Computer Program Generates Test Cases

An Automated Test Case Generator computer program generates parameter-based test cases for testing software and hardware systems. Given N parameters — each of which represents a kind of variation for testing — and a finite set of possible values for each parameter, the program generates individual test cases by selecting a value for each parameter. Collectively, test cases cover the space of possible combinations to a degree specified by the user. The program selects parameter values according to a combinatorial design that generates a near-minimum number of test cases to afford the user-specified coverage. The program is especially suitable for systems having a large number of value combinations in which there is a need for a user-specified degree of coverage in a relatively small test suite. An evaluation on test parameters from the Deep Space One mission revealed that this program generated fewer test cases than did a prior test-case-generator program. The performance of this program is comparable to that of an Internet-based service called AETG. However, unlike AETG, this program uses a purely deterministic algorithm, is amenable to modification by the user, and can be incorporated into other programs.