Evaluate the Effectiveness of Test Suite Prioritization Techniques Using APFD Metric

Abstract

Regression testing is a testing activity that is performed to provide confidence that changes do not harm the existing behavior of the software. Test suites tend to grow in size as software evolves often making it too costly to execute entire test suites. To reduce the cost of regression testing, test cases are prioritized. One goal of test case prioritization technique is to increase a test suite's rate of fault detection and to reduce the cost of regression testing. We have provided a metric Average Percentage of Fault Detected (APFD), for measuring rate of fault detection during prioritization. APFD is also being used in its mutant form as APFDc, APFDp, ASFD, WPFD, TSFD, APBC, APDC, APSC, NAPFD, APMC, TPFD, APRC and BPFG. This paper presents a review of all metrics used for assessing the rate of fault detection of prioritized test cases based on coverage criteria for the various prioritization techniques.