Out in Front: December 7, 1995

Teradyne, best known in hardware test, now is tackling software. TestMaster, the first product from a new Teradyne software-test division, aims to free software of defects through more thorough and rigorous testing. It also controls development and quality-assurance costs and makes development schedules more predictable, according to Teradyne. The workstation-based package costs $50,000 for a floating license.

Instead of having several people search for bugs and giving them only a vague plan of attack, TestMaster uses a more systematic approach based on a patented Model Reference Technology. Test generation depends not on the actual code but on a functional specification that models the behavior of the software to be tested. This specification is not a verbose document. Rather, it is a graphical depiction of the software operation. Developers can interact with the model at the workstation console. Because of the model-based approach, design of test protocols can begin even before code is available to test. Early in the development process, the model provides a clear picture of how the software will operate.

The tool lets developers determine how many tests to run to examine every possible situation. Developers who choose to test less exhaustively can obtain estimates of the likelihood that bugs will remain after thorough but incomplete testing. As developers modify segments of code, they can test only those areas their changes affect. The tool automatically generates the code that runs the tests.   -- by Dan Strassberg

Teradyne Inc, Nashua, NH. (800) 996-8778.