Test oracle: Difference between revisions

Revision as of 13:41, 26 April 2024

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{{Use American English|date=January 2021}}

{{other uses|Oracle (disambiguation)}}

In [[software testing]], a '''test oracle''' (or just '''oracle''') is a provider of information that describes [[Correctness (computer science)|correct]] output based on the input of a [[test case|test case]]. Testing with an oracle involves comparing actual results of the system under test (SUT) with the expected results as provided by the oracle. <ref>Earl T. Barr et al; ''[https://ieeexplore.ieee.org/stamp/stamp.jsp?arnumber=6963470 The Oracle Problem in Software Testing: A Survey]'', 2015</ref>

The term "test oracle" was first introduced in a paper by William E. Howden.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Howden |first1=W.E. |date=July 1978 |title=Theoretical and Empirical Studies of Program Testing |journal=IEEE Transactions on Software Engineering |volume=4 |issue=4 |pages=293–298 |doi=10.1109/TSE.1978.231514 }}</ref> Additional work on different kinds of oracles was explored by [[Elaine Weyuker]].<ref>Weyuker, Elaine J.; "The Oracle Assumption of Program Testing", in ''Proceedings of the 13th International Conference on System Sciences (ICSS), Honolulu, HI, January 1980'', pp. 44-49</ref>