1. Introduction

Reactis for C offers automated testing, debugging, and validation for software implemented with the C programming language. Reactis for C consists of three main components: Reactis Tester, Reactis Simulator, and Reactis Validator.

Reactis Tester automatically generates test suites from C code. The test suites provide comprehensive yet concise coverage of different test-quality metrics. Each test case in a test suite consists of a sequence of input vectors as well as the responses to those inputs generated by the program. These tests may be used for a variety of purposes, including:

Detecting runtime errors.

Generation and execution of the tests often detects runtime errors that can occur as a program executes.

Regression testing.

Tests may be generated from one version of a program and run on a different version in order to check conformance between the two versions.

Reactis for C enables users to maximize the effectiveness of their testing while reducing time and effort.

Reactis Simulator enables users to visualize program execution. Simulator’s user interface is similar to those of traditional debuggers: it allows you to step through the execution of code by hand, set break points, and study values of variables. Simulator also supports reverse execution, the replay of tests generated by Reactis Tester, the graphical display of different coverage metrics, and the fine-tuning of Tester-generated test suites.

Reactis Validator performs automated searches of programs for violations of user-specified requirements. If Validator finds a violation of a requirement, it returns a test highlighting the problem. This test may then be executed in Reactis Simulator to gain an understanding of the source of the error. Validator enables the early detection of design errors and inconsistencies and reduces the effort required for design reviews. Some checks that may be performed with Validator include the following.

• Will a car’s cruise control always disengage when the brake pedal is pressed?

• Will a plane’s thrust reverser ever engage while the aircraft is airborne?

• Will an x-ray machine ever deliver a dangerous dose of radiation?

1.1. Support and Feedback

RSI welcomes user feedback and questions. To ask questions, make suggestions, or report suspected bugs, users may call RSI’s help line at (+1) 919-324-3507 or send e-mail to help@reactive-systems.com. When sending e-mail, users are encouraged to include the “System Info” information for their Reactis for C installation in question; this can be obtained by selecting the Help > About menu item from the top-level Reactis for C window, then clicking Copy To Clipboard and pasting the information into the e-mail message.