Influence of the 1990 IEEE TSE Paper “Automated Software Test Data Generation” on Software Engineering

Generating test data is a critical component of software testing, essential for ensuring the proper functioning of software systems. Automated test data generation, in particular, can greatly improve the efficiency and accuracy of the testing process. In 1990, the paper “Automated Software Test Data Generation,” published in IEEE Transactions on Software Engineering (Korel, 1990), introduced a novel approach to automated test data generation, focusing on actual program execution, fitness function minimization methods, and dynamic data flow analysis. This paper discusses the impact of the 1990 IEEE TSE publication (Korel, 1990) on automated test data generation and software engineering.