METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR TESTING OBJECT-ORIENTED PROGRAMMING CONSTRUCTS

摘要

The invention provides methods and apparatus for generating, from a source signal defining a subject class to be tested (40), an inspection signal defining an inspection class (34) that has one or more members for: (i) generating a test object as an instantiation of the subject class or a class derived therefrom, (ii) invoking one or more of the selected method members of the test object, and (iii) generating a reporting signal based on an outcome of invocation of those members. The inspection class, as defined by the inspection signal, can include one or more method members (50f), referred to as "inspection members", for testing corresponding method members of the test object (and, therefore, in the subject class). So-called "test suite members" (50a-50e), that are also defined as part of the inspection class, exercise the inspection members. The invention also provides methods and apparatus for responding to an inspection signal to create an inspection object instantiating the inspection class. Members of the inspection object are invoked to create the test object (80), to invoke method members thereof and to generate a signal reporting an effect of such invocation. The test object members can be invoked by corresponding inspection members of the inspection class, which in turn can be invoked by test suite members of the inspection class.