Flexible Probabilistic Modeling for Search Based Test Data Generation

Paper in proceeding, 2020

While Search-Based Software Testing (SBST) has improved significantly in the last decade we propose that more flexible, probabilistic models can be leveraged to improve it further. Rather than searching for an individual, or even sets of, test case(s) or datum(s) that fulfil specific needs the goal can be to learn a generative model tuned to output a useful family of values. Such generative models can naturally be decomposed into a structured generator and a probabilistic model that determines how to make non-deterministic choices during generation. While the former constrains the generation process to produce valid values the latter allows learning and tuning to specific goals. SBST techniques differ in their level of integration of the two but, regardless of how close it is, we argue that the flexibility and power of the probabilistic model will be a main determinant of success. In this short paper, we present how some existing SBST techniques can be viewed from this perspective and then propose additional techniques for flexible generative modelling the community should consider. In particular, Probabilistic Programming languages (PPLs) and Genetic Programming (GP) should be investigated since they allow for very flexible probabilistic modelling. Benefits could range from utilising the multiple program executions that SBST techniques typically require to allowing the encoding of high-level test strategies.