Model-based Software Testing

Software testing requires the use of a model to guide such efforts as test selection and test verification. Often, such models are implicit, existing only in the head of a human tester, applying test inputs in an ad hoc fashion. The mental model testers build encapsulates application behavior, allowing testers to understand the application’s capabilities and more effectively test its range of possible behaviors. When these mental models are written down, they become sharable, reusable testing artifacts. In this case, testers are performing what has become to be known as model-based testing. Model-based testing has recently gained attention with the popularization of models (including UML) in software design and development. There are a number of models of software in use today, a few of which make good models for testing. This paper introduces model-based testing and discusses its tasks in general terms with finite state models (arguably the most popular software models) as examples. In addition, advantages, difficulties, and shortcoming of various model-based approaches are concisely presented. Finally, we close with a discussion of where model-based testing fits in the present and future of software engineering.