Reducing domain level scenarios to test component-based software

Higher-order black box software tests against independent end user domain requirements has become an issue of increasing importance with compositional reuse of software artifacts. Recently, a general method was proposed that derives testable scenarios directly from a customer domain model by abstraction, reduction and inclusion for critical coverage [32]. The resulting linear (i.e. nonbranching) scenarios are used as references to test suppliers' software specifications against. This paper presents the method in an overview and elaborates on the domain reduction step within the process for the generation of testable scenarios from a domain model. An example is provided which is non-fictitious on the domain side. Advantages of the method are an underlying clear business model, test oracles that are independent from the software development process, and validation results that are generated early in the development cycle, before the software itself is available. © 2006 ACADEMY PUBLISHER.