On How Characteristics that Hinder Test Data Generation Using Symbolic Execution Combine: An Analysis of the SF100 Benchmark

Author(s)

Eler, Marcelo Medeiros ; Endo, Andre Takeshi ; Durelli, Vinicius H. S. ; Eler, Danilo Medeiros ; IEEE

• Document type: Journal article
• Source: PROCEEDINGS OF THE 2016 35TH INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE OF THE CHILEAN COMPUTER SCIENCE SOCIETY (SCCC); v. N/A, p. 6-pg., 2016-01-01.

Abstract

Symbolic execution has made great strides in the last two decades. However, some characteristics of programs still pose significant challenges to test data generation techniques that use symbolic execution and constraint solving. These challenges present themselves in the form of path explosion, constraint complexity, dependency, and exception-dependent paths. The few studies conducted to date to examine the distribution of such characteristics only investigate them separately. We posit that understanding how the combination of these characteristics appear in real world software may provide a more in-depth knowledge of the limitations of current tools and test data generation techniques. Thus, we analyzed a benchmark comprising 100 open source Java programs to get some insight into the frequency of methods that have combinations of the studied characteristics and the distribution of methods whose path constraints share similar structures. (AU)

• FAPESP's process: 14/08713-9 - Automatic test data generation to cover exception-dependent paths using symbolic execution
• Grantee: Marcelo Medeiros Eler
• Support Opportunities: Regular Research Grants
• FAPESP's process: 13/03452-0 - An extensible coordination model for coordinated and multiple views and approaches to aid the visual analysis process
• Grantee: Danilo Medeiros Eler
• Support Opportunities: Regular Research Grants