Input-input relationship constraints in T-way testing

T-way testing is designed to detect faults due to interaction. In order to be effective, all t combinations of input parameters must be tested. While many t-way strategies can be used to generate the t-way test data (e.g. IPOG, AETG, GT-Way, Jenny, TVG and MIPOG), most do not ensure that all t combinations of input parameters can be practically tested. Addressing this issue, this paper highlights a new type of constraints that might prevent some t-way parameter interactions from being tested (and hence compromising the effectiveness of t-way testing), termed input-input relationship constraints. Apart from ensuring all t combinations are properly tested, input-input relationship constraints can further optimize the generated test data since all impossible combinations are completely ignored. In addition, this paper also introduces a new strategy that supports input-input relationship constraints and demonstrates the correctness of the strategy as well as the effectiveness of test data with input-input relationship.