{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,2,25]],"date-time":"2026-02-25T18:11:32Z","timestamp":1772043092699,"version":"3.50.1"},"reference-count":24,"publisher":"Wiley","issue":"7","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2006,10,30]],"date-time":"2006-10-30T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1162166400000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":5600,"URL":"http:\/\/onlinelibrary.wiley.com\/termsAndConditions#vor"}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["Softw Pract Exp"],"published-print":{"date-parts":[[1991,7]]},"abstract":"<jats:title>Abstract<\/jats:title><jats:p>Mutation analysis is a powerful technique for testing software systems. The Mothra software testing project uses mutation analysis as the basis for an integrated software testing environment. Mutation analysis requires executing many slightly differing versions of the same program to evaluate the quality of the data used to test the program. The current version of Mothra includes a complete language system that translates a program to be tested into intermediate code so that it and its mutated versions can be executed by an interpreter.<\/jats:p><jats:p>In this paper, we discuss some of the unique requirements of a language system used in a mutation\u2010based testing environment. We then describe how these requirements affected the design and implementation of the Fortran 77 version of the Mothra system. We also describe the intermediate language used by Mothra and the features of the language system that are needed for software testing. The appendices contain a full description of the intermediate language and the mutation operators used by Mothra.<\/jats:p><jats:p>The design and implementation techniques that were developed for Mothra are applicable for constructing not just software testing systems, but any type of program analysis system or language system for a special\u2010purpose application. In particular, we discuss decisions made and techniques developed by the Mothra team that can be useful in such applications as debuggers, program measurement tools, software development environments and other types of program analysis systems.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.1002\/spe.4380210704","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2006,11,17]],"date-time":"2006-11-17T18:39:28Z","timestamp":1163788768000},"page":"685-718","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":262,"title":["A fortran language system for mutation\u2010based software testing"],"prefix":"10.1002","volume":"21","author":[{"given":"K. N.","family":"King","sequence":"first","affiliation":[]},{"given":"A. Jefferson","family":"Offutt","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[]}],"member":"311","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2006,10,30]]},"reference":[{"key":"e_1_2_1_2_2","unstructured":"R. A.DeMilloandE. H.Spafford \u2018The Mothra software testing environment\u2019. Proceedings of the 11th NASA Software Engineering Laboratory Workshop Goddard Space Center December1986."},{"key":"e_1_2_1_3_2","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1109\/TSE.1976.233816"},{"key":"e_1_2_1_4_2","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1145\/360248.360252"},{"key":"e_1_2_1_5_2","volume-title":"Functional Program Testing and Analysis","author":"Howden W. E.","year":"1987"},{"key":"e_1_2_1_6_2","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"34","DOI":"10.1109\/C-M.1978.218136","volume":"11","author":"DeMillo R. A.","year":"1978","journal-title":"IEEE Computer"},{"key":"e_1_2_1_7_2","first-page":"107","volume-title":"Infotech State of the Art Report, Software Testing, Volume 2: Invited Papers","author":"DeMillo R. A.","year":"1979"},{"key":"e_1_2_1_8_2","unstructured":"M. S.Bilsel \u2018A survey of software test and evaluation techniques\u2019 Technical Report GIT\u2010ICS\u201083108 School of Information and Computer Science Georgia Institute of Technology April 1983."},{"key":"e_1_2_1_9_2","unstructured":"R. A.DeMillo W. M.McCracken R. J.MartinandJ. F.Passafiume Software Testing and Evaluation Benjamin\/Cummings 1987."},{"key":"e_1_2_1_10_2","unstructured":"T. A.Budd R. A.DeMillo R. J.LiptonandF. G.Sayward \u2018The design of a prototype mutation system for program testing\u2019 AFIPS National Computer Conference Proceedings Vol. 47 1978 pp.623\u2013627."},{"key":"e_1_2_1_11_2","unstructured":"M. R.GirgisandM. R.Woodward \u2018An experimental comparison of the error exposing ability of program testing criteria\u2019 IEEE Workshop on Software Testing Conference Proceedings Banff Alberta July1986 pp.51\u201360."},{"key":"e_1_2_1_12_2","unstructured":"Mothra Project Team \u2018The Mothra testing enviroment user's manual\u2019 Technical Report SERC\u2010TR\u20104\u2010P Software Engineering Research Center Purdue University September1987."},{"key":"e_1_2_1_13_2","unstructured":"R. A.DeMillo E. W.Krauser R. J.Martin A. J.OffuttandE. H.Spafford \u2018The Mothra tool set\u2019 Proceedings of the Hawaii International Conference on System Sciences Kailua\u2010Kona HI January1989."},{"key":"e_1_2_1_14_2","unstructured":"A. H.Agrawal R. A.DeMillo Wm.Hsu Wy.Hsu K. N.King E. W.Krauser A. J.Offutt H.PanandE. H.Spafford \u2018Mothra internal documentation Version 1.5.\u2019 Technical Report SERC Software Engineering Research Center Purdue University July1989."},{"key":"e_1_2_1_15_2","unstructured":"T. A.Budd R. L.HessandF. G.Sayward \u2018EXPER implementor's guide\u2019. Technical Report Department of Computer Science Yale University 1980."},{"key":"e_1_2_1_16_2","unstructured":"A. J.Offutt \u2018Automatic test data generation\u2019 Ph.D. dissertation(Technical Report GIT\u2010ICS 88\/28) Georgia Institute of Technology 1988."},{"key":"e_1_2_1_17_2","volume-title":"UNIX System Manager's Manual","author":"Nowitz D. A.","year":"1984"},{"key":"e_1_2_1_18_2","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"G.Booch Object\u2010Oriented Design with Applications Benjamin\/Cummings 1991.","DOI":"10.1145\/149576.149582"},{"key":"e_1_2_1_19_2","unstructured":"W. M.Craft \u2018Detecting equivalent mutants using compiler optimization techniques\u2019 Master's thesis Department of Computer Science Clemson University 1989."},{"key":"e_1_2_1_20_2","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"371","DOI":"10.1109\/TSE.1982.235571","volume":"8","author":"Howden W. 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