Spec Explorer: A Model-Based Testing tool

Thorough, consistent, and extensible testing of systems remains one of the biggest challenges in creating and maintaining software systems.

The Spec Explorer tool released today on DevLabs tackles that problem using Model-Based Testing techniques.

Spec Explorer 

What Is It?

Spec Explorer, is a tool for modeling software behavior and generating test suites from those models.

Models can be viewed as graphical renderings to understand and analyze the expected system behavior and communicate it to others. Model size can be scoped with regular expressions. The generated test suites can be run standalone in the Visual Studio test framework or other unit test frameworks.

Why Use It?

Several Microsoft projects of various sizes have already used Spec Explorer as part of their development process. Using Spec Explorer has helped those teams create test cases more quickly, ensure predictability of requirement coverage, and support the projects’ lifecycle management and software updates.

Spec Explorer’s unique features make it easier to learn than other Model-Based Testing tools. Engineers with no modeling background can create models of systems and features, then generate tests in a short amount of time. Studies on a large-scale project with over 300 test suites have shown a 42% average productivity gain over manually-created test suites.

While we’ve tuned Spec Explorer based on the feedback of teams within Microsoft, we now need your feedback to ensure Spec Explorer meets the needs of customers working on a variety of project types and sizes.

Download Spec Explorer today, ask questions or send feedback via the forum, and stay current via the team blog.

Namaste!