Model-Based Testing with AsmL .NET

BANGALORE, INDIA: Over the last two decades, the area of formal software modeling has been extensively explored, developing various methods, notations and tools. Formal specification languages like VDM, Z, B, CSP, ASM etc. have been developed and applied to numerous problems. Verification technology has had success in certain areas, in particular if based on model checking. However, in spite of promising results, a widely expected break-through of these technologies has not yet appeared.

The goal of Microsoft Research is to bring rigorous, formal modeling to praxis, trying to avoid (suspected) obstacles of earlier approaches to formal modeling. Microsoft Research has developed the Abstract State Machine Language (AsmL), an executable modeling language based on the ASM paradigm which is fully integrated in the.NET framework and Microsoft development tools. One important application we see for AsmL is automated testing. A huge amount of work is spent for testing in Microsoft's product cycle today. Models not only enhance understanding what a product is supposed to do and how its architecture is designed, but enable one to semi-automatically derive test scenarios at an early development stage where coding has not yet finished. Given manually or automatically generated test scenarios, formal models can be  used to automate the test oracle. A great advantage of model-based testing is seen in its adaptability: during the product cycle, various versions of the product are published at milestones, each of which requires thoroughly testing. Whereas manual test suites and harnesses are hard to adapt to the variations of the product, a model makes this work easier.

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