Observability using aspect-oriented programming for OO software testing

Abstract

Software testing is a process of executing software with the goal of finding errors. It is an important phase in the software development process. It still remains an art due to limitations in understanding of the principles of software. In this paper, we present a new approach to testing object-oriented software using aspect-oriented programming. We propose an aspect-based testing technique that facilitates observing internal details of execution at unit, integration and system levels, during testing of objectoriented software. Our technique adapts logging aspect, to suit the testing needs of object-oriented software. The logging aspect is introduced externally to the software under test, for observing the system's internal and external behavior. The internal execution details are stored in a log file for use during post-analysis. Test coverage reports are generated from the information gathered from the log file. It includes coverage at method, class, inheritance and dynamic binding levels.