundary was to be open for A. The bug
we're looking for is a closure error, which converts > to >= or < to <= (Figure
4.13b). One test (marked x) on the boundary point detects this bug because
processing for that point will go to domain A rather than B.
3. In Figure 4.13c we've suffered a boundary shift to the left. The test point we used
for closure detects this bug because the bug forces the point from the B domain,
where it should be, to A processing. Note that we can't distinguish between a
shift and a closure error, but we do know that we have a bug.

63
 Figure 4.13: One Dimensional Domain Bugs, Open Boundaries.
4. Figure 4.13d shows a shift the other way. The on point doesn't tell us anything
because the boundary shift doesn't change the fact that the test point will be
processed in B. To detect this shift we need a point close to the boundary but
within A. The boundary is open, therefore by definition, the off point is in A
(Open Off Inside).
5. The same open off point also suffices to detect a missing boundary because what
should have been processed in A is now processed in B.
6. To detect an extra boundary we have to look at two domain boundaries. In this
context an extra boundary means that A has been split in two. The two off points
that we selected before (one for each boundary) does the job. If point C had
been a closed boundary, the on test point at C would do it.
7. For closed domains look at Figure 4.14. As for the open boundary, a test point on
the boundary detects the closure bug. The rest of the cases are similar to the
open boundary, except now the strategy requires off points just outside the
domain.

64
 Figure 4.14: One Dimensional Domain Bugs, Closed Boundaries.

∑ TESTING TWO DIMENSIONAL DOMAINS:

1. Figure 4.15 shows possible domain boundary bugs for a two-dimensional domain.
2. A and B are adjacent domains and the boundary is closed with respect to A,
which means that it is open with respect to B.

Figure 4.15: Two Dimensional Domain Bugs.

3. For Closed Boundaries:
Closure Bug: Figure 4.15a shows a faulty closure, such as might be caused by using a wrong operator (for example, x
>= k when x > k was intended, or vice
versa). The two on points detect this bug because those values will get B rather than A processing.

65
 1. Shifted Boundary: In Figure 4.15b the bug is a shift up, which converts
part of domain B into A processing, denoted by A'. This result is caused by
an incorrect constant in a predicate, such as x + y >= 17 when x + y >= 7
was intended. The off point (closed off outside) catches this bug. Figure
4.15c shows a shift down that is caught by the two on points.
2. Tilted Boundary: A tilted boundary occurs when coefficients in the
boundary inequality are wrong. For example, 3x + 7y > 17 when 7x + 3y >
17 was intended. Figure 4.15d has a tilted boundary, which creates erroneous domain
segments A' and B'. In this example the bug is caught by the left on point.
3. Extra Boundary: An extra boundary is created by an extra predicate. An
extra boundary will slice through many different domains and will
therefore cause many test failures for the same bug. The extra boundary
in Figure 4.15e is caught by two on points, and depending on which way
the extra boundary goes, possibly by the off point also.
4. Missing Boundary: A missing boundary is created by leaving a boundary
predicate out. A missing boundary will merge different domains and will
cause many test failures although there is only one bug. A missing
boundary, shown in Figure 4.15f, is caught by the two on points because
the processing for A and B is the same - either A or B processing.

∑ PROCEDURE FOR TESTING: The procedure is conceptually is straight forward. It can be

done by hand for two dimensions and for a few domains and practically impossible for
more than two variables.
1 Identify input variables.
2 Identify variable which appear in domain defining predicates, such as control
flow predicates.
3 Interpret all domain predicates in terms of input variables.
4 For p binary predicates, there are at most 2p combinations of TRUE-FALSE
values and therefore, at most 2p domains. Find the set of all non null
domains. The result is a boolean expression in the predicates consisting a set
of AND terms joined by OR's. For example ABC+DEF+GHI...... Where the
capital letters denote predicates. Each product term is a set of linear
inequality that defines a domain or a part of a multiply connected domains.
5 Solve these inequalities to find all the extreme points of each domain using
any of the linear programming methods.

DOMAIN AND INTERFACE TESTING

∑ INTRODUCTION:
o Recall that we defined integration testing as testing the correctness of the
interface between two otherwise correct components.

66
 o Components A and B have been demonstrated to satisfy their component tests,
and as part of the act of integrating them we want to investigate possible
inconsistencies across their interface.
o Interface between any two components is considered as a subroutine call.
o We're looking for bugs in that "call" when we do interface testing.
o Let's assume that the call sequence is correct and that there are no type
incompatibilities.
o For a single variable, the domain span is the set of numbers between (and
including) the smallest value and the largest value. For every input variable we
want (at least): compatible domain spans and compatible closures (Compatible
but need not be Equal).

∑ DOMAINS AND RANGE:

o The set of output values produced by a function is called the range of the
function, in contrast with the domain, which is the set of input values over which
the function is defined.
o For most testing, our aim has been to specify input values and to predict and/or
confirm output values that result from those inputs.
oInterface testing requires that we select the output values of the calling routine i.e.
caller's range must be compatible with the called routine's domain.
o An interface test consists of exploring the correctness of the following
mappings: caller domain --> caller range (caller unit test)
caller range --> called domain (integration test)
called domain --> called range (called unit test)

∑ CLOSURE COMPATIBILITY:
o Assume that the caller's range and the called domain spans the same numbers -
for example, 0 to 17.
o Figure 4.16 shows the four ways in which the caller's range closure and the
called's domain closure can agree.
o The thick line means closed and the thin line means open. Figure 4.16 shows the
four cases consisting of domains that are closed both on top (17) and bottom (0),
open top and closed bottom, closed top and open bottom, and open top and
bottom.

Figure 4.16: Range / Domain Closure Compatibility.

o Figure 4.17 shows the twelve different ways the caller and the called can
67
 disagree about closure. Not all of them are necessarily bugs. The four cases
in which a
caller boundary is open and the called is closed (marked with a "?") are probably not buggy. It means that the caller
will not supply such values but the called can accept them.

Figure 4.17: Equal-Span Range / Domain Compatibility Bugs.

∑ SPAN COMPATIBILITY:
o Figure 4.18 shows three possibly harmless span incompatibilities.

Figure 4.18: Harmless Range / Domain Span incompatibility bug

(Caller Span is smaller than Called).
o In all cases, the caller's range is a subset of the called's domain. That's not
necessarily a bug.
o The routine is used by many callers; some require values inside a range and some
don't. This kind of span incompatibility is a bug only if the caller expects the
called routine to validate the called number for the caller.
o Figure 4.19a shows the opposite situation, in which the called routine's domain
has a smaller span than the caller expects. All of these examples are buggy.

68
 Figure 4.19: Buggy Range / Domain Mismatches
o In Figure 4.19b the ranges and domains don't line up; hence good values are
rejected, bad values are accepted, and if the called routine isn't robust enough,
we have crashes.
o Figure 4.19c combines these notions to show various ways we can have holes in
the domain: these are all probably buggy.

∑ INTERFACE RANGE / DOMAIN COMPATIBILITY TESTING:

o For interface testing, bugs are more likely to concern single variables rather than
peculiar combinations of two or more variables.
o Test every input variable independently of other input variables to confirm
compatibility of the caller's range and the called routine's domain span and
closure of every domain defined for that variable.
o There are two boundaries to test and it's a one-dimensional domain; therefore, it
requires one on and one off point per boundary or a total of two on points and
two off points for the domain - pick the off points appropriate to the closure
(COOOOI).
o Start with the called routine's domains and generate test points in accordance to
the domain-testing strategy used for that routine in component testing.
o Unless you're a mathematical whiz you won't be able to do this without tools for
more than one variable at a time.

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 UNIT IV
PATHS, PATH PRODUCTS AND REGULAR EXPRESSIONS

Paths,Path products and Regular expressions:- path products &pathexpression,reduction

procedure, applications, regular expressions & flow anomaly detection.
Logic Based Testing:-overview,decision tables,pathexpressions,kv charts, specifications.

PATH PRODUCTS AND PATH EXPRESSION:

∑ MOTIVATION:
o Flow graphs are being an abstract representation of programs.
o Any question about a program can be cast into an equivalent question about an
appropriate flowgraph.
o Most software development, testing and debugging tools use flow graphs
analysis techniques.

∑ PATH PRODUCTS:
o Normally flow graphs used to denote only control flow connectivity.
o The simplest weight we can give to a link is a name.
o Using link names as weights, we then convert the graphical flow graph into an
equivalent algebraic like expressions which denotes the set of all possible paths
from entry to exit for the flow graph.
o Every link of a graph can be given a name.
o The link name will be denoted by lower case italic letters In tracing a path or
path segment through a flow graph, you traverse a succession of link names.
o The name of the path or path segment that corresponds to those links is
expressed naturally by concatenating those link names.
o For example, if you traverse links a,b,c and d along some path, the name for that
path segment is abcd. This path name is also called a path product. Figure 5.1
shows some examples:

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 Figure 5.1: Examples of paths.
∑ PATH EXPRESSION:
o Consider a pair of nodes in a graph and the set of paths between those node.
o Denote that set of paths by Upper case letter such as X,Y. From Figure 5.1c,
the members of the path set can be listed as follows:
ac, abc, abbc, abbbc, abbbbc.............
o Alternatively, the same set of paths can be denoted by :
ac+abc+abbc+abbbc+abbbbc+...........
o The + sign is understood to mean "or" between the two nodes of interest, paths
ac, or abc, or abbc, and so on can be taken.
o Any expression that consists of path names and "OR"s and which denotes a set
of paths between two nodes is called a "Path Expression”.

∑ PATH PRODUCTS:
o The name of a path that consists of two successive path segments is
conveniently expressed by the concatenation or Path Product of the segment
names.
o For example, if X and Y are defined as X=abcde,Y=fghij,then the path
corresponding to X followed by Y is denoted by
XY=abcdefghij
o Similarly,
YX=fghijabcde
aX=aabcde
Xa=abcdea
XaX=abcdeaabcde
o If X and Y represent sets of paths or path expressions, their product represents
the set of paths that can be obtained by following every element of X by any
element of Y in all possible ways. For example,
o X = abc + def + ghi

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 o Y = uvw + z
Then,
XY = abcuvw + defuvw + ghiuvw + abcz + defz + ghiz
o If a link or segment name is repeated, that fact is denoted by an exponent.
The exponent's value denotes the number of repetitions:
o a1 = a; a2 = aa; a3 = aaa; an = aaaa . . . n times.
Similarly, if X = abcde then

X1 = abcde
X2 = abcdeabcde = (abcde)2
X3 = abcdeabcdeabcde = (abcde)2abcde
= abcde(abcde)2 = (abcde)3
o The path product is not commutative (that is XY!=YX).
o The path product is Associative.
RULE 1: A(BC)=(AB)C=ABC
where A,B,C are path names, set of path names or path expressions.
o The zeroth power of a link name, path product, or path expression is also
needed for completeness. It is denoted by the numeral "1" and denotes the
"path" whose length is zero - that is, the path that doesn't have any links.
o a0 = 1
o X0 = 1

∑ PATH SUMS:
o The "+" sign was used to denote the fact that path names were part of the same
set of paths.
o The "PATH SUM" denotes paths in parallel between nodes.
o Links a and b in Figure 5.1a are parallel paths and are denoted by a + b. Similarly,
links c and d are parallel paths between the next two nodes and are denoted by
c + d.
o The set of all paths between nodes 1 and 2 can be thought of as a set of parallel
paths and denoted by eacf+eadf+ebcf+ebdf.
o If X and Y are sets of paths that lie between the same pair of nodes, then X+Y
denotes the UNION of those set of paths. For example, in Figure 5.2:

Figure 5.2: Examples of path sums.

The first set of parallel paths is denoted by X + Y + d and the second set by U + V
+ W + h + i + j. The set of all paths in this flowgraph is f(X + Y + d)g(U + V + W
+ h + i + j)k
o The path is a set union operation, it is clearly Commutative and Associative.
o RULE 2: X+Y=Y+X
o RULE 3: (X+Y)+Z=X+(Y+Z)=X+Y+Z
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 ∑ DISTRIBUTIVE LAWS:
o The product and sum operations are distributive, and the ordinary rules of
multiplication apply; that is
RULE 4: A(B+C)=AB+AC and (B+C)D=BD+CD
o Applying these rules to the below Figure 5.1a yields
o e(a+b)(c+d)f=e(ac+ad+bc+bd)f = eacf+eadf+ebcf+ebdf

∑ ABSORPTION RULE:
o If X and Y denote the same set of paths, then the union of these sets is
unchanged; consequently,
RULE 5: X+X=X (Absorption Rule)
o If a set consists of paths names and a member of that set is added to it, the
"new" name, which is already in that set of names, contributes nothing and can
be ignored.
o For example,
o if X=a+aa+abc+abcd+def then
X+a = X+aa = X+abc = X+abcd = X+def = X
It follows that any arbitrary sum of identical path expressions reduces to the same path expression.
∑ LOOPS:
Loops can be understood as an infinite set of parallel paths. Say that the loop consists of a single link b.
then the set of all paths through that loop point is b0+b1+b2+b3+b4+b5+..............

Figure 5.3: Examples of path loops.

This potentially infinite sum is denoted by b* for an individual link and by X*

Figure 5.4: Another example of path loops.

o The path expression for the above figure is denoted by the
notation: ab*c=ac+abc+abbc+abbbc+................
o Evidently,
aa*=a*a=a+ and XX*=X*X=X+
o It is more convenient to denote the fact that a loop cannot be taken more than a
certain, say n, number of times.
o A bar is used under the exponent to denote the fact as
follows: Xn = X0+X1+X2+X3+X4+X5+..................+Xn

RULES 6 - 16:
o The following rules can be derived from the previous rules:
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 o RULE 6: Xn + Xm = Xn if n>m
RULE 6: Xn + Xm = Xm if m>n
RULE 7: XnXm = Xn+m
RULE 8: XnX* = X*Xn = X* RULE 9: XnX+ = X+Xn = X+ RULE
10: X*X+ = X+X* = X+ RULE 11: 1 + 1 = 1
RULE 12: 1X = X1 = X
Following or preceding a set of paths by a path of zero length does not change the set.
RULE 13: 1n = 1n = 1* = 1+ = 1
No matter how often you traverse a path of zero length,It is a path of zero length. RULE 14: 1++1 = 1*=1
The null set of paths is denoted by the numeral 0. it obeys the following
rules:
RULE 15: X+0=0+X=X
RULE 16: 0X=X0=0
If you block the paths of a graph for or aft by a graph that has no paths , there won’t be any paths.
REDUCTION PROCEDURE:

∑ REDUCTION PROCEDURE ALGORITHM:

o This section presents a reduction procedure for converting a flowgraph whose
links are labeled with names into a path expression that denotes the set of all
entry/exit paths in that flowgraph. The procedure is a node-by-node removal
algorithm.
o The steps in Reduction Algorithm are as follows:
1. Combine all serial links by multiplying their path expressions.
2. Combine all parallel links by adding their path expressions.
3. Remove all self-loops (from any node to itself) by replacing them with a
link of the form X*, where X is the path expression of the link in that loop.

STEPS 4 - 8 ARE IN THE ALGORIHTM'S LOOP:

4. Select any node for removal other than the initial or final node. Replace it
with a set of equivalent links whose path expressions correspond to all
the ways you can form a product of the set of inlinks with the set of
outlinks of that node.
5. Combine any remaining serial links by multiplying their path expressions.
6. Combine all parallel links by adding their path expressions.
7. Remove all self-loops as in step 3.
8. Does the graph consist of a single link between the entry node and the
exit node? If yes, then the path expression for that link is a path
expression for the original flowgraph; otherwise, return to step 4.
o A flowgraph can have many equivalent path expressions between a given pair of
nodes; that is, there are many different ways to generate the set of all paths
between two nodes without affecting the content of that set.
o The appearance of the path expression depends, in general, on the order in
which nodes are removed.

∑ CROSS-TERM STEP (STEP 4):

o The cross - term step is the fundamental step of the reduction algorithm.
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 o It removes a node, thereby reducing the number of nodes by one.
o Successive applications of this step eventually get you down to one entry and
one exit node. The following diagram shows the situation at an arbitrary node
that has been selected for removal:

o From the above diagram, one can infer:

o (a + b)(c + d + e) = ac + ad + + ae + bc + bd + be

∑ LOOP REMOVAL OPERATIONS:

o There are two ways of looking at the loop-removal operation:

o In the first way, we remove the self-loop and then multiply all outgoing links by
Z*.
o In the second way, we split the node into two equivalent nodes, call them A and
A' and put in a link between them whose path expression is Z*. Then we remove
node A' using steps 4 and 5 to yield outgoing links whose path expressions are
Z*X and Z*Y.

∑ A REDUCTION PROCEDURE - EXAMPLE:

o Let us see by applying this algorithm to the following graph where we remove
several nodes in order; that is

Figure 5.5: Example Flowgraph for demonstrating reduction

procedure.

o Remove node 10 by applying step 4 and combine by step 5 to yield

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 o Remove node 9 by applying step4 and 5 to yield

o Remove node 7 by steps 4 and 5, as follows:

o Remove node 8 by steps 4 and 5, to obtain:

o PARALLEL TERM (STEP 6):

Removal of node 8 above led to a pair of parallel links between nodes 4 and 5. combine them to create
a path expression for an equivalent link whose path expression is c+gkh; that is

o LOOP TERM (STEP 7):

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 Removing node 4 leads to a loop term. The graph has now been replaced with the following
equivalent simpler graph:

o Continue the process by applying the loop-removal step as follows:

o Removing node 5 produces:

o Remove the loop at node 6 to yield:

o Remove node 3 to yield

o Removing the loop and then node 6 result in the following

expression:
a(bgjf)*b(c+gkh)d((ilhd)*imf(bjgf)*b(c+gkh)d)*(ilhd)*e

o You can practice by applying the algorithm on the following flowgraphs and
generate their respective path expressions:

77
 Figure 5.6: Some graphs and their path expressions.
APPLICATIONS:
o The purpose of the node removal algorithm is to present one very generalized
concept- the path expression and way of getting it.
o Every application follows this common pattern:
1. Convert the program or graph into a path expression.
2. Identify a property of interest and derive an appropriate set of "arithmetic"
rules that characterizes the property.
Replace the link names by the link weights for the property of interest. The path expression has now been
converted to an expression in some algebra, such as
1. Ordinary algebra, regular expressions, or boolean algebra. This
algebraic expression summarizes the property of interest over the set
of all paths.
2. Simplify or evaluate the resulting "algebraic" expression to answer the
question you asked.

∑ HOW MANY PATHS IN A FLOW GRAPH ?

o The question is not simple. Here are some ways you could ask it:
1. What is the maximum number of different paths possible?
2. What is the fewest number of paths possible?
3. How many different paths are there really?
4. What is the average number of paths?
o Determining the actual number of different paths is an inherently difficult
problem because there could be unachievable paths resulting from correlated
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 and dependent predicates.
o If we know both of these numbers (maximum and minimum number of possible
paths) we have a good idea of how complete our testing is.
o Asking for "the average number of paths" is meaningless.

∑ MAXIMUM PATH COUNT ARITHMETIC:

o Label each link with a link weight that corresponds to the number of paths that
link represents.
o Also mark each loop with the maximum number of times that loop can be taken.
If the answer is infinite, you might as well stop the analysis because it is clear that
the maximum number of paths will be infinite.
o There are three cases of interest: parallel links, serial links, and loops.

o This arithmetic is an ordinary algebra. The weight is the number of paths in

each set.
o EXAMPLE:
ß The following is a reasonably well-structured program.

Each link represents a single link and consequently is given a weight of "1" to start. Let’s
say the outer loop will be taken exactly four times and inner Loop Can be taken zero or
three times Its path expression, with a little work, is:
Path expression: a(b+c)d{e(fi)*fgj(m+l)k}*e(fi)*fgh
ß A: The flow graph should be annotated by replacing the link name with
the maximum of paths through that link (1) and also note the number
of times for looping.
ß B: Combine the first pair of parallel loops outside the loop and also
the pair in the outer loop.
ß C: Multiply the things out and remove nodes to clear the clutter.

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 1. For the Inner Loop:
D:Calculate the total weight of inner loop, which can execute a min. of 0 times and max.
of 3 times. So, it inner loop can be evaluated as follows:

13 = 10 + 11 + 12 + 13 = 1 + 1 + 1 + 1 = 4
2. E: Multiply the link weights inside the loop: 1 X 4 = 4
3. F: Evaluate the loop by multiplying the link wieghts: 2 X 4 = 8.
4. G: Simpifying the loop further results in the total maximum number
of paths in the flowgraph:

2 X 84 X 2 = 32,768.

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 Alternatively, you could have substituted a "1" for each link in the path expression and then simplified, as follows:

a(b+c)d{e(fi)*fgj(m+l)k}*e(fi)*fgh
= 1(1 + 1)1(1(1 x 1)31 x 1 x 1(1 + 1)1)41(1 x 1)31 x 1 x 1
= 2(131 x (2))413
= 2(4 x 2)4 x 4
= 2 x 84 x 4 = 32,768
This is the same result we got graphically.Actually, the outer loop should be taken exactly four times. That doesn't
mean it will be taken zero or four times. Consequently, there is a superfluous "4" on the outlink in the last step.
Therefore the maximum number of different paths is 8192 rather than 32,768.

STRUCTURED FLOWGRAPH:
Structured code can be defined in several different ways that do not involve ad-hoc rules such as not using
GOTOs.
A structured flowgraph is one that can be reduced to a single link by successive application of the
transformations of Figure 5.7.

Figure 5.7: Structured Flowgraph Transformations.

The node-by-node reduction procedure can also be used as a test for structured code.Flow graphs that DO NOT
contain one or more of the graphs shown below (Figure 5.8) as subgraphs are structured.
1. Jumping into loops
2. Jumping out of loops
3. Branching into decisions
4. Branching out of decisions

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 Figure 5.8: Un-structured sub-graphs.
LOWER PATH COUNT ARITHMETIC:
A lower bound on the number of paths in a routine can be approximated for structured flow graphs.
The arithmetic is as follows:

The values of the weights are the number of members in a set of paths.
EXAMPLE:
ß Applying the arithmetic to the earlier example gives us the identical
steps unitl step 3 (C) as below:

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 ß From Step 4, the it would be different from the previous example:

ß If you observe the original graph, it takes at least two paths to cover
and that it can be done in two paths.
ß If you have fewer paths in your test plan than this minimum you
probably haven't covered. It's another check.

CALCULATING THE PROBABILITY:

Path selection should be biased toward the low - rather than the high-probability paths.This raises an interesting
question:
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 What is the probability of being at a certain point in a routine?

This question can be answered under suitable assumptions primarily that all probabilities involved are
independent, which is to say that all decisions are independent and uncorrelated. We use the same algorithm as
before: node-by-node removal of uninteresting nodes.
Weights, Notations and Arithmetic:
ß Probabilities can come into the act only at decisions (including decisions
associated with loops).
ß Annotate each outlink with a weight equal to the probability of going in
that direction.
ß Evidently, the sum of the outlink probabilities must equal 1
ß For a simple loop, if the loop will be taken a mean of N times, the looping
probability is N/(N + 1) and the probability of not looping is 1/(N + 1).
ß A link that is not part of a decision node has a probability of 1.
ß The arithmetic rules are those of ordinary arithmetic.

ß In this table, in case of a loop, PA is the probability of the link leaving the
loop and PL is the probability of looping.
ß The rules are those of ordinary probability theory.
1. If you can do something either from column A with a probability
of PA or from column B with a probability PB, then the probability
that you do either is PA + PB.
2. For the series case, if you must do both things, and their
probabilities are independent (as assumed), then the probability
that you do both is the product of their probabilities.
ß For example, a loop node has a looping probability of PL and a probability
of not looping of PA, which is obviously equal to I - PL.

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 ß Following the above rule, all we've done is replace the outgoing
probability with 1 - so why the complicated rule? After a few steps in
which you've removed nodes, combined parallel terms, removed loops
and the like, you might find something like this:

because PL + PA + PB + PC = 1, 1 - PL = PA + PB + PC, and

85
 which is what we've postulated for any decision. In other words, division by 1 - PL
renormalizes the outlink probabilities so that their sum equals unity after the loop is
removed.

EXAMPLE:
ß Here is a complicated bit of logic. We want to know the probability
associated with cases A, B, and C.

ß Let us do this in three parts, starting with case A. Note that the sum of
the probabilities at each decision node is equal to 1. Start by throwing
away anything that isn't on the way to case A, and then apply the
reduction procedure. To avoid clutter, we usually leave out probabilities
equal to 1.

CASE A:

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 ß Case B is simpler:

ß Case C is similar and should yield a probability of 1 - 0.125 - 0.158 =

0.717:

ß These checks. It's a good idea when doing this sort of thing to calculate all
the probabilities and to verify that the sum of the routine's exit
probabilities does equal 1.
ß If it doesn't, then you've made calculation error or, more likely, you've left
out some bra How about path probabilities? That's easy. Just trace the
path of interest and multiply the probabilities as you go.
ß Alternatively, write down the path name and do the indicated arithmetic
operation.

87
 ß Say that a path consisted of links a, b, c, d, e, and the associated
probabilities were .2, .5, 1., .01, and I respectively. Path
abcbcbcdeabddea would have a probability of 5 x 10-10.
ß Long paths are usually improbable.

MEAN PROCESSING TIME OF A ROUTINE:

Given the execution time of all statements or instructions for every link in a flowgraph and the probability for
each direction for all decisions are to find the mean processing time for the routine as a whole.
The model has two weights associated with every link: the processing time for that link, denoted by T, and the
probability of that link P.
The arithmetic rules for calculating the mean time:

EXAMPLE:
1. Start with the original flow graph annotated with probabilities and processing time.

2.Combine the parallel links of the outer loop. The result is just the mean of the
processing times for the links because there aren't any other links leaving the first
node. Also combine the pair of links at the beginning of the flow graph.

3. Combine as many serial links as you can.

88
 4. Use the cross-term step to eliminate a node and to create the inner self - loop.
5.Finally, you can get the mean processing time, by using the arithmetic rules as
follows:

PUSH/POP, GET/RETURN:
This model can be used to answer several different questions that can turn up in debugging. It can also help
decide which test cases to design.
The question is:

Given a pair of complementary operations such as PUSH (the stack) and POP
(the stack), considering the set of all possible paths through the routine, what
is the net effect of the routine? PUSH or POP? How many times? Under what
conditions?
Here are some other examples of complementary operations to which this model applies: GET/RETURN a
resource block.
OPEN/CLOSE a file.
START/STOP a device or process.

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EXAMPLE 1 (PUSH / POP):
ß Here is the Push/Pop Arithmetic:

ß The numeral 1 is used to indicate that nothing of interest (neither

PUSH nor POP) occurs on a given link.
ß "H" denotes PUSH and "P" denotes POP. The operations are
commutative, associative, and distributive.

ß Consider the following flow graph:

P(P + 1)1{P(HH)n1HP1(P + H)1}n2P(HH)n1HPH

ß Simplifying by using the arithmetic tables,
= (P2 + P){P(HH)n1(P + H)}n1(HH)n1
= (P2 + P){H2n1(P2 + 1)}n2H2n1
ß Below Table 5.9 shows several combinations of values for the twolooping
terms - M1 is the number of times the inner loop will be taken and M2
the number of times the outer loop will be taken.

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 Figure 5.9: Result of the PUSH / POP Graph Analysis.
ß These expressions state that the stack will be popped only if the inner
loop is not taken.
ß The stack will be left alone only if the inner loop is iterated once, but it
may also be pushed.
ß For all other values of the inner loop, the stack will only be pushed.

EXAMPLE 2 (GET / RETURN):

ß Exactly the same arithmetic tables used for previous example are used
for GET / RETURN a buffer block or resource, or, in fact, for any pair of

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 complementary operations in which the total number of operations in either direction
is cumulative.
ß The arithmetic tables for GET/RETURN are:

"G" denotes GET and "R" denotes RETURN.

ß Consider the following flowgraph:

ß G(G + R)G(GR)*GGR*R
= G(G + R)G3R*R
= (G + R)G3R*
= (G4 + G2)R*
ß This expression specifies the conditions under which the resources will be
balanced on leaving the routine.
ß If the upper branch is taken at the first decision, the second loop must be
taken four times.
ß If the lower branch is taken at the first decision, the second loop must be
taken twice.
ß For any other values, the routine will not balance. Therefore, the first
loop does not have to be instrumented to verify this behavior because its
impact should be nil.

LIMITATIONS AND SOLUTIONS:

o The main limitation to these applications is the problem of unachievable paths.

o The node-by-node reduction procedure, and most graph-theory-based algorithms work
well when all paths are possible, but may provide misleading results when some paths
are unachievable.
o The approach to handling unachievable paths (for any application) is to partition
the graph into subgraphs so that all paths in each of the subgraphs are achievable.
o The resulting subgraphs may overlap, because one path may be common to
several different subgraphs.
o Each predicate's truth-functional value potentially splits the graph into two
subgraphs. For n predicates, there could be as many as 2n subgraphs.

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 REGULAR EXPRESSIONS AND FLOW ANOMALY DETECTION:

∑ THE PROBLEM:
o The generic flow-anomaly detection problem (note: not just data-flow
anomalies, but any flow anomaly) is that of looking for a specific sequence of
options considering all possible paths through a routine.
o Let the operations be SET and RESET, denoted by s and r respectively, and we
want to know if there is a SET followed immediately a SET or a RESET followed
immediately by a RESET (an ss or an rr sequence).
o Some more application examples:
1. A file can be opened (o), closed (c), read (r), or written (w). If the file is
read or written to after it's been closed, the sequence is nonsensical.
Therefore, cr and cw are anomalous. Similarly, if the file is read before
it's been written, just after opening, we may have a bug. Therefore, or is
also anomalous. Furthermore, oo and cc, though not actual bugs, are a
waste of time and therefore should also be examined.
2. A tape transport can do a rewind (d), fast-forward (f), read (r), write (w),
stop (p), and skip (k). There are rules concerning the use of the transport;
for example, you cannot go from rewind to fast-forward without an
intervening stop or from rewind or fast-forward to read or write without
an intervening stop. The following sequences are anomalous: df, dr, dw,
fd, and fr. Does the flowgraph lead to anomalous sequences on any path?
If so, what sequences and under what circumstances?
3. The data-flow anomalies discussed in Unit 4 requires us to detect the
dd, dk, kk, and ku sequences. Are there paths with anomalous data
flows?

∑ THE METHOD:
o Annotate each link in the graph with the appropriate operator or the null
operator 1.
o Simplify things to the extent possible, using the fact that a + a = a and 12 = 1.
o You now have a regular expression that denotes all the possible sequences
of operators in that graph. You can now examine that regular expression for
the sequences of interest.
o EXAMPLE: Let A, B, C, be nonempty sets of character sequences whose smallest
string is at least one character long. Let T be a two-character string of characters.
Then if T is a substring of (i.e., if T appears within) ABnC, then T will appear in
AB2C. (HUANG's Theorem)
As an example, let
o A = pp
B = srr
C = rp
T = ss
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 The theorem states that ss will appear in pp(srr)nrp if it appears in pp(srr)2rp.
o However, let

A = p + pp + ps
B = psr + ps(r + ps)
C = rp
T = P4

Is it obvious that there is a p4 sequence in ABnC? The theorem states that we have only to look at

(p + pp + ps)[psr + ps(r + ps)]2rp

Multiplying out the expression and simplifying shows that there is no p4

sequence.
o Incidentally, the above observation is an informal proof of the wisdom of looping
twice discussed in Unit 2. Because data-flow anomalies are represented by two-
character sequences, it follows the above theorem that looping twice is what you
need to do to find such anomalies.

∑ LIMITATIONS:
o Huang's theorem can be easily generalized to cover sequences of greater length
than two characters. Beyond three characters, though, things get complex and
this method has probably reached its utilitarian limit for manual application.
o There are some nice theorems for finding sequences that occur at the beginnings
and ends of strings but no nice algorithms for finding strings buried in an
expression.
o Static flow analysis methods can't determine whether a path is or is not
achievable. Unless the flow analysis includes symbolic execution or similar
techniques, the impact of unachievable paths will not be included in the analysis.
The flow-anomaly application, for example, doesn't tell us that there will be a flow anomaly - it tells us
that if the path is achievable, then there will be a flow anomaly. Such analytical problems go away, of
course, if you take the trouble to design routines for which all paths are achievable.

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 UNIT IV(Part-II)
LOGIC BASED TESTING

OVERVIEW OF LOGIC BASED TESTING:

∑ INTRODUCTION:
o The functional requirements of many programs can be specified by decision
tables, which provide a useful basis for program and test design.
o Consistency and completeness can be analyzed by using boolean algebra, which
can also be used as a basis for test design. Boolean algebra is trivialized by using
Karnaugh-Veitch charts.
o "Logic" is one of the most often used words in programmers' vocabularies but
one of their least used techniques.
o Boolean algebra is to logic as arithmetic is to mathematics. Without it, the tester
or programmer is cut off from many test and design techniques and tools that
incorporate those techniques.
o Logic has been, for several decades, the primary tool of hardware logic designers.
o Many test methods developed for hardware logic can be adapted to software
logic testing. Because hardware testing automation is 10 to 15 years ahead of
software testing automation, hardware testing methods and its associated
theory is a fertile ground for software testing methods.
o As programming and test techniques have improved, the bugs have shifted
closer to the process front end, to requirements and their specifications. These
bugs range from 8% to 30% of the total and because they're first-in and last-out,
they're the costliest of all.
o The trouble with specifications is that they're hard to express.
o Boolean algebra (also known as the sentential calculus) is the most basic of all
logic systems.
o Higher-order logic systems are needed and used for formal specifications.
o Much of logical analysis can be and is embedded in tools. But these tools
incorporate methods to simplify, transform, and check specifications, and the
methods are to a large extent based on boolean algebra.

o KNOWLEDGE BASED SYSTEM:

ß The knowledge-based system (also expert system, or "artificial

intelligence" system) has become the programming construct of choice
for many applications that were once considered very difficult.
ß Knowledge-based systems incorporate knowledge from a knowledge
domain such as medicine, law, or civil engineering into a database. The
data can then be queried and interacted with to provide solutions to
problems in that domain.
ß One implementation of knowledge-based systems is to incorporate the
expert's knowledge into a set of rules. The user can then provide data
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 and ask questions based on that data.
ß The user's data is processed through the rule base to yield conclusions
(tentative or definite) and requests for more data. The processing is done
by a program called the inference engine.
ß Understanding knowledge-based systems and their validation problems
requires an understanding of formal logic.
o Decision tables are extensively used in business data processing; Decision-table
preprocessors as extensions to COBOL are in common use; boolean algebra is
embedded in the implementation of these processors.
o Although programmed tools are nice to have, most of the benefits of boolean
algebra can be reaped by wholly manual means if you have the right conceptual
tool: the Karnaugh-Veitch diagram is that conceptual tool.

∑ DECISION TABLES:

∑ Figure 6.1 is a limited - entry decision table. It consists of four areas called the condition
stub, the condition entry, the action stub, and the action entry.
∑ Each column of the table is a rule that specifies the conditions under which the actions
named in the action stub will take place.
∑ The condition stub is a list of names of conditions.

Figure 6.1 : Examples of Decision Table.

∑ A more general decision table can be as below:

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 Figure 6.2 : Another Examples of Decision Table.
∑ A rule specifies whether a condition should or should not be met for the rule to be
satisfied. "YES" means that the condition must be met, "NO" means that the condition
must not be met, and "I" means that the condition plays no part in the rule, or it is
immaterial to that rule.
The action stub names the actions the routine will take or initiate if the rule is satisfied.
∑ If the action entry is "YES", the action will take place; if "NO", the action will not take
place.
The table in Figure 6.1 can be translated as follows:

Action 1 will take place if conditions 1 and 2 are met and if conditions 3 and 4 are not met (rule
1) or if conditions 1, 3, and 4 are met (rule 2).
∑ "Condition" is another word for predicate.
∑ Decision-table uses "condition" and "satisfied" or "met". Let us use "predicate" and
TRUE / FALSE.
∑ Now the above translations become:
1. Action 1 will be taken if predicates 1 and 2 are true and if predicates 3 and 4 are
false (rule 1), or if predicates 1, 3, and 4 are true (rule 2).
2. Action 2 will be taken if the predicates are all false, (rule 3).
3. Action 3 will take place if predicate 1 is false and predicate 4 is true (rule 4).
∑ In addition to the stated rules, we also need a Default Rule that specifies the default
action to be taken when all other rules fail. The default rules for Table in Figure 6.1 is
shown in Figure 6.3

Figure 6.3 : The default rules of Table in Figure 6.1

∑ DECISION-TABLE PROCESSORS:

o Decision tables can be automatically translated into code and, as such, are a
higher-order language
o If the rule is satisfied, the corresponding action takes place
o Otherwise, rule 2 is tried. This process continues until either a satisfied rule
results in an action or no rule is satisfied and the default action is taken
o Decision tables have become a useful tool in the programmers kit, in business
data processing.

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DECISION-TABLES AS BASIS FOR TEST CASE DESIGN:

1. The specification is given as a decision table or can be easily converted into one.
2. The order in which the predicates are evaluated does not affect interpretation of
the rules or the resulting action - i.e., an arbitrary permutation of the predicate
order will not, or should not, affect which action takes place.
3. The order in which the rules are evaluated does not affect the resulting action -
i.e., an arbitrary permutation of rules will not, or should not, affect which action
takes place.
4. Once a rule is satisfied and an action selected, no other rule need be examined.
5. If several actions can result from satisfying a rule, the order in which the actions
are executed doesn't matter.

DECISION-TABLES AND STRUCTURE:

o Decision tables can also be used to examine a program's structure.

o Figure 6.4 shows a program segment that consists of a decision tree.
o These decisions, in various combinations, can lead to actions 1, 2, or 3.

Figure 6.4 : A Sample Program

o If the decision appears on a path, put in a YES or NO as appropriate. If the
decision does not appear on the path, put in an I, Rule 1 does not contain
decision C, therefore its entries are: YES, YES, I, YES.
o The corresponding decision table is shown in Table 6.1

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 RULE 1 RULE 2 RULE 3 RULE 4 RULE 5 RULE 6

CONDITION A
CONDITION B
CONDITION C YES YES YES NO I NO I NO I
CONDITION D YES I NO I YES I YES I NO NO
YES I NO YES NO

ACTION 1 YES YES NO NO NO NO

ACTION 2 NO NO YES YES YES NO
ACTION 3 NO NO NO NO NO YES

Table 6.1: Decision Table corresponding to Figure 6.4

As an example, expanding the immaterial cases results as below:

Table 6.2: Expansion of Table 6.1

o Similalrly, If we expand the immaterial cases for the above Table 6.1, it results in
Table 6.2 as below:
R1 RULE 2 R3 RULE 4 R5 R6
CONDITION A YY YYYY YY NNNN NN NN
CONDITION B YY NNNN YY YYNN NY YN
CONDITION C CONDITION YN NNYY YN YYYY NN NN
D YY YNNY NN NYYN YY NN
1. Sixteen cases are represented in Table 6.1, and no case appears twice.
2. Consequently, the flowgraph appears to be complete and consistent.
3. As a first check, before you look for all sixteen combinations, count the number
of Y's and N's in each row. They should be equal. We can find the bug that way.

∑ ANOTHER EXAMPLE - A TROUBLE SOME PROGRAM:

1. Consider the following specification whose putative flowgraph is shown in Figure

6.5:
1. If condition A is met, do process A1 no matter what other actions are
taken or what other conditions are met.

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 2. If condition B is met, do process A2 no matter what other actions are
taken or what other conditions are met.
3. If condition C is met, do process A3 no matter what other actions are
taken or what other conditions are met.
4. If none of the conditions is met, then do processes A1, A2, and A3.
5. When more than one process is done, process A1 must be done first, then
A2, and then A3. The only permissible cases are: (A1), (A2), (A3), (A1,A3),
(A2,A3) and (A1,A2,A3).
2. Figure 6.5 shows a sample program with a bug.

Figure 6.5 : A Troublesome Program

o The programmer tried to force all three processes to be executed for the
cases but forgot that the B and C predicates would be done again, thereby
bypassing processes A2 and A3.
o Table 6.3 shows the conversion of this flow graph into a decision table after
expansion.

Table 6.3: Decision Table for Figure 6.5

PATH EXPRESSIONS:
GENERAL:
o Logic-based testing is structural testing when it's applied to structure (e.g.,
control flow graph of an implementation); it's functional testing when it's applied
to a specification.
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 o In logic-based testing we focus on the truth values of control flow predicates.
o A predicate is implemented as a process whose outcome is a truth-functional
value.
o For our purpose, logic-based testing is restricted to binary predicates.
o We start by generating path expressions by path tracing as in Unit V, but this
time, our purpose is to convert the path expressions into boolean algebra, using
the predicates' truth values (e.g., A and ) as weights.

BOOLEAN ALGEBRA:
o STEPS:
1. Label each decision with an uppercase letter that represents the truth
value of the predicate. The YES or TRUE branch is labeled with a letter
(say A) and the NO or FALSE branch with the same letter overscored (say
).
2. The truth value of a path is the product of the individual labels.
Concatenation or products mean "AND". For example, the straight-
through path of Figure 6.5, which goes via nodes 3, 6, 7, 8, 10, 11, 12, and
2, has a truth value of ABC. The path via nodes 3, 6, 7, 9 and 2 has a value
of .
3. If two or more paths merge at a node, the fact is expressed by use of a
plus sign (+) which means "OR".

Figure 6.5: A Troublesome Program

o Using this convention, the truth-functional values for several of the nodes can be
expressed in terms of segments from previous nodes. Use the node name to
identify the point.

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 o There are only two numbers in boolean algebra: zero (0) and one (1). One means
"always true" and zero means "always false".
o RULES OF BOOLEAN ALGEBRA:
ß Boolean algebra has three operators: X (AND), + (OR) and (NOT)
ß X : meaning AND. Also called multiplication. A statement such as AB (A X
B) means "A and B are both true". This symbol is usually left out as in
ordinary algebra.
ß + : meaning OR. "A + B" means "either A is true or B is true or both".
ß meaning NOT. Also negation or complementation. This is read as either "not A" or "A
bar". The entire expression under the bar is negated.
ß The following are the laws of boolean algebra:

In all of the above, a letter can represent a single sentence or an entire boolean algebra expression.
Individual letters in a boolean algebra expression are called Literals (e.g. A,B) The product of
several literals is called a product term (e.g., ABC, DE).
An arbitrary boolean expression that has been multiplied out so that it consists of the sum of products (e.g., ABC +
DEF + GH) is said to be in sum-of-products form.
The result of simplifications (using the rules above) is again in the sum of product form and each product term in such a
simplified version is called a prime implicant. For example, ABC + AB
+ DEF reduce by rule 20 to AB + DEF; that is, AB and DEF are prime implicants. The path
expressions of Figure 6.5 can now be simplified by applying the rules.
The following are the laws of boolean algebra:

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Similarly,

The deviation from the specification is now clear. The functions should have been:

Loops complicate things because we may have to solve a boolean equation to determine what predicate value
combinations lead to where.

KV CHARTS:

INTRODUCTION:
o If you had to deal with expressions in four, five, or six variables, you could get
bogged down in the algebra and make as many errors in designing test cases as
there are bugs in the routine you're testing.
o Karnaugh-Veitch chart reduces boolean algebraic manipulations to graphical
trivia.
o Beyond six variables these diagrams get cumbersome and may not be effective.
SINGLE VARIABLE:
o Figure 6.6 shows all the boolean functions of a single variable and their
equivalent representation as a KV chart.

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 Figure 6.6 : KV Charts for Functions of a Single Variable.
o The charts show all possible truth values that the variable A can have.
o A "1" means the variable’s value is "1" or TRUE. A "0" means that the variable's
value is 0 or FALSE.
o The entry in the box (0 or 1) specifies whether the function that the chart
represents is true or false for that value of the variable.
o We usually do not explicitly put in 0 entries but specify only the conditions under
which the function is true.
TWO VARIABLES:
o Figure 6.7 shows eight of the sixteen possible functions of two variables.

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 Figure 6.7: KV Charts for Functions of Two Variables.
o Each box corresponds to the combination of values of the variables for the row
and column of that box.
o A pair may be adjacent either horizontally or vertically but not diagonally.
o Any variable that changes in either the horizontal or vertical direction does not
appear in the expression.
o In the fifth chart, the B variable changes from 0 to 1 going down the column, and
because the A variable's value for the column is 1, the chart is equivalent to a
simple A.
o Figure 6.8 shows the remaining eight functions of two variables.

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 Figure 6.8: More Functions of Two Variables.
o The first chart has two 1's in it, but because they are not adjacent, each must
be taken separately.
o They are written using a plus sign.
o It is clear now why there are sixteen functions of two variables.
o Each box in the KV chart corresponds to a combination of the variables' values.
o That combination might or might not be in the function (i.e., the
box corresponding to that combination might have a 1 or 0 entry).
o Since n variables lead to 2n combinations of 0 and 1 for the variables, and
each such combination (box) can be filled or not filled, leading to 22n ways of
doing this.
o Consequently for one variable there are 221 = 4 functions, 16 functions of 2
variables, 256 functions of 3 variables, 16,384 functions of 4 variables, andso
on.
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 o Given two charts over the same variables, arranged the same way, their product
is the term by term product, their sum is the term by term sum, and the
negation of a chart is gotten by reversing all the 0 and 1 entries in the chart.

OR

THREE VARIABLES:
o KV charts for three variables are shown below.
o As before, each box represents an elementary term of three variables with a bar
appearing or not appearing according to whether the row-column heading for
that box is 0 or 1.
o A three-variable chart can have groupings of 1, 2, 4, and 8 boxes.
o A few examples will illustrate the principles:

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 Figure 6.8: KV Charts for Functions of Three Variables.
o You'll notice that there are several ways to circle the boxes into maximum-
sized covering groups.

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 UNIT-V
STATES, STATE GRAPHS, AND TRANSITION TESTING

State, State Graphs and Transition testing:- state graphs, good & bad state graphs, state
testing, Testability tips.
Graph Matrices and Application:-Motivational overview, matrix of graph, relations, power of
a matrix, node reduction algorithm, building tools. ( Student should be given an exposure to a tool
like JMeter or Win-runner).

Introduction
The finite state machine is as fundamental to software engineering as boolean algebra
to logic.
State testing strategies are based on the use of finite state machine models for software
structure, software behavior, or specifications of software behavior.
Finite state machines can also be implemented as table-driven software, in which case
they are a powerful design option.
State Graphs
∑ A state is defined as: “A combination of circumstances or attributes belonging for the
time being to a person or thing.”
For example, a moving automobile whose engine is running can have the following
states with respect to its transmission.
ß Reverse gear
ß Neutral gear
ß First gear
ß Second gear
ß Third gear
ß Fourth gear
State graph - Example
∑ For example, a program that detects the character sequence “ZCZC” can be in the
following states.
Neither ZCZC nor any part of it has been detected.
ß Z has been detected.
ß ZC has been detected.
ß ZCZ has been detected.
ß ZCZC has been detected.

States are represented by Nodes. State are numbered or may identified by words or whatever else is convenient.

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 Inputs and Transitions
Whatever is being modeled is subjected to inputs. As a result of those inputs, the state
changes, or is said to have made a Transition.
Transitions are denoted by links that join the states.

The input that causes the transition are marked on the link; that is, the inputs are link
weights.
There is one out link from every state for every input.
∑ If several inputs in a state cause a transition to the same subsequent state, instead of
drawing a bunch of parallel links we can abbreviate the notation by listing the several
inputs as in: “input1, input2, input3………”.

Finite State Machine

A finite state machine is an abstract device that can be represented by a state graph
having a finite number of states and a finite number of transitions between states.
o Outputs
An output can be associated with any link.
∑ Out puts are denoted by letters or words and are separated from inputs by a slash as
follows: “input/output”.
∑ As always, output denotes anything of interest that’s observable and is not restricted to
explicit outputs by devices.
Outputs are also link weights.
If every input associated with a transition causes the same output, then denoted it as:
o “input1, input2, input3…………../output”
es
State tables
∑ Big state graphs are cluttered and hard to follow.
∑ It’s more convenient to represent the state graph as a table (the state table
or state transition table) that specifies the states, the inputs, the transitions
and the outputs.
∑ The following conventions are used:
∑ Each row of the table corresponds to a state.
∑ Each column corresponds to an input condition.
∑ The box at the intersection of a row and a column specifies the next state
(the transition) and the output, if any.
State Table-Example

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 Time Versus Sequence
∑ State graphs don’t represent time-they represent sequence.
A transition might take microseconds or centuries;
A system could be in one state for milliseconds and another for years- the state graph
would be the same because it has no notion of time.
Although the finite state machines model can be elaborated to include notions of time
in addition to sequence, such as time Petri Nets.
o Software implementation
There is rarely a direct correspondence between programs and the behavior of a
process described as a state graph.
The state graph represents, the total behavior consisting of the transport, the software,
the executive, the status returns, interrupts, and so on.
There is no simple correspondence between lines of code and states. The state table
forms the basis.

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 Good State Graphs and Bad
What constitutes a good or a bad state graph is to some extent biased by the kinds of
state graphs that are likely to be used in a software test design context.
Here are some principles for judging.
o The total number of states is equal to the product of the possibilities of factors
that make up the state.
o For every state and input there is exactly one transition specified to exactly one,
possibly the same, state.
o For every transition there is one output action specified. The output could be
trivial, but at least one output does something sensible.
o For every state there is a sequence of inputs that will drive the system back to
the same state.

Important graphs

State Bugs-Number of States

The number of states in a state graph is the number of states we choose to recognize or
model.

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 The state is directly or indirectly recorded as a combination of values of variables that
appear in the data base.
For example, the state could be composed of the value of a counter whose possible
values ranged from 0 to 9, combined with the setting of two bit flags, leading to a total
of 2*2*10=40 states.
The number of states can be computed as follows:
o Identify all the component factors of the state.
o Identify all the allowable values for each factor.
o The number of states is the product of the number of allowable values of all the
factors.
Before you do anything else, before you consider one test case, discuss the number of
states you think there are with the number of states the programmer thinks there are.
∑ There is no point in designing tests intended to check the system’s behavior in various
states if there’s no agreement on how many states there are.
o Impossible States
Some times some combinations of factors may appear to be impossible.
∑ The discrepancy between the programmer’s state count and the tester’s state count is
often due to a difference of opinion concerning “impossible states”.
A robust piece of software will not ignore impossible states but will recognize them and
invoke an illogical condition handler when they appear to have occurred.

Equivalent States
Two states are Equivalent if every sequence of inputs starting from one state produces
exactly the same sequence of outputs when started from the other state. This notion
can also be extended to set of states.

Merging of Equivalent States

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 Recognizing Equivalent States
Equivalent states can be recognized by the following procedures:
The rows corresponding to the two states are identical with respect to
input/output/next state but the name of the next state could differ.
There are two sets of rows which, except for the state names, have identical state
graphs with respect to transitions and outputs. The two sets can be merged.

TransitionBugs-
unspecified and contradictory Transitions
Every input-state combination must have a specified transition.
If the transition is impossible, then there must be a mechanism that prevents the input
from occurring in that state.
Exactly one transition must be specified for every combination of input and state.
∑ A program can’t have contradictions or ambiguities.
Ambiguities are impossible because the program will do something for every input. Even
the state does not change, by definition this is a transition to the same state.

Unreachable States
An unreachable state is like unreachable code.
A state that no input sequence can reach.
An unreachable state is not impossible, just as unreachable code is not impossible
There may be transitions from unreachable state to other states; there usually because
the state became unreachable as a result of incorrect transition.
There are two possibilities for unreachable states:
o There is a bug; that is some transitions are missing.
o The transitions are there, but you don’t know about it.

Dead States
A dead state is a state that once entered cannot be left.
This is not necessarily a bug but it is suspicious.

The states, transitions, and the inputs could be correct, there could be no dead or
unreachable states, but the output for the transition could be incorrect.
Output actions must be verified independently of states and
transitions. State Testing
Impact of Bugs
If a routine is specified as a state graph that has been verified as correct in all details.
Program code or table or a combination of both must still be implemented.
A bug can manifest itself as one of the following symptoms:
Wrong number of states.
Wrong transitions for a given state-input combination.
Wrong output for a given transition.
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 Pairs of states or sets of states that are inadvertently made equivalent.
States or set of states that are split to create in equivalent duplicates.
States or sets of states that have become dead.
States or sets of states that have become unreachable.

Principles of State Testing

The strategy for state testing is analogous to that used for path testing flow graphs.
∑ Just as it’s impractical to go through every possible path in a flow graph, it’s impractical
to go through every path in a state graph.
The notion of coverage is identical to that used for flow graphs.
∑ Even though more state testing is done as a single case in a grand tour, it’s impractical to
do it that way for several reasons.
In the early phases of testing, you will never complete the grand tour because of bugs.
Later, in maintenance, testing objectives are understood, and only a few of the states
and transitions have to be tested. A grand tour is waste of time.
Theirs is no much history in a long test sequence and so much has happened that
verification is difficult.

Starting point of state testing

Define a set of covering input sequences that get back to the initial state when starting
from the initial state.
For each step in each input sequence, define the expected next state, the expected
transition, and the expected output code.
A set of tests, then, consists of three sets of sequences:
o Input sequences
o Corresponding transitions or next-state names
o Output sequences

Limitations and Extensions

State transition coverage in a state graph model does not guarantee complete testing.
How defines a hierarchy of paths and methods for combining paths to produce covers of
state graphs.
∑ The simplest is called a “0 switch” which corresponds to testing each transition
individually.
∑ The next level consists of testing transitions sequences consisting of two transitions
called “1 switches”.
∑ The maximum length switch is “n-1 switch” where there are n numbers of states.
o Situations at which state testing is useful
Any processing where the output is based on the occurrence of one or more sequences
of events, such as detection of specified input sequences, sequential format validation,
parsing, and other situations in which the order of inputs is important.
Most protocols between systems, between humans and machines, between
components of a system.
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 Device drivers such as for tapes and discs that have complicated retry and recovery
procedures if the action depends on the state.
Whenever a feature is directly and explicitly implemented as one or more state transition tables.

UNIT-5 (PART-II) GRAPH MATRICES AND APPLICATIONS

Problem with Pictorial Graphs

Graphs were introduced as an abstraction of software structure.
Whenever a graph is used as a model, sooner or later we trace paths through it- to find a set of
covering paths, a set of values that will sensitize paths, the logic function that controls the flow,
the processing time of the routine, the equations that define the domain, or whether a state is
reachable or not.
∑ Path is not easy, and it’s subject to error. You can miss a link here and there or cover some links
twice.
∑ One solution to this problem is to represent the graph as a matrix and to use matrix operations
equivalent to path tracing. These methods are more methodical and mechanical and don’t
depend on your ability to see a path they are more reliable.

Tool Building
If you build test tools or want to know how they work, sooner or later you will be implementing
or investigating analysis routines based on these methods.
It is hard to build algorithms over visual graphs so the properties or graph matrices are
fundamental to tool building.

The Basic Algorithms

The basic tool kit consists of:
Matrix multiplication, which is used to get the path expression from every node to every
other node.
A partitioning algorithm for converting graphs with loops into loop free graphs or
equivalence classes.
A collapsing process which gets the path expression from any node to any other node.

The Matrix of a Graph

∑ A graph matrix is a square array with one row and one column for every node in the graph.
∑ Each row-column combination corresponds to a relation between the node corresponding
to the row and the node corresponding to thecolumn.
∑ The relation for example, could be as simple as the link name, if there is a link between the
nodes.
Some of the things to be observed:
The size of the matrix equals the number of nodes.
There is a place to put every possible direct connection or link between any and any other node.
The entry at a row and column intersection is the link weight of the link that connects the two
nodes in that direction.
A connection from node i to j does not imply a connection from node j to node i.
∑ If there are several links between two nodes, then the entry is a sum; the “+” sign denotes
parallel links as usual.

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 A simple weight
n A simplest weight we can use is to note that there is or isn’t a connection. Let “1” mean that
there is a connection and “0” mean that there isn’t.
n The arithmetic rules are:
n 1+1=1 1*1=1
n 1+0=1 1*0=0
n 0+0=0 0*0=0
n A matrix defined like this is called connection matrix.
Connection matrix
n The connection matrix is obtained by replacing each entry with 1 if there is a link and 0 if there
isn’t.
n As usual we don’t write down 0 entries to reduce the clutter.

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 Connection Matrix-continued
Each row of a matrix denotes the out links of the node corresponding to that row.
Each column denotes the in links corresponding to that node.
A branch is a node with more than one nonzero entry in its row.
A junction is node with more than one nonzero entry in its column.
A self loop is an entry along the diagonal.

Cyclomatic Complexity
∑ The cyclomatic complexity obtained by subtracting 1 from the total number of entries in each
row and ignoring rows with no entries, we obtain the equivalent number of decisions for each
row. Adding these values and then adding 1 to the sum yields the graph’s cyclomaticcomplexity.

118
 Relations
A relation is a property that exists between two objects of interest.
For example,
∑ “Node a is connected to node b” or aRb where “R” means “is connected to”.
∑ “a>=b” or aRb where “R” means greater than or equal”.
A graph consists of set of abstract objects called nodes and a relation R between the nodes.
If aRb, which is to say that a has the relation R to b, it is denoted by a link from a to b.
For some relations we can associate properties called as link weights.

Transitive Relations
A relation is transitive if aRb and bRc implies aRc.
Most relations used in testing are transitive.
Examples of transitive relations include: is connected to, is greater than or equal to, is less than
or equal to, is a relative of, is faster than, is slower than, takes more time than, is a subset of,
includes, shadows, is the boss of.
Examples of intransitive relations include: is acquainted with, is a friend of, is a neighbor of, is
lied to, has a du chain between.

Reflexive Relations
A relation R is reflexive if, for every a, aRa.
A reflexive relation is equivalent to a self loop at every node.
Examples of reflexive relations include: equals, is acquainted with, is a relative of.
Examples of irreflexive relations include: not equals, is a friend of, is on top of, is under.

Symmetric Relations
A relation R is symmetric if for every a and b, aRb implies bRa.
A symmetric relation mean that if there is a link from a to b then there is also a link from b to a.

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 A graph whose relations are not symmetric are called directed graph.
A graph over a symmetric relation is called an undirected graph.
The matrix of an undirected graph is symmetric (aij=aji) for all i,j)

Antisymmetric Relations
A relation R is antisymmetric if for every a and b, if aRb and bRa, then a=b, or they are the same
elements.
Examples of antisymmetric relations: is greater than or equal to, is a subset of, time.
Examples of nonantisymmetric relations: is connected to, can be reached from, is greater than,
is a relative of, is a friend of

quivalence Relations
An equivalence relation is a relation that satisfies the reflexive, transitive, and symmetric
properties.
Equality is the most familiar example of an equivalence relation.
If a set of objects satisfy an equivalence relation, we say that they form an equivalence class
over that relation.
The importance of equivalence classes and relations is that any member of the equivalence class
is, with respect to the relation, equivalent to any other member of that class.
The idea behind partition testing strategies such as domain testing and path testing, is that we
can partition the input space into equivalence classes.
Testing any member of the equivalence class is as effective as testing them all.

Partial Ordering Relations

A partial ordering relation satisfies the reflexive, transitive, and antisymmetric properties.
Partial ordered graphs have several important properties: they are loop free, there is at least
one maximum element, and there is at least one minimum element.

The Powers of a Matrix

∑ Each entry in the graph’s matrix expresses a relation between the pair of nodes that
corresponds to that entry.
Squaring the matrix yields a new matrix that expresses the relation between each pair of nodes
via one intermediate node under the assumption that the relation is transitive.
The square of the matrix represents all path segments two links long.
The third power represents all path segments three links long.
Matrix Powers and Products
Given a matrix whose entries are aij, the square of that matrix is obtained by replacing every
entry with

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 ∑ n
∑ aij=Σ aik akj
∑ k=1
more generally, given two matrices A and B with entries aik and bkj, respectively, their
product is a new matrix C, whose entries are cij, where:
ß n
∑ Cij=Σ aik bkj
∑ k=1

Partitioning Algorithm
Consider any graph over a transitive relation. The graph may have loops.
We would like to partition the graph by grouping nodes in such a way that every loop is
contained within one group or another.
Such a graph is partially ordered.
There are many used for an algorithm that does that:
We might want to embed the loops within a subroutine so as to have a resulting graph which
is loop free at the top level.
Many graphs with loops are easy to analyze if you know where to break theloops.
∑ While you and I can recognize loops, it’s much harder to program a tool to do it unless you
have a solid algorithm on which to base the tool.

Node Reduction Algorithm (General)

The matrix powers usually tell us more than we want to know about most graphs.
In the context of testing, we usually interested in establishing a relation between two nodes-
typically the entry and exit nodes.
In a debugging context it is unlikely that we would want to know the path expression
between every node and every other node.
The advantage of matrix reduction method is that it is more methodical than the graphical
method called as node by node removal algorithm.
1. Select a node for removal; replace the node by equivalent links that bypass that node and
add those links to the links they parallel.
2. Combine the parallel terms and simplify as you can.
3. Observe loop terms and adjust the out links of every node that had a self loop to account for
the effect of the loop.
4. The result is a matrix whose size has been reduced by 1. Continue until only the two nodes of
interest exist.

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