A Testing Tool Visualizing and Ensuring Data-Flow Coverage

According to different studies, data-flow coverage is more effective in exposing errors than common
control-flow metrics. However, there are not many suitable and available data-flow analysis tools.
This report illustrates the technical details of the implementation of Dacite (Data-flow Coverage for
Imperative Testing). Dacite is an open-source tool able to dynamically derive the covered data flow of
a given Java program and its JUnit test cases. Using the Language Server Protocol, it visualizes the
data flow within common IDEs. Moreover, Dacite provides feedback about the not-covered data flow
and automatically generates test cases for these by using symbolic execution.

Author(s): 
Troost, Laura
Year of Publication: 
2024
Type of Outlet: 
Name of Outlet: 
ERCIS Working Papers
Place of Outlet: 
Münster, Germany
Editor(s): 
Becker, Jörg
vom Brocke, Jan
Brandt, Tobias
Gieseke, Fabian
Hellingrath, Bernd
Hoeren, Thomas
Klein, Stefan
Kuchen, Herbert
Varghese, Julian
Working Report Number: 
40