Fall 2026 — Schedule
Tentative class schedule (may be updated without prior notice)All times on this page are in U.S. Eastern Time
K-Ch x means chapter x in Koskela's Test Driven (This is recommended reading. You don't have to buy the book. Free trial available.)
| Meet | Date | Topics and Handouts | Readings | Assignments | Quizzes | Activities / POTDs |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Course overview and intro to software testing | ||||||
| 1 | Wed 08/26 | Get Familiar with Our Course,
Let's Set Expectation A bit about this course and how we shall work together |
DIY: complete the Let's start form
(please complete it by 4-Sep-2026, 11:59pm) |
|||
| 2 | Fri 08/28 | Why Test?
Who cares? So what? |
AO-Ch1
Some examples of why CWE Top 25 Most Dangerous Software Weaknesses |
|||
| 3 | Mon 08/31 | Intro to Software Testing
What is Software Testing? What are differences between testing and debugging? What are some testing categories? How mature is your testing? |
AO-Ch1, AO-Ch2.1 |
|||
| Test automation and test framework | ||||||
|
DIY: Set up test environment (JUnit)
Please try to set up the test environment (JUnit) before class. The class discussion will be more effective and enjoyable if your environment is readily available. https://junit.org/junit5/You are recommended to use Eclipse; JUnit 5 comes with it. (Note: You may use any Java IDE or command line, and set up / set class path JUnit) There are a number of good tutorials on how to set up (or use) JUnit 5, such as https://blog.codefx.org/libraries/junit-5-setup/ and https://www.eclipse.org/community/ If you do not already have Java on your machine, download and install it. JUnit 5 requires Java 8 or higher. |
||||||
| 4 | Wed 09/02 | Test Automation
How do we test software automatically? What makes test automation hard? What are characteristics of good tests? |
AO-Ch3
An Empirical Analysis of Blind Tests
(recommended reading) |
|||
| 5 | Fri 09/04 | JUnit
One of the most commonly used test automation frameworks for Java |
JUnit 5 user guide | |||
| 6 | Mon 09/07
Add deadline 09/08 |
JUnit
Let's explore more JUnit features |
AO-Ch3 | |||
|
DIY: Set up test environment (Selenium)
Please try to set up the test environment (Selenium) before class. Class discussion will be more effective and enjoyable if your environment is readily available. https://www.selenium.dev/There are a number of good tutorials on how to set up and use Selenium. You may follow Get started with Selenium to set up your test environment.
How do you know if your test environment works?
Note: the templates were created for Mac. For Windows users, please verify the paths to your browser driver and attach .exe to your drivers Chrome driver installation with Selenium Thanks to Andrea Jerausek, a CS 3250 TA, for creating the installation tutorial (for Windows) JUnit/Selenium setup and troubleshooting Thanks to all the CS 3250 teaching teams for sharing their experience. Special thanks to Jonah Kim for creating detailed instructions on the installation. If you are familiar with Gradle, Maven, Ant, or any dependency management tools/frameworks, and prefer to use them to set up your Selenium, please feel free to use them instead of manually setting up Selenium. We choose not to introduce them in class to minimize additional tools/frameworks/software that you need to deal with. |
||||||
| 7 | Wed 09/09 | Selenium
One of the most commonly used test automation frameworks for web apps |
Selenium documentation | |||
| 8 | Fri 09/11 | Selenium
Let's explore more Selenium features |
POTD 1: JUnit & Selenium
(Due 09/12, 1pm EST) (require Java environment, JUnit, Selenium) |
|||
| Test design, generation, execution, evaluation and analysis, and improvement | ||||||
| 9 | Mon 09/14 | Faults−Errors−Failures,
and RIPR model
What aspects must be analyzed when designing tests and how do we analyze them? |
AO-Ch1, AO-Ch2.1 |
|||
| 10 | Wed 09/16 | Model Driven Test Design (MDTD)
How does testing fit in the software development process? What are testing activities? How do we work at a higher level of abstraction, using mathematical structures to design tests? |
AO-Ch2 | |||
| 11 | Fri 09/18 | Coverage-based Test Design
How do we know if we have tested enough? Why coverage criteria? How should we design tests? Why don't we need all possible tests? How to design tests using coverage criteria? |
AO-Ch.5 | |||
| 12 | Mon 09/21 |
Coverage-based Test Design in Action
Let's put the concept into action — invent our own coverage criterion, derive tests to satisfy the criterion, execute and evaluate our tests, and analyze the coverage level. |
AO-Ch.5 | Assignment 1: RIPR & test automation (due 09/21, before class) | ||
| Input Space Partitioning (ISP) Testing | ||||||
| 13 | Wed 09/23 | Input Space Partition (ISP) Testing
How do we design tests without having source code (of a program under test)? Is ISP black-box testing? |
AO-Ch6.1
ISP–Industrial Study (Freddie Mac)
(This is an example of how the concepts have been applied to industry; recommended reading) |
Quiz 1 guide (RIPR & test automation) | ||
| 14 | Fri 09/25 | ISP: Coverage Criteria
Which ISP coverage criterion should we use? Why? How do we apply the criterion to derive tests? How many tests do we need? |
AO-Ch6.2, 6.3 | POTD 2: ISP
(Due 09/26, 1pm EST) |
||
| 15 | Mon 09/28 |
General Ideas: Web App Testing
(Read on your own; we'll discuss if needed so that we have more time to work on the activity) ISP: Apply to Web AppsCan we test web apps the same way we test traditional software? How should we test? What are web-specific features that must be taken into account when designing tests? Here is one way to test web apps systematically. |
||||
| Graph-based Testing | ||||||
| 16 | Wed 09/30 | Graph-based Testing
Graph: Structural Coverage Criteria
One of the most commonly used coverage criteria |
AO-Ch7.1 AO-Ch7.2 |
POTD 3: Structural graph coverage
(Due 10/01, 1pm EST) |
||
| 17 | Fri 10/02 | Graph: Structural Coverage Criteria
How should we handle loops in graphs? Execute loop once, 0 time, many times? |
AO-Ch7.2 | |||
| 10/03−10/06 | Fall reading days, no class (refer to UVA Academic Calendar) | |||||
| 18 | Wed 10/07 |
Control Flow Graph for source code
How do we create graph representation of the software under test? Examples: Improper CFGsHere are examples of improper/incorrect CFGs for program source code; these improperly/incorrectly constructed CFGs will *not* receive credit for the quiz, homework, and the final exam. |
AO-Ch7.3.1 |
Assignment 2: ISP & test automation
(due 10/07, before class)
(Note: This assignment may be time-consuming. Please plan and manage your time properly) |
Quiz 2 guide (Coverage-based test design & ISP) | |
| 19 | Fri 10/09 | Structural Graph Coverage: Apply to Source Code
Putting it all together and designing unit-level tests to satisfy structural graph coverage criteria. Let's derive test requirements, analyze test paths, and identify test cases that correspond to the execution flows of the test paths. |
AO-Ch7.3.1 |
POTD 4: Graph for source
(Due 10/10, 1pm EST) |
||
| 20 | Mon 10/12
Drop deadline 10/13 |
Graph: Data Flow Coverage Criteria
One of the most important concepts for software analysis. How do we analyze data flow of a software artifact and integrate them into a graph model? How do we design tests to ensure that the program states / values are created and used correctly? |
AO-Ch7.2 | |||
| 21 | Wed 10/14 | Data flow Coverage: Apply to Source Code
Putting it all together and designing unit-level tests to satisfy data flow coverage criteria. Let's derive def-clear du-paths (test requirements), analyze test paths, and identify test cases for the test paths to verify that the program states/values are created and used correctly. |
AO-Ch7.3.2 |
POTD 5: Data flow for source
|
||
| 22 | Fri 10/16 |
Graph Coverage for Design Elements
Software usually consists of multiple components (or modules or subsystems) and there are data flow couplings between these components. How do we design tests beyond unit-level testing? |
AO-Ch7.4 AO-Ch7.5 |
|||
| Logic-based Testing | ||||||
| 23 | Mon 10/19
Withdraw deadline 10/20 |
Logic-based Testing
Logic: Coverage Criteria
How should we design tests based on semantic of the logic expressions? Will tests designed for equivalent predicates always be the same? |
AO-Ch8.1 | Assignment 3:
Structural graph coverage & test automation
(due 10/19, before class)
(Note: This assignment may be time-consuming. Please plan and manage your time properly) |
||
| 24 | Wed 10/21 | Determination
A clause determines the value of its predicate when the other clauses have certain values. How do we know what values the other clauses should have? Under which condition(s) will the clause determine the predicate? |
AO-Ch8.1 | Quiz 3 guide (Graph: structural & data flow) | ||
| 25 | Fri 10/23 | Logic: Active Clause Coverage Criteria (ACC)
When some aspects are supposed to impact the behavior of a software under test, how should we design tests to check if they actually do impact? ACC – A form of "Modified Condition Decision Coverage" (MCDC), required by the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) for safety critical avionics software |
AO-Ch8.1 | POTD 6: ACC
(Due 10/24, 1pm EST) |
||
| 26 | Mon 10/26 | Logic:
Apply to Source Code
How do we identify test requirements according to logical expressions found in program source code? How should we derive tests to ensure proper evaluation of the expressions? How are reachability and controllability issues handled when applying logic coverage criteria? |
AO-Ch8.3 | Assignment 4:
Data flow graph coverage & test automation
(due 10/26, before class)
(Note: This assignment may be time-consuming. Please plan and manage your time properly) |
||
| 27 | Wed 10/28 | Logic: Apply to Source Code
Can we reuse tests when a software is refactored (or gets evolved)? How do we analyze? How much can we reuse? Some ideas toward regression testing. |
AO-Ch8.3 | POTD 7: Logic for source
(Due 10/29, 1pm EST) |
||
| 28 | Fri 10/30 | Logic:
Apply to Source Code
More practice with logic-based testing for source code |
AO-Ch8.3 | |||
| Syntax-based Testing | ||||||
| 29 | Mon 11/02 | Syntax-based testing:
How to design tests based on the syntax of the software artifacts. How do we design valid and invalid test inputs using regular expressions and context free grammars? |
AO-Ch9.1 | |||
| 30 | Wed 11/04 |
Syntax: Apply to input space
Let's mutate the software artifact, apply grammar-based mutation testing to some simple real-world scenarios |
AO-Ch9.1 | Quiz 4 guide (Logic) | ||
| 31 | Fri 11/06 | Syntax-based testing:
Why do we need variations of the software under tests? Why mimic developers' common mistakes or difficult to detect faults. How to mimic the mistakes and encourage common test heuristics. |
AO-Ch9.2, 9.3 | POTD 8: Program mutation
(Due 11/07, 1pm EST) |
||
| 32 | Mon 11/09 | Syntax: Apply to Source Code
Though mutation testing is the strongest coverage criterion, it is very expensive. What can we do to reduce the testing cost? How is it used in practice? Let's mutate the software artifact to create effective test requirements |
AO-Ch9.2, 9.3 | Assignment 5: Logic & test automation (due 11/09, before class) | ||
| 33 | Wed 11/11 | Syntax: Apply to Source Code
More practice on mutation testing. |
AO-Ch9.2, 9.3 | POTD 9: Program mutation
(Due 11/12, 1pm EST) |
||
| Coverage-based test design wrap-up and other aspects in software testing | ||||||
| 34 | Fri 11/13 | Putting it all together
Which coverage criteria to use? How to decide? What to achieve? Pros and cons? |
||||
| 35 | Mon 11/16 | Putting it all together
More practice and analysis |
||||
| Testing as central activity, TDD | ||||||
| 36 | Wed 11/18 |
Test-Driven Development (TDD)
Users always change their mind and software continues to evolve. How do we use testing as central activity to embrace evolutionary design? How do we use test harnesses as guideline in software development? |
AO-Ch4, K-Ch1 to Ch4, TDD (wikipedia) |
Quiz 5 guide (Syntax) | ||
| 37 | Fri 11/20 | TDD
More TDD practice. How do we use tests to guide the refactoring? We try to be productive with TDD, but when not to use TDD. |
K-Ch1 to Ch4 | Assignment 6: Syntax & test automation (due 11/20, before class) | ||
|
DIY: Set up test environment
Please try to set up the test environment before class. Please try to have your Selenium and web server working before next class. One free and easy set up web server that we will use in class is XAMPP. However, you may use any web server of your choice. If you choose to use another web server of your choice — Please make sure that you know how to deploy and access your web resources). Class discussion will be more effective and enjoyable if your environment is readily available. |
||||||
| 38 | Mon 11/23 | TDD web app
We have used TDD to build a standalone Java program. How do we use TDD to build a web app? |
POTD 10: TDD web app
(Due 11/24, 1pm EST) (require: Selenium, JUnit, Java environment, web server) |
|||
| 11/25−11/29 | Thanksgiving recess, no class (refer to UVA Academic Calendar) | |||||
| 39 | Mon 11/30 | Test Doubles
What do we do if some parts of the software are unavailable but we need them to test another part? Using stubs, fakes, and mocks to simplify testing. What to mock, when to mock, and when not to mock. |
||||
| Course wrap-up | ||||||
| 40 | Wed 12/02 | Bypass testing
Although client-side and server-side input validations can be used as double safeguard to prevent unacceptable users' entries, users can still bypass the validations. How should we design tests targeting the validations and web-specific constraints? |
||||
| 41 | Fri 12/04 |
Course wrap-up and final exam guide
Q&A. No lecture or new topic discussion. |
||||
| 42 | Mon 12/07 |
Last minutes Q&A, Office hours on demand
No lecture or new topic discussion; feel free to drop by to chat or discuss anything. |
||||
| FE | Tu 12/15 |
Final Exam:
Tuesday, December 15, 2026 9:00am-12:00pm EST,
Room: TBD
Please refer to Course wrap-up and final exam guide for time and detail (please refer to the university final exam schedule) |
||||
Released under the
CC-BY-NC-SA 4.0 license.
Last updated 2026-08-10 11:36