A knowledge base for software test refinement

Abstract

Software testing criteria produce test descriptions that may be viewed as systems of constraints describing desired test cases. Refinement of test descriptions is possible by adding additional constraints to each test description, reducing the solution space and focusing attention upon tests that are more likely to reveal faults. This paper describes the structure of a knowledge base intended to capture potentially useful refinements, based either upon the expert knowledge of a tester or upon the software faults uncovered in prior, related projects.<>