Guest editorial: A retrospective of special sections on software testing and program analysis T.H. Tse 1 , Yves Le Traon 2 , and Zhenyu Chen 3 [free download from IEEE Xplore]

ABSTRACT

Software plays an integral part in our lives today because of its near-ubiquitous influence on our increasingly technological society. Taking appropriate steps to improve software quality is of paramount importance. This has fueled a surge of techniques in program testing and analysis. Unfortunately, these techniques still suffer from immaturity and impracticality, which have hindered truthful benefits to the software industry. The Special Sections on Software Testing and Program Analysis solicited original work that would provide novel techniques and/or comprehensive empirical validation applicable to real-world software. We successfully attracted more than 70 submissions covering diverse hot topics. After rigorous evaluations by hard-working reviewers, possibly with recommendations for major and minor revisions, we have published 26 articles in five issues of the IEEE Transactions on Reliability in June, September, and December 2018, January 2019, and June 2021. The articles represent a comprehensive cross section of testing and analysis techniques, as well as a wide variety of applications to practical projects. The present retrospective provides readers with interesting details about our great success and a small challenge.

1. (Corresponding author.) Department of Computer Science, The University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam, Hong Kong. Email: 2. Interdisciplinary Centre for Security, Reliability and Trust, University of Luxembourg, 4365 Esch-sur-Alzette, Luxembourg. 3. State Key Laboratory for Novel Software Technology, Nanjing University, Nanjing 210023, China.

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