Backward slices are better than execution slices in spectrum-based fault localization
Yan, Lei, Xiaoguang Mao, Tsong Yueh Chen · Swinburne figshare (Swinburne University of Technology) · 2015
Fault localization techniques generally require a test oracle to determine whether a test case fails or succeeds. Otherwise, these techniques are infeasible. As a matter of fact, it is difficult or almost impossible to define a test oracle in many cases.This is the famous oracle problem. To alleviate this problem, this paper utilizes metamorphic testing to successfully extend the methodology of spectrum-based fault localization(SFL)using backward slices in the cases where no test oracle exists. Furthermore, this paper compares the localization effectiveness of execution slices with that of backward slices in SFL techniques. The experimental results, in both the cases where there is a test oracle or no test oracle, show that backward slices outperform execution slices in improving fault localization effectiveness, and suggest that the formulas GP19 and ER1'have a higher probability of performing better than the other formulas.