Random testing: Difference between revisions

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{{Refimprove|date=September 2014}}

'''Random testing''' is a black-box [[software testing]] technique where programs are tested by [[random number generation|generating]] random, independent inputs. Results of the output are compared against software specifications to verify that the test output is pass or fail.<ref name="Hamlet94"/> In case of absence of specifications the exceptions of the language are used which means if an exception arises during test execution then it means there is a fault in the program, it is also used as a way to avoid biased testing.

==History of random testing==

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In software, Duran and Ntafos had examined random testing in 1984.<ref>{{cite journal|title=An Evaluation of Random Testing|first1=J. W.|last1=Duran|first2=S. C.|last2=Ntafos|date=1 July 1984|journal=IEEE Transactions on Software Engineering|volume=SE-10|issue=4|pages=438–444|doi=10.1109/TSE.1984.5010257}}</ref>

The use of hypothesis testing as a theoretical basis for random testing was described by Howden in ''Functional Testing and Analysis''. The book also contained the development of a simple formula for estimating the number of tests ''n'' that are needed to have confidence at least 1-1/''n'' in a failure rate of no larger than 1/n. The formula is the lower bound ''n''log''n'', which indicates the large number of failure-free tests needed to have even modest confidence in a modest failure rate bound.<ref name=":0">{{Cite book|last=Howden|first=William|title=Functional Program Testing and Analysis|publisher=McGraw Hill|year=1987|isbn=0-07-030550-1|___location=New York|pages=51-5351–53}}</ref>

==Overview==

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===Guided vs. unguided===

*undirected random test generation - with no heuristics to guide its search

*directed random test generation - e.g. "feedback-directed random test generation"<ref name="PachecoLET2007">{{cite journalbook|last=Pacheco|first=Carlos|author2=Shuvendu K. Lahiri |author3=Michael D. Ernst |author4=Thomas Ball |titlechapter=Feedback-directedDirected randomRandom testTest Generation generation|journaltitle=ICSE '07: Proceedings of the 29th International Conference on Software Engineering (ICSE'07)|date=May 2007|pages=75–84|doi=10.1109/ICSE.2007.37 |isbn=978-0-7695-2828-1 |chapter-url=http://people.csail.mit.edu/cpacheco/publications/feedback-random.pdf|issn=0270-5257}}</ref> and "adaptive random testing" <ref name="ART">{{citation |last1=T.Y. Chen |last2=F.-C. Kuo |last3=R.G. Merkel |last4=T.H. Tse |title=Adaptive random testing: The ART of test case diversity |journal=Journal of Systems and Software |volume=83 |issue=1 |pages=60-6660–66 |date=2010 |doi=10.1016/j.jss.2009.02.022|hdl=10722/89054 |url=https://figshare.com/articles/journal_contribution/26243711 |hdl-access=free }}</ref>

== Implementations ==

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*[http://c2.com/cgi/wiki?RandomTesting Random Testing wiki] at Cunningham & Cunningham, Inc.

{{software testing}}

[[Category:Software testing]]