Software testing

Department of
Software
engineering 4th
Year
Software testing and quality
assurance
Presented by: Demeke M.
MEKDELA AMBA U.
Chapter 4 part II

Chapter
four
White Box

Data Testing
flow

te sti
 Data flow testing 3
Introduction
o A program unit such as a function, accepts input values, performs computations while
assigning new values to local and global variables, and, finally, produces output
values.
o Therefore, one can imagine a kind of “flow” of data values between variables along a
path of program execution
o A data value computed in a certain step of program execution is expected to be used in a
later step.
Example: Obtain a file pointer ……. use it later.
• If the later use is never verified, we do not know if the earlier assignment is acceptable.
Data flow testing 4
Data flow testing
o Data flow testing is one form of structural testing or white box testing
approach.
o Data flow testing is the flow of data in a program/instruction.
o It is a method that is used to aims to identify and eliminate potential
anomalies that could disrupt the flow of data, leading to program
malfunctions or erroneous outputs.
Data flow testing 5
Cont.
o … issues such as
By analyzing control flow graphs, data flow testing aims to identify
unused variables or incorrect definitions, ensuring proper handling of data within
the code.
o We focus on the points at which
• Variable received value
• At which these values are used
Data flow testing 6
Cont.
o Variable occur in statement as
…
 Definition – def
• Either initialization, input or assignment
• E.g. int x, x = 3, input x
 Computational usage – c-use
• Variable are use in write statement
• E.g. y = x+9; (in this case x is used)
 Predicate – p-use
• Variable are used in a decision-making context, such as in a condition or a
predicate expression (e.g., in an if statement, while loop, or for loop).
• E.g. if(x != 0)
Data flow testing 7

Benefit of data flow testing

o Data flow testing find the following issues
• Increased code coverage: It ensures that all definitions and uses of variables
are tested.
• Improved reliability: By ensuring correct use of variables, you can
catch potential errors related to uninitialized or incorrectly modified
variables.
• Helps detect unused code: If certain definitions or variables aren’t used, they
might indicate unnecessary code that should be refactored.
• Effective debugging
• Data flow testing detect improper use of data values due to coding errors.
Data flow testing 8

Type of data flow testing

o Static data flow testing
• Identify potential defects, commonly known as data flow
anomaly.
• Analyze source code.
• Do not execute code.
o Dynamic data flow testing
 Involves actual program execution.
 Bears similarity with control flow testing.
• Identify paths to execute them.
• Paths are identified based on data flow testing criteria.
Data flow testing 9

Data flow anomaly

o Anomaly: It is an abnormal way of doing something.
• For example, it is an abnormal situation to successively assign two values to a
variable without using the first value.
o Early data flow analysis often centered on a set of faults that are now known as
define/reference anomalies.
o There are 3 type of anomaly when using variable. Those are
1. dd anomaly: Defined twice before used
2. du anomaly: Defined but never used/referenced
3. ud anomaly: Used before defined
Data flow testing 1
Cont. 0
o Type 1: dd - Defined and then defined again …
• Example 1: The second definition of x overrides the first.

x = f1(y);
x = f2(z);
o Type 2: Undefined but referenced
• A second form of data flow anomaly is to use an undefined
variable in a computation.
• Example: int x, y;
x = x – y – w; /* where the variable w has not been initialized/defined by the
programmer. */
Data flow testing 1
Cont. 1

o Type 3: Defined but not referenced

…
• A third kind of data flow anomaly is to define a variable and then to undefine it
without using it in any subsequent computation.
• Example: Consider x = f(x, y). in which a new value is assigned to the variable
x.
• If the value of x is not used in any subsequent computation, then we should be
suspicious of the computation represented by x = f (x, y). Hence, this form of
anomaly is called “defined but not referenced.
Data flow testing 1
Data flow testing procedure 2

o Data flow testing is outlined as follows:

• Draw a data flow graph from a program.
• Select one or more data flow testing criteria.
• Identify paths in the data flow graph satisfying the selection
criteria.
• Derive path predicate expressions from the selected paths .
• Solve the path predicate expressions to derive test inputs.
Data flow testing 1
3
Definition and uses
o Example of def and use
Def P-use

1. read (x, y); C-use

x,
2. z = x + 2;
yz x
3. if (z < y)
4 w = x + 1; z,
w y
else
5. y = y + 1; x
6. print (x, y, w, y
z); y
x, y, w, z
Data flow testing 1
Data 4

flow

graph
public static double ReturnAverage(int value[], int AS, int MIN,
int MAX) {
int i, ti, tv, sum; double av;
i = 0; ti = 0; tv = 0; sum = 0;
while (ti < AS && value[i] != -999) { ti++;
if (value[i] >= MIN && value[i] <=
MAX)
{
tv++;
sum = sum + value[i];
Data flow testing 1
Data flow graph 5

Def() and c-use() the above Predicates and p-use() the above
DFG DFG
Data flow testing 1
6
Def clear
o path
Definition clear path: A path (n – n – … n 1 m – m), m ≥ 0, is called a definition
clear path (def-clear path) with respect to variable x
• from node n to node m, and
• from node n to edge (m, k),

• If x has been neither defined nor undefined in nodes n1 … nm.

• Example: (2 – 3 – 4 – 6 – 3 – 4 – 6 – 3 – 4 – 5) is a def-clear path w.r.t. tv .
• Example: (2 – 3 – 4 – 5) and (2 – 3 – 4 – 6) are def-clear
paths w.r.t. variable tv from node 2 to 5 and from node 2 to 6,
respectively
o Simply, x is not defined at any of the nodes between node n and node m.
Data flow testing 1
Cont. 7
…

A B
Which satisfy def clear?
Data flow testing 1
8
Data flow testing criteria
o The following strategy are used to apply data flow
testing;
1. All-defs
2. All-c-uses
3. All-p-uses
4. All uses
5. All-du-paths
Data flow testing 1
Cont. 9
1. All-defs …
 For each variable x and each node n, such that x has a definition in node n,
select a complete path which includes a def-clear path from node n to
• node m having a c-use of x, or
• edge (m, k) having a p-use of x.
 Example (partial): Consider tv with its definition in node 2. Variable tv has a c-use in node

5, and there is a def-clear path (2 – 3 – 4 – 5) from node 2 to node 5. Choose a

complete
path (1 – 2 – 3 – 4 – 5 – 6 – 3 – 7 – 9 – 10) that includes the def-clear path (2 – 3 – 4 – 5)
to satisfy the all-defs criterion.
Data flow testing 20
Cont.
2. All-c-uses …
• For each variable x and each node n, such that x has a definition in node n, select complete
paths which include def-clear paths from node n to all nodes m such that there is a c-use of x
in m.
• Example (partial): Consider variable ti, which has a definition in 2 and a c-use in node 4.
From node 2, the def-clear path to 4 is (2 – 3 – 4). One may choose the complete path (1 – 2 –
3 – 4 – 6 – 3 – 7 – 8 – 10).
3. All-p-uses
• For each variable x and each node n, such that x has a definition in node n, select complete paths
which include def-clear paths from node n to all edges (m, k) such that there is a p-use of x on
(m, k).
• Example (partial): Consider variable tv, which has a definition in 2 and p-uses on edges (7, 8)
and (7, 9). From node 2, there are def-clear paths to (7, 8) and (7, 9), namely (2 – 3 – 7 – 8) and
(2 – 3 – 7 – 9). The two complete paths are: (1 – 2 – 3 – 7 – 8 – 10) and (1 – 2 –3 – 7 – 9 – 10).
Data flow testing 2
Cont. 1

4. All-uses
…
o This criterion is the conjunction to the all-p-uses criterion and the all-c-uses criterion.

5. All-du-paths
o For each variable x and for each node n, such that x has a
definition in node n, select complete paths which include all du-paths from node n
• To all nodes m such that there is a c-use of x in m, and
• To all edges (m, k) such that there is a p-use of x on (m, k).
Data flow testing 22
Exercise
def update_values(a, b, flag):
result = 0 # Definition of result
(1) if flag:
a=a+1 # Definition of a
(2)
result = a * b # Use of a, b, Definition of result
(3) else:
b=b-1 # Definition of b (4)
result = a / b # Use of a, b, Definition of result
(5) return result # Use of result
o Apply All-def, All-c-uses, all-p-uses and All-du-
path?
Data flow testing 23
Cont. …
o DFG of source
code
o Definition and uses of DFG
1 start

var Defined at Used at node

2 Result = 0; node

3 If flag a Start,4 4,5,7

T
F

else b = b -1; 6 4 a=a+1 b Start,6 5,6,7

7 5 result = a * b; flag start 3

result = a / b;

8 return result; result 1,5,7 8

9 end
Data flow testing

ANY
QUESTION!