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On the Existence of Practical Testers

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ModelEd, TestEd, TrustEd

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Abstract

Model-based testing is one of the promising technologies to increase the efficiency and effectiveness of software testing. This paper outlines the evolution of model-based testing based on labelled transition systems, from purely theoretical developments in the eighties to industrially applicable tools now: from canonical testers to practical testers. We present TorXakis as an example of a practical model-based tester, founded in the testing theory for labelled transition systems, and now being introduced in the daily practice of testing.

This work has been supported by NWO-TTW project 13859: Sumbat – Supersizing Model-Based Testing.

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Acknowledgements

I wish to thank Piërre van de Laar for many discussions and for co-developing TorXakis. Piërre van de Laar, Petra van den Bos, and Ramon Janssen are thanked for proofreading this paper.

This contribution was written in honour of Ed Brinksma for the Festschrift on the occasion of his 60th birthday. It gives a survey of the developments in formal approaches to testing, showing the important role of Ed’s work and ideas in shaping this area of scientific as well as applied research: the definition and application of formal methods, process-algebraic modelling, the formalization of testing concepts, and the canonical tester theory as its theoretical foundation. Also my own work on model-based testing is for an important part inspired and influenced by Ed’s work. I wish to thank Ed Brinksma for his inspiration, guidance, and support during many years, both at the University of Twente and at ESI. Ed, thank you, and congratulations with your 60th birthday.

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Tretmans, J. (2017). On the Existence of Practical Testers. In: Katoen, JP., Langerak, R., Rensink, A. (eds) ModelEd, TestEd, TrustEd. Lecture Notes in Computer Science(), vol 10500. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-68270-9_5

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