Apparatus and method for scan-based testing in an object-oriented programming environment

摘要

An apparatus and method for testing objects in an object- oriented programming environment. The object class hierarchy is defined so that a TopObject has a constructor function that initializes a linked list when the first class in the hierarchy is instantiated to create the first object. Each time an object of a class in the TopObject class hierarchy is instantiated, the TopObject constructor adds an entry for the new object to the linked list. A TestObject accesses the list to perform a predetermined testing function on one or more of the objects in the system. The object hierarchy class can also be defined as having multiple inheritance such that a class in the program inherits program functionality from one class and inherits testing functionality from the test class.