Software testing for evolutionary iterative rapid prototyping

Abstract

Rapid prototyping is emerging as a promising software development paradigm. It provides a systematic and automatable means of developing a software system under circumstances where initial requirements are not well known or where requirements change frequently during development. To provide high software quality assurance requires sufficient software testing. The unique nature of evolutionary iterative prototyping is not well-suited for classical testing methodologies, therefore the need exists for a testing methodology tailored for this prototyping paradigm. This thesis surveys current prototyping and testing practices to provide a foundation for developing a software testing methodology for prototyping. The thesis then describes a testing methodology for rapid prototyping, Spiral Testing, and the Test Goal Tracking System (TGTS), a requirements-based testing tool developed for use with the Computer Aided Prototyping System (CAPS). TGTS provides the first in an anticipated family of testing tools to support the CAPS environment. This thesis shows key prototyping characteristics impinging on testing, the value of Spiral Testing and the feasibility and qualities of complementary testing tools to support evolutionary iterative rapid prototyping.