What is mutation testing and why is it important?

What is mutation testing and why is it important?

Mutation testing is a technique used to evaluate the quality of software tests. It involves making small changes (mutations) to the code and checking if the existing tests can detect these changes. If the tests fail, it indicates that they are effective; if they pass, it suggests that the tests may need improvement.

How does mutation testing differ from traditional testing methods?

Unlike traditional testing methods that focus on executing the code, mutation testing specifically assesses the effectiveness of the tests themselves by introducing faults. This helps identify weaknesses in the test suite.

Can you give an example of a mutation?

Sure! For instance, if you have a line of code that adds two numbers, a mutation might change the addition operator to a subtraction operator. The goal is to see if the tests can catch this error.

What tools are available for mutation testing?

There are several tools for mutation testing, such as PIT for Java, MutPy for Python, and Stryker for JavaScript. Each tool has its own features and capabilities.