VDM-10 Language Manual

Chapter 18
Trace Definitions
In order to automate the testing process VDM++ contains a notation enabling the expression of the
traces that one would like to have tested exhaustively. Such traces are used to express combinations
of sequences of operations that wish to be tested in all possible combinations. In a sense this is
similar to model checking limitations except that this is done with real and not symbolic values.
However, errors in test cases are filtered away so other test cases with the same prefix will be
skipped automatically.
Syntax: traces definitions = ‘traces’, { named trace } ;
named trace = identifier, { ‘/’, identifier }, ‘:’, trace definition list ;
trace definition list = trace definition term, { ‘;’, trace definition term } ;
trace definition term = trace definition
| trace definition term, ‘|’, trace definition ;
trace definition = trace core definition
| trace bindings, trace core definition
| trace core definition, trace repeat pattern
| trace bindings, trace core definition, trace repeat pattern ;
trace core definition = trace apply expression
| trace bracketed expression ;
trace apply expression = call statement ;
trace repeat pattern = ‘*’
| ‘+’
| ‘?’
| ‘{’, numeric literal, ‘}’
| ‘{’, numeric literal, ‘,’ numeric literal, ‘}’ ;
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