THEME AND TOPICS

The theme of the workshop focuses on bridging the gap between the theories and practice of software test automation. The topics covered by the workshop include, but are not limited to, the following: (more details can be found in the call-for-papers)

1) Methodology: Software test automation in the context of various software development methodologies, such as in

Ø traditional heavy weight methodologies,

Ø rapid prototyping and evolutionary development methodology,

Ø component-based software development, and object-oriented software development,

Ø agile and test-driven methodology,

Ø software architecture and product lines,

Ø service-oriented software engineering, etc.

2) Technology: Automation of various test techniques and methods used in various test related activities, such as

Ø The techniques that enable various testing activities to be automated, such as test

o case generation,

o test oracle and test result checking,

o test driver, stubs, harness and test script generation,

o test adequacy and coverage measurement,

o test effective analysis, and test report generation,

o test related software artifact generation,

o maintenance, and reuses, management of testing activities and recourses, etc.

Ø The techniques that support various software testing methods, such as

o structural testing,

o functional testing,

o error based testing,

o fault-based testing,

o partition testing and combinatorial testing,

o random testing,

o usability testing, performance testing, load testing and stress testing,

o program-based testing,

o specification based testing,

o model-based testing,

o risk-based testing, etc.

Ø Techniques that support the testing of various specific types of software in various application domains, such as for testing

o Internet and Web-based applications, such as web services, Peer-to-peer applications and Grid systems, semantic web, search engines, etc.

o Database applications and information systems,

o Systems software such as middleware, architecture and reference models, XML schemes, compilers, OS, etc.

o Ubiquity, pervasive and mobile computing systems,

o Multimedia and hypermedia applications,

o Security protocols and application systems, encryption and decryption algorithms,

o Real-time systems, concurrent and parallel systems, communication systems and protocols, embedded systems,

o Applications of AI techniques, such as data mining systems, machine learning algorithms, agents and multi-agent systems, ontologies, neuron networks, etc.

3) Software testing tools and environments: Issues in the development, operation, maintenance and evolution of software testing tools and environments, such as

Ø The functional, architectural and interface design of automated software testing tools and environments;

Ø The construction of practical and prototype systems of automated testing and implementation issues;

Ø Evolution of testing tools and environments as software artifacts evolve and change and as software standards and development methods changes;

Ø Evaluation of software testing tools and environments;

Ø Integration and interoperation of various types of software testing tools efficiently and effectively, and with other types of software development and maintenance tools and development environments such as

o model-driven development environments,

o configuration management tools,

o model-checking and software verification tools,

o software metrics and measurement tools, etc.

4) Experiments, empirical studies and experience reports and vision of the future:

Ø Experiments and empirical studies and comparison of software test automation, and reports on real experiences using automated testing techniques, methods and tools in industry, such as

o the effectiveness of automated testing tools, methods and techniques, such as fault detecting abilities;

o the cost of building the automation versus savings from the automation;

o the usability of various techniques, methods and tools;

Ø The identification of problems that hamper the wider adaptation of automated test techniques, methods and tools;

Ø The analysis and specification of the requirements on automated software testing.