Approximate Transformations as Mutation Operators

摘要: Mutation testing is a well-established approach for evaluating test-suite quality by modifying code using syntax-changing (and potentially semantics-changing) transformations, called mutation operators. This paper proposes approximate transformations as new operators that can give novel insights about the and tests. Approximate are semantics-changing used in emerging area of computing, but so far they were not evaluated testing. We found be effective compared three with set conventional from literature, on nine open-source Java subjects. The results showed change program behavior differently Our analysis uncovered patterns which mutants survivedand practical value both understanding amenable to approximations discovering bad submitted 11 pull requests fix Seven have already been integrated developers.