Understanding Mutation Testing: A Comprehensive Guide

Artem Golubev

What is Mutation Testing?

Mutation Testing (MT) has a rich history dating back to the 1970s when it was initially conceived as a school project. Initially dismissed due to its resource-intensive nature, MT experienced a resurgence with the advent of increasingly powerful computers. Today, it is one of the most widely adopted and popular testing techniques.

Mutation testing, also referred to as code mutation testing, is a type of white-box testing where specific components of an application’s source code are modified by testers. The purpose of this is to verify whether a software test suite is capable of detecting these deliberately introduced alterations, which are designed to induce errors in the program. It’s important to note that mutation testing focuses on assessing the effectiveness of a software testing tool rather than evaluating the applications it analyzes, thus ensuring the quality of the testing process itself.

Mutation testing is an invaluable tool for ensuring the robustness and reliability of software testing endeavors. By subjecting the software to intentional code alterations, testers gain insights into the capability of the test suite to detect and accurately handle unexpected errors or faults. This technique acts as a safety net, capturing inadequacies in the testing process and identifying areas that require further attention, ultimately improving software quality and resilience.

Mutation Testing Concepts: Mutants

Mutants refer to the mutated versions of the source code. They are created by introducing small, deliberate changes or faults in the code. These changes are typically subtle and aim to simulate potential software bugs or faults that could occur in real-world scenarios. Mutants are sometimes also referred to as mutant programs since they represent altered versions of the original program with specific modifications. Mutants can be classified as:

Live Mutants: Mutants that remain ‘alive’ after running the tests. These must be ‘killed’.
Killed Mutants: Mutants that become ‘invalid’ after running the tests. These mutants are considered invalid when the results differ after running the tests on the original and mutated source code.
Equivalent Mutants: These are mutated versions of the source code with different syntax or implementation but produce the same output or behavior as the original code.

The fundamental goal of Mutation Testing is to strengthen the software testing process by uncovering code segments that need to be adequately tested or by detecting hidden defects that may escape other conventional testing methods. These modifications, known as mutations, can be implemented by manipulating existing lines of code. For instance, a statement may be deleted or duplicated, true or false expressions can be swapped, or variables can be modified. Following the introduction of these mutations, the code, with its newly incorporated changes, undergoes rigorous testing and is then compared against the original code to evaluate the efficacy of the test suite.

Mutation Score

The mutation score is calculated as follows:

Mutation score = (number of killed mutants/total number of mutants, killed or surviving) x 100

If tests using mutants detect the same number of issues as the original program test, it indicates either a code failure or the testing suite’s failure to detect mutations. In such cases, efforts should be made to improve the effectiveness of the software testing. A successful mutation test produces different test results from the mutant code, and the mutants are subsequently discarded. A mutation score of 100% signifies that the test was comprehensive.

How to Perform Mutation Testing

Consider a login page that validates the username and password.

// Original Function
function checkCredentials(username, password) {
  if (username === "admin" && password === "password") {
    return true;
  } else {
    return false;
  }
}

For this function, we can create a mutant code as follows:

// Mutant code (Always returns true)
function checkCredentialsMutant(username, password) {
  return true;
}

Next, we execute test cases against this function to validate the results obtained in both the original and mutant functions. Consider running two test suites:

With the correct username and password – both original and mutant program results pass.
With the wrong username and password – the original program fails, and the mutant program passes.

This indicates that the mutant has been ‘killed’, and the test suite is successful.

The process can be summarized in the following steps:

Step 1 – Create the original program

Step 2 – Create the mutants by tweaking the original program

Step 3 – Execute the test cases against both the original and the mutant programs

Step 4 – Validate the results – The mutant is considered ‘killed’ if the original and mutant programs produce different results. If they produce the same result, the mutant may either be ‘alive’ or ‘equivalent’; further analysis is needed to conclude. If the mutant is ‘alive’, additional test cases may be necessary to ‘kill’ the mutants.

When conducting mutation testing, it’s crucial to ensure that the changes introduced in the mutant program are kept minimal to avoid disrupting the overall objective of the original program. The rationale behind keeping the mutations small is to maintain the integrity of the program’s logic and behavior while isolating specific aspects that could potentially introduce errors. The essence of mutation testing lies in its ability to simulate faults or defects within the codebase. Consequently, this testing strategy is often referred to as a fault-based testing approach. This approach allows for a targeted analysis and verification of the test suite’s ability to appropriately identify and handle these faults.

Types of Mutation Testing

There are three main types of mutation testing:

1. Statement Mutation

In statement mutation, a code block is subjected to deliberate alterations by removing or duplicating specific statements. Additionally, statements within the code block can be rearranged to create different ordering sequences.

For example, in the following code, we have deleted the entire ‘else’ part:

function checkCredentials(username, password) {
  if (username === "admin" && password === "password") {
    return true;
  } 
}

2. Value Mutation

Value mutation is introduced by modifying the code’s parameter and/or constant values. Typically, this involves changing the values by +/- 1, but it can also extend to altering the values in other ways. Specific changes during value mutation include:

Small value to higher value: We replace a small value with a higher value to test the code’s behavior when confronted with larger inputs. This helps verify if the code can handle and process higher values accurately and efficiently.
Higher value to small value: Conversely, we replace a higher value with a smaller value to evaluate how the code handles lower inputs. This ensures the code doesn’t encounter unexpected issues or errors when dealing with smaller values.

Here are some sample Value mutation codes:

// Original code
function multiplyByTwo(value) {
  return value * 2;
}

// Value mutation: Small value to higher value
function multiplyByTwoMutation1(value) {
  return value * 10;
}

// Value mutation: Higher value to small value
function multiplyByTwoMutation2(value) {
  return value / 10;
}

3. Decision Mutation

In Decision mutation testing, the focus is on detecting design errors within the code. Specifically, this technique involves modifying arithmetic and logical operators to uncover potential flaws or weaknesses in the program’s decision-making logic.

Here’s an example:

// Original code
function isPositive(number) {
  return number > 0;
}

// Decision mutation: Changing the comparison operator
function isPositiveMutation1(number) {
  return number >= 0;
}

// Decision mutation: Negating the result
function isPositiveMutation2(number) {
  return !(number > 0);
}

Automating Mutation Testing

Mutation testing is a complex and time-consuming process when performed manually. The tasks of generating mutations, running tests, and analyzing the results can be daunting and prone to human error. To overcome these challenges and expedite the mutation testing process, leveraging automation tools is recommended. These tools automate the generation of mutations, execution of test cases, and analysis of the test results. By automating these steps, developers and testers can save substantial time and effort. Furthermore, automation tools offer several benefits beyond time savings. They enhance the overall efficiency and effectiveness of mutation testing by reducing the chances of manual errors and increasing test coverage.

Various tools can be utilized to automate mutation testing. Mutation Testing frameworks like PIT (which supports various mutation operators) combined with testRigor (for generating and executing test cases) can be used to perform Mutation Testing Automation.

Why use testRigor?

testRigor can be used as part of a broader testing strategy to complement mutation testing. Here’s how to integrate testRigor into the mutation testing process:

Generate a comprehensive test suite: Using testRigor, a robust and diverse test suite that covers various functionalities and scenarios of the application can be created.
Apply mutation operators: Select a mutation testing tool or framework that supports the application’s programming language. Apply mutation operators, which are predefined code modifications, to introduce faults in the code. These mutations should be subtle yet realistic, mimicking potential software bugs.
Run mutation testing: Execute the mutation testing tool to generate mutated code versions. Each mutation represents a modified version of the original code with a specific fault injected.
Run testRigor tests on mutated code: Utilize testRigor to execute the test suite on each mutated version of the application. testRigor will run the tests and check for any failures or inconsistencies compared to the expected behavior.
Assess test coverage: Analyze the test coverage achieved by testRigor after the mutation testing. This evaluation will help determine if the test suite effectively detects the introduced faults. If a mutation survives without being detected by the tests, it indicates a potential weakness in the test suite.
Refine the test suite: Based on the results of the mutation testing, refine the test suite by adding additional test cases or modifying existing ones to improve fault detection.
Repeat mutation testing: Iterate through the mutation testing process by generating new mutations, running tests with testRigor, and assessing the test coverage until satisfactory results are achieved.

Conclusion

In today’s complex and rapidly evolving software landscape, mutation testing is a critical tool for ensuring the thoroughness and effectiveness of the testing process. It provides an additional layer of confidence in the codebase and helps deliver high-quality software that meets the expectations of users and stakeholders. Although mutation testing is time-consuming, integrating it with automation tools like testRigor’s automated testing capabilities can enhance the effectiveness of the testing process and contribute to the development of more resilient and trustworthy software systems.

Request a Demo

Start testRigor Free