Automated Testing of Context-Aware Applications

Abstract

The development of context-aware applications is a difficult and error-prone task. The dynamics of the environmental context combined with the complexity of the applications poses a vast number of possibilities for mistakes during the creation of new applications. Therefore it is important to test applications before they are deployed in a life system. For this reason, this paper proposes a testing tool, which will allow for automatic generation of various test cases from application description documents. Semantic annotations are used to create specific test data for context-aware applications. A test case reduction methodology based on test case diversity investigations ensures scalability of the proposed automated testing approach.

Testing of adaptive and context‐aware systems: approaches and challenges

“…Tonjes et al [119] implemented a tool for generating test inputs. In their tool, annotations are used to create specific test data with a method for decreasing the number of test cases based on analysis of context diversity.…”

A Survey of Context Simulation for Testing Mobile Context-Aware Applications

“…Regarding different phases in the testing process, Wang et al [109] proposed the Model-based Simulation Testing Framework (MSTF) comprising five models : SUT model (abstraction of software [64] augmented model automatic ripping Zhang et al [124] graph-based test model external data sources SIT [86] interactive app model sampling-based generation strategy Wang et al [110] function call graph, control flow graph enhancing existing test suites Griebe et al [42] Unified Modeling Language Activity Diagram Petri Net trace analysis Micskei et al [78] context model, scenario model search-based generation strategy Sama et al [94] Adaptation Finite-State Machine not required Xu et al [114] adaptation model manual definition Tonjes et al [102] Extended Finite State Machine transition coverage, transition and state-coverage search…”

“…To automate modelling of an app, Tönjes et al [102] proposed a tool that reads application specifications in Web Application Description Language (WADL). Based on WADL files, this tool constructs an Application Behaviour Model (ABM) represented by an EFSM which contains app states, context events, app actions and transitions between states.…”

How to validate mobile crowdsourcing design? leveraging data integration in prototype testing

“…Prototype testing is proven to be an effective way in validation of software design [2]. However, this task can be extremely challenging [12] for mobile context-aware applications. First, since mobile context-awareness often involves multiple devices, various data sources, a large amount of data and complex algorithms, it is nearly impossible for developers to conduct static testing by reading the source code.…”

“…To enable the testing of mobile context-aware applications, researchers have proposed context management tools, testing techniques (e.g., white-box and black-box testing) and platforms [3,10,12]. Despite numerous efforts in previous work, a systematic testing framework supporting heterogeneous data sources across multiple devices is still lacked.…”