Enjoying the Perks of Model-Based Testing

Software testing demands the use of some model to guide such test tasks as selecting test inputs, validating the adequacy of tests, and gaining insight into test effectiveness. Most testers gradually build a mental model of the system under test, which would enable them to further understand and better test its many functions. Explicit models, being formal and precise representations of a tester’s perception of a program, are excellent shareable, reusable vehicles of communication between and among testers and other teams and of automation for many tasks that are normally tedious and labor-intensive. Model-based testing offers advantages like automating test generation and providing a basis for statistically estimating product quality. These perks can be enjoyed provided the right models are used, the proper resources acquired, and adequate training undergone. Model-based testing is not without difficulties, and knowing what they are and whether they can be avoided and how is key to reaping the most out of it.