The state-based testing of object-oriented programs

State-based testing, a technique used for the validation of object-oriented programs with emphasis on the interaction between the features and the object's state, is described. Because of the nature of the technique, the random order in which features can be invoked is taken into account. The technique is complementary to other functional and structural approaches to validation. A suite of tools to support the state-based testing of object-oriented programs is also outlined. The adaptation of traditional validation techniques to the object-oriented programming model is also discussed.<>