Treffer: A systematic literature review on transformation for testability techniques in software systems.

• The first SLR on transformation for testability in software systems is proposed. • A total of 39 primary studies are identified and classified into eight dimensions. • The impact of metrics, refactorings, and code smells on testability is analyzed. • Research gaps and opportunities regarding testability improvement are discussed. Software testability is a critical aspect of software development, enabling efficient error identification during testing. Program transformation techniques, mainly refactoring, play a key role in enhancing testability by simplifying the process of identifying and addressing potential issues. By improving testability, developers empower themselves to create more dependable software products. Our study aims to conduct a systematic literature review focused on transformation techniques for improving testability in software systems. By analyzing existing research, we seek to provide insights into effective strategies for enhancing testability and addressing critical issues in software development. We queried six digital libraries, resulting in over 5000 articles. After rigorous analysis, we narrowed our focus to 39 primary research papers. Based on a novel hierarchical classification of the approaches used to enhance testability, the selected articles were analyzed considering the refactoring techniques, software metrics, and code smells affecting testability at the design and code levels. Our investigation revealed that among our findings, 53.8 % of the papers specifically employed refactoring for testability, while 46.2 % utilized testability transformation techniques. Only one study provided structured sequences of refactoring for testability. The studies primarily focused on three testing levels: unit testing, regression testing, and graphical user interface (GUI) testing. Notably, unit testing received the most attention, appearing in 71.8 % of the studies. About 64.1 % of the studies involved software projects written in the Java programming language. The results suggest that removing code smells and anti-patterns through refactoring would increase testability. While transformation techniques are essential to increase testability and often improve it, more research is needed to address this critical issue. Additionally, exploring other levels of testing beyond unit testing and using software projects with languages beyond Java is essential. To enhance testability, it is necessary to provide more refactoring sequences aimed at improving testability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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