Generating test data from SOFL specifications

Software testing can only be formalized and quanti ed when a solid basis for test generation can be de ned. Bases that are commonly used include the source code, control ow graphs, design representations, and speci cations/requirements. Formal speci cations represent a signi cant opportunity for testing because they precisely describe what functions the software is supposed to provide in a form that can be easily manipulated. In this paper, we present a new method for generating tests from formal speci cations. This method is comprehensive in speci cation coverage, applies at several levels of abstraction, and can be highly automated. We apply our method to SOFL speci cations, describe the technique, and demonstrate the application on a case study. A preliminary evaluation using a code-level coverage criterion (mutation testing), indicates that the method can result in very e ective tests.