A practical method for software quality control via program mutation

A novel method of program mutation is presented that increases the feasibility, effectiveness, and efficiency of searching for those errors that have escaped the activities of Afterers and competent programmers. It is based on syntax direction and it is aided by the language semantics. This means that the scope of a program mutation (i.e. the mutation rules of the method) and its corresponding mutants are rigorously directed by a syntax and related semantics as defined by the tester. A paradigm for the mutation syntax and semantics when limited to Boolean expressions and the corresponding test coverage metrics are given.<>