TC4MT: A Specification-Driven Testing Framework for Model Transformations

Abstract

Model transformation is a core mechanism for Model-Driven Engineering (MDE). Writing complex programs such as model transformations (MT) is error-prone, and efficient testing techniques are required for their quality assurance. There are several challenges when it comes to testing MT, including the automatic generation of suitable input test models and the construction of test oracles based on verification properties. Many approaches to generating input models ensure coverage of a certain level of the source meta-model and some input/output model constraints. Furthermore, most transformation testing techniques are tailored to specific implementation languages or quality properties, which makes it difficult to reuse testing techniques for different languages due to their language-specific nature. The diversity of languages and verification properties raises the need for a black-box testing framework of MT that is independent of transformation implementation languages as well as supports systematic verification of the quality properties. In this paper, we clarify the basic elements of such a framework, and how to apply this framework for systematically testing MT. The main tasks of the model transformation testing process, including test design, test execution and evaluation, are defined and realized within this integrated framework.