SPECIFICATION-BASED TESTING OF REACTIVE SOFTWARE - A CASE-STUDY IN TECHNOLOGY-TRANSFER

We describe a case study to transfer a specification-based testing sys tem from research to practice. We did the case study in two steps: fir st we conducted a feasibility study in a laboratory setting to estimat e the potential costs and benefits of using the system. Next we conduc ted a usability study in an industrial setting to determine whether it would be effective in practice. Our focus in the laboratory was on th e basic technology; our focus in the industrial setting has necessaril y been on customizing that technology for a specific application. The feasibility study gave us a cost-effective way to identify general, co ntext-independent issues, while the later industrial experience reveal ed specific, context-dependent obstacles to the use of our technology. (C) 1998 Elsevier Science Inc.