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Details of Grant 

EPSRC Reference: EP/M024083/1
Title: ASSESSING THE QUALITY OF TEST SUITES IN INDUSTRIAL CODE ("AQUATIC")
Principal Investigator: Counsell, Professor SJ
Other Investigators:
Hierons, Professor R Swift, Dr SM
Researcher Co-Investigators:
Project Partners:
FlossLab Srl Quantel Ltd
Department: Computer Science
Organisation: Brunel University London
Scheme: Standard Research
Starts: 01 September 2015 Ends: 31 December 2018 Value (£): 332,691
EPSRC Research Topic Classifications:
Software Engineering
EPSRC Industrial Sector Classifications:
Information Technologies
Related Grants:
Panel History:
Panel DatePanel NameOutcome
05 Mar 2015 EPSRC ICT Prioritisation Panel - Mar 2015 Announced
Summary on Grant Application Form
Most computer-based systems deteriorate in quality as they age. This places an increasing burden on the developers of the system to ensure that a certain level of service is maintained. While the running system represents code that is constantly monitored, an aspect of systems that has received very little attention is its test code. This is code that ensures a level of correctness of the running system and is therefore an important aspect of a system. According to US-based NIST, more than a third of the cost of defects in the US IT industry could be avoided if better software testing was performed i.e., approximately $8 billion. In a large number of organisations, test code is at least as large as the code which it tests. Financially, it is of great importance that an organisation's test code is maintained well - test code has a strong mapping to the 'in production' code and changes to one usually require changes to the other.

The purpose of the AQUATIC project is to explore how test code decays, how it evolves and similarities and differences between test code and production code. The project adopts an empirical methodology and uses test and production code from two industrial partners as a basis. Data mining techniques are used to analyse the large volumes of data involved and to extract knowledge from the data. The project is supported by a set of deliverables and associated dissemination activities including a set of project progress Workshops.

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Further Information:  
Organisation Website: http://www.brunel.ac.uk