Testing of Pattern-deployed Software

Description

Testing typically spans a large portion of the work in software development. Many developers perform software testing as the primary means for catching faults that cause the software to malfunction, as well as other problems related to its nonfunctional quality, such as maintainability and usability defects. The efficacy of testing therefore critically determines the reliability and quality of the software being developed.Since inception, design pattern has rapidly become very popular as a practical means of improving programmer productivity and software quality. It packages a proven solution to recurring design problems in a form that may be reused easily, even by inexperienced developers. This project seeks novel ways to utilize the information of design patterns that are deployed in software for improving the efficacy of testing, as opposed to the traditional methods of testing based on the functional specification or code. The research will investigate the effects of pattern deployment on the faults and failures in the implementation and maintenance of software applications, and develop methods and software tools to facilitate the detection of such faults and failures.