Developing, Verifying, and Maintaining High-Quality Automated Test Scripts

With the increasing importance, size, and complexity of automated test suites, the need exists for suitable methods and tools to develop, assess the quality of, and maintain test code (scripts) in parallel with regular production (application) code. A recent review paper called this subarea of software testing software test code engineering (STCE). This article summarizes STCE tools, techniques, and guidelines. It also presents specific quantitative examples in this area based on experience in projects and raises important issues practitioners and researchers must address to further advance this field.