Foundations of Software Testing (Fundamental Algorithms and Techniques) by Pearson

Test-Adequacy Assessment Using Program Mutation

7.1 INTRODUCTION

Program mutation is a powerful technique for the assessment of the

goodness of tests. It provides a set of strong criteria for test assessment

and enhancement. If your tests are adequate with respect to some other

adequacy criterion, such as the MC/DC-coverage criterion, then chances

are that these are not adequate with respect to most criteria offered by

program mutation.

Program mutation is a technique to assess and enhance your tests.

Hereafter we will refer to program mutation as mutation. When testers

use mutation to assess the adequacy of their tests, and possibly enhance

them, we say that they are using mutation testing. Sometimes the act of

assessing test adequacy using mutation ...