The Class Validation System

Formal model-based specifications provide precise descriptions of the behavior of software components. These formal specifications are written using pre- and post-condition assertions. They can serve as a basis for formally verifying the correctness of an implementation. But a formal specification is really only useful when it captures the desired functionality. How can the specifier be confident that the specification is correct?;The Abstract Test Tool supports the direct execution of C++ class specifications through the incremental development and automated generation of abstract test cases and the display of abstract results---both in terms of the abstract model used in the specification. The Class Validation System builds upon the Abstract Test Tool to support the automated and extensive testing of C++ class implementations. The Class Validation System provides a potentially one-to-many mapping from abstract test cases to implementation test cases. The results of executing the implementation are automatically compared to the results of executing the specification by mapping the implementation results to the abstract model. Thus, the Class Validation System supports fully automated implementation testing