{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,6,12]],"date-time":"2026-06-12T10:09:39Z","timestamp":1781258979327,"version":"3.54.1"},"reference-count":47,"publisher":"Wiley","issue":"7","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2013,4,22]],"date-time":"2013-04-22T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1366588800000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/2.zoppoz.workers.dev:443\/http\/onlinelibrary.wiley.com\/termsAndConditions#vor"}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["Software Testing Verif &amp; Rel"],"published-print":{"date-parts":[[2013,11]]},"abstract":"<jats:title>SUMMARY<\/jats:title><jats:p>The length of test cases is a little investigated topic in search\u2010based test generation for object\u2010oriented software, where test cases are sequences of method calls. Although intuitively longer tests can achieve higher overall code coverage, there is always the threat of <jats:italic>bloat<\/jats:italic> \u2013 a complex phenomenon in evolutionary computation, where the length abnormally grows over time. In this paper, we show that bloat indeed also occurs in the context of test generation for object\u2010oriented software. We present different techniques to overcome the problem of length bloat, and evaluate all possible combinations of these techniques using different starting lengths for the search. Experiments on a set of difficult search targets, selected from several open source and industrial projects, show that controlling bloat with the appropriate techniques can significantly improve the search performance. Copyright \u00a9 2013 John Wiley &amp; Sons, Ltd.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.1002\/stvr.1495","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2013,4,22]],"date-time":"2013-04-22T07:56:03Z","timestamp":1366617363000},"page":"553-582","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":18,"title":["Handling test length bloat"],"prefix":"10.1002","volume":"23","author":[{"given":"Gordon","family":"Fraser","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"University of Sheffield Department of Computer Science  Regent Court, 211 Portobello Sheffield S1 4DP UK"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Andrea","family":"Arcuri","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Simula Research Laboratory  P.O. Box 134 1325 Lysaker Norway"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"311","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2013,4,22]]},"reference":[{"key":"e_1_2_9_2_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1002\/stvr.294"},{"key":"e_1_2_9_3_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1109\/TSE.2009.52"},{"key":"e_1_2_9_4_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1007\/s10710-008-9075-9"},{"key":"e_1_2_9_5_1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"FraserG ArcuriA.It is not the length that matters it is how you control it.IEEE International Conference on Software Testing Verification and Validation (ICST) Berlin Germany 2011;150\u2013159.","DOI":"10.1109\/ICST.2011.54"},{"key":"e_1_2_9_6_1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"TonellaP.Evolutionary testing of classes.ACM International Symposium on Software Testing and Analysis (ISSTA) Boston Massachusetts USA 2004;119\u2013128.","DOI":"10.1145\/1013886.1007528"},{"key":"e_1_2_9_7_1","first-page":"31","volume-title":"International Conference on Quality Software (QSIC)","author":"Fraser G","year":"2011"},{"key":"e_1_2_9_8_1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"FraserG ArcuriA.EvoSuite: Automatic test suite generation for object\u2010oriented software.ACM Symposium on the Foundations of Software Engineering (FSE) Szeged Hungary 2011;416\u2013419.","DOI":"10.1145\/2025113.2025179"},{"key":"e_1_2_9_9_1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"ArcuriA BriandL.A practical guide for using statistical tests to assess randomized algorithms in software engineering.ACM\/IEEE International Conference on Software Engineering (ICSE) Waikiki Honolulu HI USA 2011;1\u201310.","DOI":"10.1145\/1985793.1985795"},{"key":"e_1_2_9_10_1","first-page":"147","volume-title":"ACM International Symposium on Software Testing and Analysis (ISSTA)","author":"Fraser G","year":"2010"},{"key":"e_1_2_9_11_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1109\/TSE.1984.5010257"},{"key":"e_1_2_9_12_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1109\/TSE.2011.121"},{"key":"e_1_2_9_13_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1145\/360248.360252"},{"key":"e_1_2_9_14_1","first-page":"1053","volume-title":"Genetic and Evolutionary Computation Conference (GECCO)","author":"Wappler S","year":"2005"},{"key":"e_1_2_9_15_1","first-page":"1819","volume-title":"Genetic and Evolutionary Computation Conference (GECCO)","author":"Ribeiro JCB","year":"2008"},{"key":"e_1_2_9_16_1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"InkumsahK XieT.Improving structural testing of object\u2010oriented programs via integrating evolutionary testing and symbolic execution.ASE'08: Proceedings of the 23rd IEEE\/ACM International Conference on Automated Software Engineering L'Aquila Italy 2008;297\u2013306.","DOI":"10.1109\/ASE.2008.40"},{"key":"e_1_2_9_17_1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"MalburgJ FraserG.Combining search\u2010based and constraint\u2010based testing.IEEE\/ACM International Conference on Automated Software Engineering (ASE) Lawrence Kansas USA 2011;436\u2013439.","DOI":"10.1109\/ASE.2011.6100092"},{"key":"e_1_2_9_18_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1016\/j.ins.2007.11.024"},{"key":"e_1_2_9_19_1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"BaresiL LanziPL MirazM.Testful: an evolutionary test approach for java.IEEE International Conference On Software Testing Verification And Validation (ICST) Paris France 2010;185\u2013194.","DOI":"10.1109\/ICST.2010.54"},{"key":"e_1_2_9_20_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1109\/TSE.2010.46"},{"key":"e_1_2_9_21_1","volume-title":"Multi\u2010Objective Optimization Using Evolutionary Algorithms","author":"Deb K","year":"2001"},{"key":"e_1_2_9_22_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1109\/TSE.2009.71"},{"key":"e_1_2_9_23_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1109\/TSE.2011.44"},{"key":"e_1_2_9_24_1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"AndrewsJH GroceA WestonM XuRG.Random test run length and effectiveness.IEEE\/ACM International Conference on Automated Software Engineering (ASE) L'Aquila Italy 2008;19\u201328.","DOI":"10.1109\/ASE.2008.12"},{"key":"e_1_2_9_25_1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"FraserG GargantiniA.Experiments on the test case length in specification based test case generation.International Workshop on Automation in Software Test (AST) Vancouver BC 2009;18\u201326.","DOI":"10.1109\/IWAST.2009.5069037"},{"key":"e_1_2_9_26_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1109\/6.819926"},{"key":"e_1_2_9_27_1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"HarmanM.The current state and future of search based software engineering.Future of Software Engineering (FOSE) Minneapolis MN USA 2007;342\u2013357.","DOI":"10.1109\/FOSE.2007.29"},{"key":"e_1_2_9_28_1","volume-title":"Genetic Programming: On the Programming of Computers by Means of Natural Selection","author":"Koza JR","year":"1992"},{"key":"e_1_2_9_29_1","first-page":"633","volume-title":"The 1998 IEEE International Conference on Evolutionary Computation Proceedings, 1998. IEEE World Congress on Computational Intelligence","author":"Langdon WB","year":"1998"},{"key":"e_1_2_9_30_1","unstructured":"TackettWA.Recombination selection and the genetic construction of computer programs.Ph.D. Thesis University of Southern California 1994."},{"key":"e_1_2_9_31_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1162\/evco.1998.6.4.339"},{"key":"e_1_2_9_32_1","unstructured":"SouleT.Code growth in genetic programming.Ph.D. Thesis University of Idaho 1998."},{"key":"e_1_2_9_33_1","first-page":"163","article-title":"The evolution of size and shape","volume":"3","author":"Langdon WB","year":"1999","journal-title":"Advances in Genetic Programming"},{"key":"e_1_2_9_34_1","first-page":"781","volume-title":"The 1998 IEEE International Conference on Evolutionary Computation Proceedings, 1998. IEEE World Congress on Computational Intelligence","author":"Soule T","year":"1998"},{"key":"e_1_2_9_35_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1007\/BFb0055926"},{"key":"e_1_2_9_36_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1162\/106365603321829014"},{"key":"e_1_2_9_37_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1145\/1276958.1277277"},{"key":"e_1_2_9_38_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1007\/978-3-540-78671-9_14"},{"key":"e_1_2_9_39_1","unstructured":"WhitleyD.The genitor algorithm and selective pressure: why rank\u2010based allocation of reproductive trials is best.Proceedings of the Third International Conference on Genetic Algorithms (ICGA\u201089) Fairfax Virginia USA 1989;116\u2013121."},{"key":"e_1_2_9_40_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1002\/stvr.457"},{"key":"e_1_2_9_41_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1145\/1297846.1297902"},{"key":"e_1_2_9_42_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1002\/stvr.354"},{"key":"e_1_2_9_43_1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"ArcuriA BriandL.Adaptive random testing: an illusion of effectiveness?ACM International Symposium on Software Testing and Analysis (ISSTA) Toronto Canada 2011;265\u2013275.","DOI":"10.1145\/2001420.2001452"},{"key":"e_1_2_9_44_1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"ArcuriA IqbalMZ BriandL.Black\u2010box system testing of real\u2010time embedded systems using random and search\u2010based testing.Ifip International Conference on Testing Software and Systems (ICTSS) Natal Brazil 2010;95\u2013110.","DOI":"10.1007\/978-3-642-16573-3_8"},{"key":"e_1_2_9_45_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.3102\/10769986025002101"},{"key":"e_1_2_9_46_1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"ArcuriA FraserG.On parameter tuning in search based software engineering.International Symposium on Search Based Software Engineering (SSBSE) Szeged Hungary 2011;33\u201347.","DOI":"10.1007\/978-3-642-23716-4_6"},{"key":"e_1_2_9_47_1","volume-title":"Machine Learning","author":"Mitchell T","year":"1997"},{"key":"e_1_2_9_48_1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"FraserG ArcuriA.Sound empirical evidence in software testing.ACM\/IEEE International Conference on Software Engineering (ICSE) Zurich Switzerland 2012;178\u2013188.","DOI":"10.1109\/ICSE.2012.6227195"}],"container-title":["Software Testing, Verification and Reliability"],"original-title":[],"language":"en","link":[{"URL":"https:\/\/2.zoppoz.workers.dev:443\/https\/api.wiley.com\/onlinelibrary\/tdm\/v1\/articles\/10.1002%2Fstvr.1495","content-type":"unspecified","content-version":"vor","intended-application":"text-mining"},{"URL":"https:\/\/2.zoppoz.workers.dev:443\/https\/onlinelibrary.wiley.com\/doi\/pdf\/10.1002\/stvr.1495","content-type":"unspecified","content-version":"vor","intended-application":"similarity-checking"}],"deposited":{"date-parts":[[2023,9,13]],"date-time":"2023-09-13T22:52:02Z","timestamp":1694645522000},"score":1,"resource":{"primary":{"URL":"https:\/\/2.zoppoz.workers.dev:443\/https\/onlinelibrary.wiley.com\/doi\/10.1002\/stvr.1495"}},"subtitle":[],"short-title":[],"issued":{"date-parts":[[2013,4,22]]},"references-count":47,"journal-issue":{"issue":"7","published-print":{"date-parts":[[2013,11]]}},"alternative-id":["10.1002\/stvr.1495"],"URL":"https:\/\/2.zoppoz.workers.dev:443\/https\/doi.org\/10.1002\/stvr.1495","archive":["Portico"],"relation":{},"ISSN":["0960-0833","1099-1689"],"issn-type":[{"value":"0960-0833","type":"print"},{"value":"1099-1689","type":"electronic"}],"subject":[],"published":{"date-parts":[[2013,4,22]]}}}