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A Safe, Efficient Regression Test Selection Technique
ACM Transactions on Software Engineering and Methodology
vol. 6, no. 2, April 1997, pp. 173-210
Gregg Rothermel and Mary Jean Harrold
Abstract
Regression testing is an expensive
but necessary maintenance activity
performed on modified software to
provide confidence that changes are
correct and do not adversely affect
other portions of the software.
A regression test selection technique
chooses, from an existing test set,
tests that are deemed necessary
to validate modified software.
Most regression test selection
techniques depend on a particular test
adequacy criterion or require prior
knowledge of where code has been modified.
We present a new technique for regression
test selection that is neither adequacy-based,
nor requires prior knowledge of modifications.
Our algorithms construct control flow graphs
for a procedure or program and its modified
version, and use these graphs to select
tests, from the original test set,
that execute changed code.
We prove that under certain conditions,
the set of tests our algorithms select
includes every test, from the original
test suite, that can expose faults
in the modified procedure or program.
Thus, under these conditions,
the algorithms are safe.
Moreover, although our algorithms may
select some tests that cannot expose faults,
they are at least as precise as other safe
regression test selection algorithms.
Unlike many other regression test
selection algorithms, our algorithms
handle all language constructs,
and all types of program modifications.
We have implemented our algorithms;
initial empirical studies indicate
that our technique can significantly
reduce the cost of regression
testing modified software.
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