Usage of mutation testing as a measure of test suite robustness
Finkbine · 2003
A computer program that passes its entire test suite is ready for mutation testing, which is performed by modifying a copy of the program into a mutant and executing the mutant against the same test suite. With the execution of a mutant program there can be three logical results: (1) one of the test cases fails, showing that the test suite is sufficient to detect the mutant program, (2) all test cases pass and this indicates a weakness in the test suite which needs to be repaired by the addition of a new test case, or (3) all test cases and a meaningless or equivalent mutation program was generated. This paper introduces mutation testing and classifies mutational operations.