Automatic determination of recommended test combinations for Ada compilers
James S. Marr, Patricia K. Lawlis · 1991
Ada compilers are validated using the Ada Compiler Validation Capability (ACVC) test suite, containing over 4000 individual test programs. Each test program focuses, to the extent possible, on a single language feature. Despite the advantages of this “atomic testing” methodology, it is often the unexpected interactions between language features that result in compilation problems. This research investigated techniques to automatically identify recommended combinations of Ada languge features for compiler testing. A prototype program was developed to analyze the Ada language grammar specification and generate a list of recommended combinations of features to be tested. The output from this program will be used within the Ada Features Identification System (AFIS), a configuration management tool currently under development for the ACVC test suite. The prototype uses an annotated Ada language grammar to drive a test case generator. The generated combinations of Ada features are analyzed to select the combinations to be tested. While the skill and intuition of the compiler tester are eseential to the annotation of the Ada grammar, the prototype demonstrated that automated support tools can be used to identify recommended combinations for Ada compiler testing.