Skip to main content

Advertisement

Springer Nature Link
Log in

Automatic test case generation through collaboration diagram: a case study

  • Original Article
  • Published:
International Journal of System Assurance Engineering and Management Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Testing process consists of designing set test cases which are efficient enough to identify the faults in the system. Automatic test case generation by UML diagrams helps to detect the faults in the system at an early stage, thereby, reducing the cost and the effort to rectify them. Collaboration diagrams represent a significant opportunity for testing because they precisely describe how the system interacts with its components. Moreover, they capture the dynamic behavior of the objects in the system unlike any other UML diagram. Hence, it can be used for efficient automatic test case generation. Still, there exists a limited research in this domain, thereby making it an apt choice for study. This paper presents an approach to generate test cases automatically from collaboration diagrams and validation of results using mutation testing. The study found that the proposed algorithm generates test cases automatically from collaboration diagrams ensuring adequate path coverage and avoiding infinite loops. The algorithm was further found to be highly efficient in identifying mutants in wide range of scenarios.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

We’re sorry, something doesn't seem to be working properly.

Please try refreshing the page. If that doesn't work, please contact support so we can address the problem.

Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Fig. 3
Fig. 4
Fig. 5
Fig. 6
Fig. 7
Fig. 8
Fig. 9
Fig. 10
Fig. 11

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Abdurazik A, Offutt J (2000) Using UML collaboration diagrams for static checking and test generation. In The Unified Modeling Language UML, pp 383–395

  • Anand S, Burke EK, Chen TY, Clark J, Cohen MB, Grieskamp W, McMinn P (2013) An orchestrated survey of methodologies for automated software test case generation. J Syst Softw 86(8):1978–2001

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Asthana S, Tripathi S, Singh SK (2010) A novel approach to generate test cases using class and sequence diagrams. Contemp Comput 95:155–167

    Article  MATH  Google Scholar 

  • Batth SS, Vieira ER, Cavalli A, Uyar MU (2007) Specification of timed EFSM fault models in SDL. In: Formal techniques for networked and distributed systems–FORTE 2007, pp 50–65

  • Bently WG, Miller EF (1993) CT coverage—initial results. Softw Qual J 2(1):29–47

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bertolino A, Basanieri F (2000) A practical approach to UML-based derivation of integration tests. In: 4th international software quality week Europe and international internet quality week Europe (QWE 2000), pp 92–110

  • Binder R (2000) Testing object-oriented systems: models, patterns, and tools. Addison-Wesley Professional, Boston

    Google Scholar 

  • Biswal BN, NandaP, Mohapatra DP (2008) A novel approach for scenario-based test case generation. In: International conference on information technology, pp 244–247

  • Bombieri N, Fummi F, Pravadelli G (2008) A mutation model for the SystemC TLM 2.0 communication interfaces. In: Proceedings of the conference on design, automation and test in Europe, pp 396–401

  • Briand L, Labiche Y (2002) A UML-based approach to system testing. Softw Syst Model 1(1):10–42

    Article  MATH  Google Scholar 

  • Cartaxo EG, Neto FG, Machado PD (2007) Test case generation by means of UML sequence diagrams and labeled transition systems. In: IEEE international conference on systems, man and cybernetics, pp 1292–1297

  • Elghondakly R, Moussa S, Badr N (2016) An optimized approach for automated test case generation and validation for UML diagrams. Asian J Inf Technol 15(21):4276–4290

    Google Scholar 

  • Fabbri SC, Delamaro ME, Maldonado JC, Masiero PC (1994) Mutation analysis testing for finite state machines. In: Proceedings of 5th international symposium on software reliability engineering, pp 220–229

  • Fraser G, Wotawa F (2007) Mutant minimization for model-checker based test-case generation. In: Testing: academic and industrial conference practice and research techniques-MUTATION, pp 161–168

  • Garg D, Datta A, French T (2012) New test case prioritization strategies for regression testing of web applications. Int J Syst Assur Eng Manag 3(4):300–309

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Gnesi S, Latella D, Massink M (2004) Formal test-case generation for UML statecharts. In: Proceedings ninth IEEE international conference on engineering complex computer systems, pp 75–84

  • Hartmann J, Vieira M, Foster H, Ruder A (2005) A UML-based approach to system testing. Innov Syst Softw Eng 1(1):12–24

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Heinecke A, Bruckmann T, Griebe T, Gruhn V. (2010) Generating test plans for acceptance tests from uml activity diagrams. In: 17th IEEE international conference and workshops on engineering of computer based systems, pp 57–66

  • Hou X, Wang Y, Zheng H, Tang G (2010) Integration testing system scenarios generation based on UML. In: International conference on computer, mechatronics, control and electronic engineering, vol 1, pp 271–273

  • Javed AZ, Strooper PA, Watson GN (2007) Automated generation of test cases using model-driven architecture. In: Second international workshop on automation of software test, pp 3–3

  • Jia Y, Harman M (2011) An analysis and survey of the development of mutation testing. IEEE Trans Softw Eng 37(5):649–678

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kansomkeat S, Rivepiboon W (2003) Automated-generating test case using UML statechart diagrams. In: Proceedings of the 2003 annual research conference of the South African institute of computer scientists and information technologists on Enablement through technology, pp 296–300

  • Kansomkeat S, Thiket P, Offutt J (2010) Generating test cases from UML activity diagrams using the condition-classification tree method. In: 2nd international conference on software technology and engineering, vol 1, V1-62

  • Kaur A, Vig V (2012) Systematic review of automatic test case generation by UML diagrams. Int J Eng Res Technol 1(6):1–17

    Google Scholar 

  • Kim YG, Hong HS, Bae DH, Cha SD (1999) Test cases generation from UML state diagrams. IEE Proc Softw 146(4):187–192

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Lee D, Yannakakis M (1996) Principles and methods of testing finite state machines—a survey. Proc IEEE 84(8):1090–1123

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Linzhang W, Jiesong Y, Xiaofeng Y, Jun H, Xuandong L, Guo Z (2004) Generating test cases from UML activity diagram based on gray-box method. In: 11th Asia-Pacific software engineering conference, pp 284–291

  • Liuying L, Zhichang Q (1999) Test selection from UML statecharts. In: Proceedings of technology of object-oriented languages and systems, pp 273–279

  • Mani P, Prasanna M (2017) Test case generation for embedded system software using UMLl interaction diagram. J Eng Sci Technol 12(4):860–874

    Google Scholar 

  • Mingsong C, Xiaokang Q, Xuandong L (2006) Automatic test case generation for UML activity diagrams. In: Proceedings of the 2006 international workshop on automation of software test, pp 2–8

  • Offutt J, Abdurazik A (1999) Generating tests from UML specifications. In «UML»’99—The Unified Modeling Language, pp 416–429

  • Offutt AJ, Pan J, Voas JM (1995) Procedures for reducing the size of coverage-based test sets. In: Proceedings of twelfth international conference testing computer software

  • Panthi V, Mohapatra DP (2016) Generating and evaluating effectiveness of test sequences using state machine. Int J Syst Assur Eng Manag 8(2):1–11

    Google Scholar 

  • Prasanna M, Chandran KR, Thiruvenkadam K (2011) Automatic test case generation for UML collaboration diagrams. IETE J Res 57(1):77–81

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Salman D, Hashim NL (2016) Automatic test case generation from UML state chart diagram: a survey. Adv Comput Commun Eng Technol 362:123–134

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Samuel P, Mall R (2009) Slicing-based test case generation from uml activity diagrams. ACM SIGSOFT Softw Eng Notes 34(6):1–14

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Samuel P, Mall R, Kanth P (2007) Automatic test case generation from UML communication diagrams. Inf Softw Technol 49(2):158–171

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Samuel P, Mall R, Bothra AK (2008) Automatic test case generation using unified modeling language (UML) state diagrams. Softw IET 2(2):79–93

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Santiago V, Amaral ASMD, Vijaykumar NL, Mattiello-Francisco MF, Martins E, Lopes OC (2006) A practical approach for automated test case generation using statecharts. In: 30th annual international computer software and applications conference vol 2, pp 183–188

  • Sarma M, Mall R (2009) Automatic generation of test specifications for coverage of system state transitions. Inf Softw Technol Inf Softw Technol 51(2):418–432

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Sarma M, Kundu D, Mall R (2007) Automatic test case generation from UML sequence diagram. In: International conference on advanced computing and communications, pp 60–67

  • Shirole M, Kumar R (2013) UML behavioral model based test case generation: a survey. ACM SIGSOFT Softw Eng Notes 38(4):1–13

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Swain SK, Mohapatra DP (2010) Test case generation from behavioral UML models. Int J Comput Appl 6(8):5–11

    Google Scholar 

  • Swain RK, Panthi V, Mohapatra DP, Behera PK (2014) Prioritizing test scenarios from UML communication and activity diagrams. Innov Syst Softw Eng 10(3):165–180

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Trakhtenbrot M (2007) New mutations for evaluation of specification and implementation levels of adequacy in testing of statecharts models. In: Testing: academic and industrial conference practice and research techniques-MUTATION, pp 151–160

  • Viswanathan SE, Samuel P (2016) Automatic code generation using unified modeling language activity and sequence models. IET Softw 10(6):164–172

    Google Scholar 

  • Wang X, Guo L, Miao H (2008) An approach to transforming UML model to FSM model for automatic testing. In: International conference on computer science and software engineering vol 2, pp 251–254

  • OMG. Unified Modeling Language Specification, Version 2.0. Object Management Group. www.omg.org

  • Yoon H, Choi B, Jeon JO (1998) Mutation-based inter-class testing. In: Asia Pacific software engineering conference, pp 174–181

  • Zhang C, Duan Z, Tian BYC, Ding M (2016) A test case generation approach based on sequence diagram and automata models. Chin J Electron 25(2):234–240

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. USICT, Guru Gobind Singh Indraprastha University, Sec 16-C, Dwarka, Delhi, India

    Arvinder Kaur & Vidhi Vig

Authors
  1. Arvinder Kaur
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author inPubMed Google Scholar

  2. Vidhi Vig
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author inPubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Vidhi Vig.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Kaur, A., Vig, V. Automatic test case generation through collaboration diagram: a case study. Int J Syst Assur Eng Manag 9, 362–376 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/s13198-017-0675-8

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Revised:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s13198-017-0675-8

Keywords