Change impact analysis: A tool for effective regression testing

Abstract

Change impact analysis is an imperative activity for the maintenance of software. It determines the set of modules that are changed and modules that are affected by the change(s). It helps in regression testing because only those modules that are either changed or affected by the suggested change(s) are re-tested. Change impact analysis is a complex activity as it is very difficult to predict the impact of a change in software. Different researchers have proposed different change impact analysis approaches that help in prioritization of test cases for regression testing. In this paper, an approach based on Total Importance of Module (TIM) has been proposed that determines the importance of a module on the basis of (i) user requirements, and (ii) system requirements. The results of the proposed algorithm showed that the importance of a module is an essential attribute in forming a prioritized test suite for regression testing. © 2011 Springer-Verlag.