TOOLS AND TECHNIQUES FOR THE TESTING OF SAFETY-CRITICAL SOFTWARE

As a result of the DTI/SERC research initiative on safety-critical sys tems a major study has been conducted into the benefits and shortcomin gs of the available tools and techniques for computer-aided testing of high-integrity software. The work described in this article forms par t of the CONTESSE project, which is concerned with various aspects of software testing. Working from experience and knowledge accumulated by a number of leading UK companies it has been possible to assemble dat a that should prove valuable to all organisations engaged in the devel opment or licensing of safety-critical computer-based systems. Both st rengths and weaknesses of current methods are discussed. This article is an integral part of the DTI/SERC initiative to disseminate such kno wledge to a wider audience.