Introduction to TTCN-3

This one is from Arvind’s blog:

TTCN-3 core language is nothing more than simple text with well-defined syntax and semantics. The syntax is defined using Backus-Naur Form. What this means is that any text editor can be used to write TTCN-3 test cases. Such test cases are quite different in dynamic behaviour from C or Pascal. Still, it is quite easy for programmers well-versed with procedural languages to get used to TTCN-3 easily. There are many similarities - keywords, data types, variables, control statements, functions, operators, operator precedence, just to name a few.

The language is structured in a way that allows high level of flexibility. Test system definition is modular. In fact, an important unit of a test suite is a module which would contain one or more test cases or the control part of a test suite. Concurrency of operation is possible because components can execute in parallel. Of course, execution is serialized at the level of hardware unless the multi-processors are involved. Parameterization is possible just as it was possible in TTCN-2. Concepts of PICS and PIXIT still apply because they are fundamental to any conformance testing.

More Information is available at:

• Arvinds Blog
• TTCN-3 in a nutshell - University of Ottawa
• Links to TTCN-3 Tutorials, etc - University of Ottawa
• TTCN-3 Core Language - ITU
• ETSI’s TTCN3 Homepage
• TTCN-3 User Conference Archieves

Finally, you may be wondering why I am discussing TTCN-3 on this blog. This is because those of us who work in testing side will know very well that most of the test scripts are written in TTCN. At present TTCN-2 is used and there is only one big player for that which is Telelogic. This is because they have some patents which restricts competetion. To bypass this, ETSI pioneered TTCN-3 which is open source and anybody can create a compiler for TTCN-3.

As a result, TTCN-3 is being widely adopted for testing now. Its already being used for WiMAX, IMS and SIP testing. In future it would be used for LTE as well.

Incoming search terms for the article:

• ttcn 3 for lte download
• lte ttcn test scripts
• ttcn 4g lte java
• ttcn-3 unit tests

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