A Major Development in Java Testing Achieved With the Introduction of ParaSoft's Jcontract and Jtest 4.0

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Wireless Developer Network - Daily News

A Major Development in Java Testing Achieved With the Introduction of ParaSoft's Jcontract and Jtest 4.0

URL(s): www.parasoft.com

MONROVIA, Calif., April 18, 2001-- New Tools Automate Functionality Testing and Help Java Developers Implement and Test Software Using Design by Contract

ParaSoft, leading provider of error prevention and error detection software, announced today the release of Jtest 4.0 and a new Java(TM) development tool, Jcontract.

The new version of Jtest, an award-winning automatic unit testing tool for Java, automates unit level functionality using the Design by Contract(TM) (DbC) format specification information included in the class. Jcontract, a Jtest add-on or stand-alone tool, can verify system-level functionality and identify class/component misuse by checking DbC contracts at runtime.

DbC is a technological breakthrough in software engineering; it is used commonly in the Eiffel programming language and widely considered good software development practice. DbC is a formal way of using comments to incorporate specification information into the code itself.

Basically, the code specification is expressed using a formal language that describes the code's implicit contracts. DbC promises to dramatically affect the way software is developed; in particular, it is expected to increase the overall reliability of software applications.

A major component of quality in software is its reliability, which boils down to whether or not the application can perform according to specification and can handle unexpected exceptions. Put simply, reliability is the absence of bugs. Jtest and Jcontract are tools designed to help developers make this happen.

Jtest 4.0 - Truly automated unit level black-box (functionality) testing

Jtest is now capable of automatically performing black-box testing. Black-box testing ensures that methods in a class function as intended.

Jtest automates black-box testing by reading specification information built into the class with DbC language, then automatically creating and executing test cases to verify the functionality described in the specifications. Jtest is the first development tool of its type to automate black-box testing of Java classes.

In addition to automating functionality testing, Jtest automates white-box (construction) and regression testing; it also performs static analysis.

White-box testing validates that unexpected inputs do not initiate program crashes. Regression testing verifies that code performs according to specification after changes have been introduced. Static analysis checks whether code adheres to over 240 industry-respected Java coding standards that prevent errors.

Other new features include the integration with IBM's VisualAge(R) for Java and added static analysis rules for Enterprise JavaBeans(TM) (EJBs), DbC, servlets and project metrics.

Jcontract - System level functionality testing using DbC

Jcontract enables Java developers to perform functionality testing at the system level using DbC. After using Jtest to thoroughly test a class or component at the unit level, Jcontract will instrument and compile the DbC-commented code. Once a class or component is instrumented, Jcontract automatically checks whether its contracts are violated at runtime.

Jcontract is particularly useful for determining whether an application misuses specific classes or components. When used in conjunction with Jtest, Jcontract helps automate functionality testing of Java applications, and improves the overall testing of components, such as EJBs.

"The integration of Jcontract with Jtest will make dynamic testing much more feasible," commented Mark Meuer, Software Engineer for Life Navigator and Beta tester for Jtest and Jcontract. "The lack of a DbC feature like this in earlier versions of Jtest prevented us from using it to its full potential on our projects."

Jtest starts at $3,495 and is available for Windows NT/2000/98, Solaris and Linux. Jcontract starts at $1,500 and is available for Windows NT/2000. Jtest and Jcontract together start at $4,495.

ParaSoft Corporation develops and markets advanced error prevention and error detection tools for UNIX, Windows and Internet development environments. ParaSoft's award-winning products and patented technologies assist developers and managers in improving software quality, accelerating time to market and reducing development costs.

ParaSoft's headquarters is located at 2031 S. Myrtle Ave., Monrovia, CA 91016. Telephone 888/305-0041. Fax 626/305-3036. E-mail to: pr@parasoft.com. URL: http://www.parasoft.com.

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