A Framework of Test-to-Test Transformations to Improve Fault Detection Efficacy

Speaker: Prof. Sebastian Elbaum, University of Nebraska
Host: Prof. Neno MedvidovicAbstract:
Testing is the most common practice to assess and improve software quality. Testing is also expensive, often consuming more than fifty percent of software development costs. To reduce such costs, companies must focus their testing efforts on specific and limited types of tests. This tactic, however, sacrifices timely fault detection. To address this problem we have developed an approach to transform existing tests into new tests with complementary fault detection power and applicability. In this talk I will discuss two of such test-to-test transformations: 1) a carving transformation that partitions system tests into unit tests for developers to use earlier in the life cycle, and 2) an aggregating transformation that stitches unit tests to form integration tests that exercise untested behavior. I will conclude by presenting a vision for a framework of test representations and transformations that will enable researchers and practitioners to treat tests as data that can be easily manipulated, abstracted, and composed to create new tests with unique capabilities.Biography:
Sebastian Elbaum is an Associate Professor at the Computer Science and Engineering Department at the University of Nebraska - Lincoln. His research aims to improve software dependability through testing, monitoring, and analysis. He is the recipient of an NSF Career Award, an IBM Innovation Award, two ACM SigSoft Distinguished Paper Awards, and an UNL Award for Excellence in Graduate Education. He served as Program Chair for the 2007 International Symposium on Software Testing and Analysis, and as Program Co-Chair for the 2008 Empirical Software Engineering Symposium. He received his Ph.D. from the University of Idaho, and a Systems Engineering degree from Universidad Catolica de Cordoba, Argentina.

Location: Seaver Science Library (SSL) - 150

Audiences: Everyone Is Invited

Contact: CS Colloquia