A systematic mapping study on test generation from Input/Output Transition Systems

Context: The construction of complex systems has increased the adoption of technologies that aim at automating the testing activity. Model-Based Testing (MBT) has emerged as an approach to automate the generation of high-quality test suites from behavioural models. Input/Output Transition Systems (IOTSs) have been used in MBT because they are more expressive than other formalisms. Objective: This paper focuses on methods for test generation from IOTSs, aiming at synthesizing available knowledge and identifying gaps in the existing approaches. Method: A systematic mapping was conducted, in which 84 studies were evaluated and categorized in the taxonomy of MBT approaches. Results: The results indicate most of the reported approaches apply non-deterministic algorithms to test generation which do not employ measures of coverage or quality. This scenario underscores the importance of further research into this topic. Conclusion: The evidences indicate that the generation of complete test suites is guaranteed in theory without satisfying a certain test selection criterion. This result points out the need of additional investigation in this topic.