Evolving the ETSI test description language
Résumé
Increasing software and system complexity due to the integration of more and more diverse sub-systems presents new testing challenges. Standardisation and certification requirements in certain domains such as telecommunication, automotive, aerospace, and health-care contribute further challenges for testing systems operating in these domains. Consequently, there is a need for suitable methodologies, processes, languages, and tools to address these testing challenges. To address some of these challenges, the Test Description Language (TDL) has been developed at the European Telecommunications Standards Institute (ETSI) over the past three years. TDL bridges the gap between declarative test purposes and imperative test cases by offering a standardised language for the specification of test descriptions. TDL started as a standardised meta-model, subsequently enriched with a graphical syntax, exchange format, and a UML profile. A reference implementation of TDL has been developed as a common platform to accelerate the adoption of TDL and lower the barrier to entry for both end-users and tool-vendors. This article tells the story of the evolution of TDL from its conception.
Mots clés
Modeling languages
Description languages
Domain specific modeling
European telecommunications standards institutes
Software testing
Systems analysis
Testing
Certification requirements
Common platform
Digital to analog conversion
Integration testing
Model checking
Model based testing
Reference implementation
System complexity