SIMPL-T: SDL intended for management and planning of tests

Abstract

The correctness and completeness of the requirement specifications are critical in the software lifecycle. Validation of the specifications against the user requirements is essential for ensuring software quality and reducing development cost. SDL (Specification and Description Language) specifications may be validated using TTCN (Testing and Test Control Notation); however TTCN has a much wider scope and broader purpose. For testing SDL specifications, only a small part of TTCN is needed. Therefore, for many projects and organizations, it is not economical or efficient to use TTCN to validate SDL specifications. This thesis introduces a new language SIMPL-T (SDL Intended for Management and Planning of Tests), which is a simple test language for SDL specifications. It is defined as a minimal extension of existing SDL features so as to provide essential test specification functionality. It is understandable to persons familiar with SDL, and therefore immediately useful for SDL users.