Author:

Abstract:

Since the mid 1970s, software testing has been dominated by two major paradigms, known as black box testing and white box testing. Strategies for black box testing are based on the specification of the software component under test. Test suites developed using the black box paradigm reveal errors against the functional requirements of software components. Strategies for white box testing are based on the internals of software components. White box test suites are derived from the source code of the software component under test. Because programs can be represented in terms of graphs, solid coverage criteria can be defined for white box testing strategies. In this paper, we start with a brief overview of the principles underlying black box testing and white box testing. Hereafter, we propose a process for testing software components in which both paradigms are used at appropriate points in the software life cycle. We also touch upon the applicability of both paradigms in testing object-oriented programs.