San Francisco, CA
March 10, 1997

For Immediate Release

For Additional Information:
Rita Bral +1 (415) 550-3020
bral@sr-corp.com
www.soft.com

San Francisco, CA, March 10, 1997 -- Software Research, Inc. (SR) announces the release of a muscular new tool to assess the reliability of Java applets. TCAT(tm) for Java(tm) grabs and digests a coverage trace and presents the results in graphic, textual, and tabular reports. Web site developers now have highly reliable, low-overhead scrutiny of Java code to determine that their complex, animated Java applets are fully exercised by their test suites. This is the same rigorous quality control being used in thousands of C and C++ environments worldwide and is even more critical in the case of Java where applets are used in support of financial transactions on the web.

TCAT for Java provides both branch and method-invocation (call-pair) coverage in a single test run to identify which part of a Java applet's code has been tested, both at the unit/object level and the system integration level. Branch coverage is used for unit and system testing, tracking the number of times each segment of a method has been exercised. Testing coverage determines if each method invocation has been exercised. Testers can then efficiently concentrate on untested code, reducing the likelihood of defects and improving product quality.

The coverage results are displayed in comprehensive visual reports. Detailed call trees and digraph displays allow an instantaneous grasp of large and complex programs. This quick- overview approach spotlights untested logical segments and/or method invocation in order to pinpoint untested methods, segments, classes, modules and units. A view of the Java source code is only a simple point-and-click away. For rapid analysis of results, there is a quick-look tabular report which gives coverage results at a high level and then, at a mouse-click, dives into greater detail.

Dr. Edward Miller, president of SR says, "The reasons to thoroughly test software are even more true for Java applets. Thousands and thousands of people on the Internet will use them and even the smallest defect could bring about catastrophic complications. The financial stakes involved leave no margin for error. As the World Wide Web continues its exponential growth, Java developers are under ever-increasing constraints of time and quality requirements. Only automated software testing can insure the rapid development of sufficient error-free software to meet this demand."

The major advantages of TCAT for Java are:

• reliable verification of test suite thoroughness and rapid identification of unexercised code (produces reliable code)
  
• easy management of large, complex "industrial-strength" Java applets by visual display
  
• easily accessible graphical coverage reporting with immediate back-reference to source code
  
• point-and-click visual display of call-tree, class hierarchy, and individual method digraph
  
• ability to do branch coverage (C1) and method invocation (call-pair coverage) (S1) in a single test run
  
• well-designed GUI that permits easy collection of detailed coverage data using our Java applet viewer as a test base
  
• highly efficient instrumentation, run-time data collection and source viewing capability

TCAT for Java supports the current control constructs of Sun's Java (1.02) and (1.1) and is available on SPARC Solaris and x86 Solaris platforms. It works on any UNIX platform that has a Java compiler. The instrumented Java code will execute and produce trace information in any Java Virtual Machine, including Windows 95 and Windows NT. For full technical features, please consult SR's web page.

Software Research was the pioneer in software testing and quality assurance and remains at the forefront of innovative testing technologies. Founded in 1977 as a consulting and service organization, Software Research, Inc. is the world leader in this field, providing the broadest suite of integrated testing tools on the market: TestWorks. TCAT for Java is the latest addition to this collection. Software Research is a privately owned and internally funded firm with headquarters in San Francisco, CA, and a worldwide network of distributors and resellers. Product details are available directly by phone: +1 (415) 550-3020; by fax: +1 (415) 550-3030); and by E-mail: info@sr-corp.com Visit our web site at http:/www.soft.com for more information about TCAT for Java and a look at the full range of SR products and services.

TCAT(tm) and TCAT for Java(tm) are trademarks of Software Research, Inc.

Java(tm) is a trademark of SunSoft, Inc.