A Testing Perspective on Algebraic, Denotational, and Operational Semantics

摘要

In this paper, we discuss the role of formal semantics from a testing perspective. Our focus is on conformance testing, where we test if a given system-under-test conforms to an abstract description of its intended behaviour. We show how the main semantic paradigms, namely algebraic, denotational, and operational semantics, support a systematic testing process and give examples from our own work on automated test-case generation.