RE: [hyades-dev] Re: [Hyades-team] Test and trace model alignment - clar

["Michael Silverstein" <msilverstein@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Allan K Pratt wrote:
> 
> Stefan makes a good point about the trace and test models needing to 
> coordinate, because they have many concepts and maybe a few 
> classes in 
> common.
> 
<snip> 
> So I will answer the question "Why are trace and test different?" by 
> saying "They might be similar, but in general a trace is much more 
> fine-grained and exact, while a test is more coarse-grained 
> and abstract." 
> Also, the data you attach to something like a "function 
> invocation" in the 
> model is different: trace data includes a lot of information 
> about entry 
> and exit timing, for example, which makes no sense for a test model. 
> Conversely, a test model contains data tables for supplying 
> arguments, 
> while a trace captures the actual data that was observed during one 
> specific execution of the SUT. (If the trace captures data at 
> all, that 
> is.)

From SilverMark's perspective, a test simply represents stimuli on a
system, and one or more verdicts on the responses to those stimuli. A
response may be quantified in terms of several things, including:
- a returned object
- internal state change
- event(s) fired
- a graph of the execution path through the code (stack slices) and the
time spent at various nodes within it

The granularity of the graph is motivated by the purpose of the test,
such as:
- locating performance bottlenecks. The granularity of the graph is
likely to change as the user zeros in on problem areas
- debugging   ""  ""
- test execution progress. Low granularity. Just interested in points
where stimuli are applied
- generating tests from interactions between specific objects. High
granularity, highly filtered.

I'm not sure if the above implies much overlap between the test model
and the trace model, but it does imply that there is a close
relationship between the two and that being able to easily adjust the
trace granularity from test run to test run is important.

-----------------------------
Mike Silverstein
SilverMark, Inc.
The Object Testing Company
www.javatesting.com
**********************************
* Providers of the "Test Mentor" *
* Java component testing tool    *
**********************************

---
Outgoing mail is certified Virus Free.
Checked by AVG anti-virus system (http://www.grisoft.com).
Version: 6.0.471 / Virus Database: 269 - Release Date: 4/10/2003