Using meta-data technique for component based black box testing

Component Based Software development is used for making the software applications quickly and rapidly. In Component Based Development, the software product is build by gathering different components of existing software from different vendors. By using this process cost and time of the software product is reduced. But in testing phase there arises many difficulties for a tester because he has a very limited access to the source code of the reusable component of the product. The component meta-data can be used to attach additional information with the components to facilitate testing. Black box testing is used where code of the component is not available. Usually, a component has a hidden interface and a tester cannot input the values in it unless its interface is not completed. In this paper, the issues in component based testing using metadata approach for black box testing will be discussed when component´s interface not available. We present the methodology that how metadata can be used in black box testing. We have also proposed an application (tool) which can be used in automated black box testing of a <;dll> component.