Object-oriented test development in ABBET

ABBET is an acronym for A Broad Based Environment for Test. The ABBET standard is being developed by the ABBET Subcommittee of the IEEE SCC20 Standards Coordinating Committee. ABBET´s goal is to establish an integrated set of standards that support product test related needs over the full product life cycle. ABBET will support user needs such as testability analysis of new products, specification of test requirements, analysis of alternative maintenance strategies, test program generation, reapplication of test knowledge, reuse of software components, test implementation on heterogenous platforms, implementation of innovative diagnostic techniques, and continuous improvement of the test process. An ABBET compliant software environment is based on an open framework that manages a test knowledge repository and physical test resources in accordance with accepted test related standards. This paper describes an object-oriented methodology for software development based on efforts by the ABBET Subcommittee to analyze the product test domain. The paper presents models of the test domain that have helped committee members to arrive at a common understanding of product test problems and proposed solutions. The models presented here represent a high level overview, suitable for technical managers interested in understanding the scope of ABBET and its basic methodology for test software development. The final section discusses several major problem areas that are prevalent in the test industry today and how application of the ABBET test methodology can help users to manage these problems more effectively