Title: A Mutation-Based Approach for Testing Atlas Model
Transformation Specifications
Abstract:
Model transformations play a critical role in Model-Driven Software
Engineering. Faults in model transformations will produce defective
models, and eventually propagate to other artifacts. Existing
literature on model transformation verification and validation has
considered coverage based techniques. Mutation testing can
effectively detect inadequacies in coverage based test suites. To
support the mutation testing of model transformations, this study
proposes a set of mutation operators for the Atlas Transformation
Language (ATL) and an automated tool, MuATL, for mutant generation.
The effectiveness of the proposed operators is evaluated using two
model transformation programs, implemented in ATL. The first
transforms Use Case Map scenario specifications to UML Activity
Diagrams, and the second refactors UML use case models. The results
show that the proposed operators successfully detect inadequacies in
coverage based test suites.