Using Fuzzy Logic and Symbolic Execution to Prioritize UML-RT Test Cases

Abstract

The relative ease of test case generation associated with model-based testing can lead to an increased number of test cases being identified for any given system; this is problematic as it is becoming near impossible to run (or even generate) all of the possible tests in available time frames. Test case prioritization is a method of ranking the tests in order of importance, or priority based on criteria specific to a domain or implementation, and selecting some subset of tests to generate and run. Some approaches require the generation of all tests, and simply prioritize the ones to be run, however we propose an approach that would prevent unnecessary generation of tests through the use of symbolic execution trees to determine which tests provide the most benefit to coverage of execution. Our approach makes use of fuzzy logic, specifically fuzzy control systems, to prioritize test cases generated from these execution; the prioritization is based on natural language rules about testing priority. Within this paper we present our motivation, some background research, our methodology and implementation, results, and conclusions.