Howden

Howden, William

Professor, Computer Science and Engineering
Division: UCSD
Phone: 858-534-2723
Email: bhowden@ucsd.edu
Fax: 858-534-7029
Research Layer: Interfaces & Software
[website]


Bio: Most of my research has been in the area of software testing.  I was one of the founders of this research area and was on the committee that organized the first testing research workshop, which eventually became the ISSTA conference.  I have worked in most areas of testing research, and I think I was the first person to use some of its now standard terminology, such as  'infeasible paths' and 'test oracle'.  In the very early days of testing research we were a small group who all knew each other and it was not difficult to keep track of what was going on.  

My first research in testing resulted in a very early symbolic evaluation system (Methodology for the Generation of Program Test Data. IEEE Trans. Computers, 24(5): 554-560, 1975), and my current research is in automated testing.  My research in testing has included results in: symbolic evaluation, theory of testing, algebraic testing, statistical testing, weak mutation testing, event sequence analysis, software model checking, comments analysis, program understanding, trustability analysis, functional testing, and empirical studies of effectiveness.  I was made a Fellow of the IEEE for my work in functional testing.