Implementing the IEEE A Broad Based Environment for Test (ABBET) standard using an object technology-based approach

In May 1996, the evolved IEEE ABBET standard was approved to be balloted as a full-use standard replacing the 1226-1993 trial use version that was focused on an Ada Language centric-implementation approach. A major change in the revised ABBET Standard was its reflection of a hardware/software implementation-independent approach to the creation of test programs. No particular methodology and/or technology was recommended to be used to apply the new version of the ABBET standard. However, the commercial and military use of object technology-to create test programs has shown that the ABBET implementation independence goal is achievable. With this implementation independent approach benefits have been realized that to date-have only been enjoyed on an infrequent basis and then only under "special" circumstances. This paper provides an historical perspective of the IEEE's 1226 Subcommittee's evolution to an implementation-independent approach to test, discusses the relationship of OOT to test, explain the attributes of object technology and discusses some possible object technology-focused implementation approaches.