Mutation Testing Cost Reduction Techniques: A Survey

Since the 1970s, researchers have widely used mutation as a testing technique, applying mainly it to validate test suites, as well as to validate test case strategies and test data generation. Mutation today is sufficiently mature for industrial applications. Although mutation's three main steps (mutant generation, test case execution, and result analysis) can be costly, researchers have made it possible to apply all this knowledge in the industry. This article reviews the most significant research in mutation testing cost reduction, which developers must take into account to apply it to software development and, perhaps more important, to develop powerful new mutation-based testing tools. © 2010 IEEE.