Comparing Model Coverage and Code Coverage in Model Driven Testing: An Exploratory Study

The Model Driven Architecture (MDA) approach is emerged in the last years as a novel software design methodology for the development of software systems. In this approach the focus of software development is shifted from writing code to modeling. In MDA, developers implement models that are automatically transformed into the target code of the system. Alongside MDA, the Model Driven Testing (MDT) is emerging as a relevant research topic in both industrial and scientific communities. MDT is a methodology where test cases for the system are automatically obtained starting from test models to maximize specific model coverage criteria. Eventually, test cases are executed to verify the system code that is generated through an MDA approach. In this paper, we conduct an exploratory study in order to evaluate the differences that may exist between the model coverage guaranteed by the test cases and the code coverage reached when they are executed on the auto-generated code. Moreover, we identify the main factors that may influence these differences.