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     | B |
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BACKUS-NAUR FORM

A metalanguage used to formally describe the syntax of
a language.  See BS 6154.  (BCS)

BASIC BLOCK

A sequence of one or more consecutive, executable
statements containing no branches.(BCS)

BASIS TEST SET

A set of test cases derived from the code logic which
ensure that 100% branch coverage is achieved.(BCS)

BEBUGGING

See error seeding. [Abbott]

BEHAVIOUR

The combination of input values and preconditions and
the required response for a function of a system.  The
full specifFication of a function would normally
comprise one or more behaviours.  (BCS)

BETA TESTING

Operational testing at a site not otherwise involved
with the software developers.(BCS)

BIG-BANG TESTING

Integration testing where no incremental testing takes
place prior to all the system's components being
combined to form the system.(BCS)

BLACK BOX TESTING

(See FUNCTIONAL TEST CASE DESIGN)

Test case selection that is based on an analysis of the
specification of the component without reference to its
internal workings.(BCS)

BOTTOM-UP TESTING

An approach to integration testing where the lowest
level components are tested first, then used to
facilitate the testing of higher level components.  The
process is repeated until the component at the top of
the hierarchy is tested.(BCS)

BOUNDARY VALUE

An input value or output value which is on the boundary
between equivalence classes, or an incremental distance
either side of the boundary.(BCS)

BOUNDARY VALUE ANALYSIS

A test case design technique for a component in which
test cases are designed which include representatives
of boundary values.(BCS)

BOUNDARY VALUE COVERAGE

The percentage of boundary values of the component's
equivalence classes which have been exercised by a test
case suite.(BCS)

BOUNDARY VALUE TESTING

See boundary value analysis.

BRANCH

A conditional transfer of control from any statement to
any other statement in a component, or an unconditional
transfer of control from any statement to any other
statement in the component except the next statement,
or when a component has more than one entry point, a
transfer of control to an entry point of the
component.(BCS)

BRANCH CONDITION

See decision condition.

BRANCH CONDITION COMBINATION COVERAGE

The percentage of combinations of all branch condition
outcomes in every decision that have been exercised by
a test case suite.(BCS)

BRANCH CONDITION COMBINATION TESTING

A test case design technique in which test cases are
designed to execute combinations of branch condition
outcomes.(BCS)

BRANCH CONDITION COVERAGE

The percentage of branch condition outcomes in every
decision that have been exercised by a test case
suite.(BCS)

BRANCH CONDITION TESTING

A test case design technique in which test cases are
designed to execute branch condition outcomes.(BCS)

BRANCH COVERAGE

The percentage of branches that have been exercised by
a test case suite(BCS)

BRANCH OUTCOME

See decision outcome.

BRANCH POINT

See decision.

BRANCH TESTING

A test case design technique for a component in which
test cases are designed to execute branch
outcomes.(BCS)

BRIDGE

This is a conversion mechanism that changes data
elements to reconcile format differences between system
elements.  Date-related bridges format dates in such a
way that they can be accepted and acted upon properly.
For example, a bridge might be a program that is
invoked to change a two-digit date field in a sending
application to a four-digit date field in a receiving
application when date data is transferred between the
two system elements.
(IEEE)

BRIDGING

This is a hybrid method used for data-base applications
where the software itself is converted from two-digit
to four-digit form, but the underlying data base is not
due to the excessive difficulties associated with data
base date field expansion.  A fixed or sliding window
or encapsulation are used with the data base itself.
Here too, a performance penalty is exacted.
(CJ)

BUG

See fault.
is often used to refer to a problem or fault in a
computer.  There are software bugs and hardware bugs.
The term originated in the United States, at the time
when computers were built out of valves, when a series
of previously inexplicable faults were eventually
traced to moths flying about inside the
computer.[Gerrard]

BUG SEEDING

See error seeding.