Method and apparatus for generating elementary string sets for unit testing regular expressions

1. A method comprising:

receiving a regular expression;

creating a deterministic finite automaton (DFA) based on the regular expression; and

using the DFA, by a processor, to generate an elementary string set,

wherein each string of the elementary string set matches the regular expression,

wherein using the DFA to generate the elementary string set comprises:

adding a start state of the DFA to the state queue,

adding an empty string to a string queue, and

processing each state in the state queue, wherein processing a state in the state queue comprises:

extracting the state from the state queue,

extracting a string from the string queue,

incrementing a counter associated with the state,

updating a data structure to store the counter,

in an instance in which the state is terminal, adding the extracted string to the elementary string set,

retrieving a set of symbols that cause a transition from the state to another state in the DFA, and

for each symbol of the set of symbols, updating the state queue and the string queue based on the symbol,

wherein the data structure comprises a tree structure, each state being a key of the tree structure and the associated counter being a value of the tree structure associated with the key, and

wherein (a) a second state of the plurality of states is defined by transitioning a first state of the state queue to the second state using a symbol, and (b) wherein the second state comprises no more than two instances of the symbol; and

wherein (a) each string in the elementary string set will loop no more than twice while matching the regular expression, (b) the string set is maximal having no more than one string with same properties matching the regular expression, and (c) the elementary string set is generated to test software that uses the regular expression.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein updating the state queue and the string queue based on the symbol comprises:

determining a new state to which the symbol transitions the DFA;

in an instance in which the counter in the data structure and associated with the new state is less than a predefined value:

adding the new state to the state queue; and

adding a new string to the string queue, the new string comprising the extracted string and the symbol.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the elementary string set includes every string that is represented by the regular expression and that does not include a symbol that repeats more than twice.

4. An apparatus comprising at least one processor and at least one memory including computer program code, the at least one memory and the computer program code configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the apparatus to:

receive a regular expression;

create a deterministic finite automaton (DFA) based on the regular expression; and

use the DFA to generate an elementary string set,

wherein each string of the elementary string set matches the regular expression,

wherein using the DFA to generate the elementary string set comprises:

adding a start state of the DFA to the state queue,

adding an empty string to a string queue, and

processing each state in the state queue, wherein processing a state in the state queue comprises:

extracting the state from the state queue,

extracting a string from the string queue,

incrementing a counter associated with the state,

updating a data structure to store the counter,

in an instance in which the state is terminal, adding the extracted string to the elementary string set,

retrieving a set of symbols that cause a transition from the state to another state in the DFA, and

for each symbol of the set of symbols, updating the state queue and the string queue based on the symbol,

wherein the data structure comprises a tree structure, each state being a key of the tree structure and the associated counter being a value of the tree structure associated with the key, and

wherein (a) a second state of the plurality of states is defined by transitioning a first state of the state queue to the second state using a symbol, and (b) wherein the second state comprises no more than two instances of the symbol; and

wherein (a) each string in the elementary string set will loop no more than twice while matching the regular expression, (b) the string set is maximal having no more than one string with the same properties matching the regular expression, and (c) the elementary string set is generated to test software that uses the regular expression.

5. The apparatus of claim 4 , wherein the at least one memory and the computer program code are configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the apparatus to update the state queue and the string queue based on the symbol by:

determining a new state to which the symbol transitions the DFA;

in an instance in which the counter in the data structure and associated with the new state is less than a predefined value:

adding the new state to the state queue; and

adding a new string to the string queue, the new string comprising the extracted string and the symbol.

6. The apparatus of claim 4 , wherein no string in the elementary string set will include a symbol that repeats more than twice.

7. A computer program product comprising at least one non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having computer-executable program code portions stored therein, the computer-executable program code portions comprising program code instructions that, when executed, cause an apparatus to:

receive a regular expression;

create a deterministic finite automaton (DFA) based on the regular expression; and

use the DFA to generate an elementary string,

wherein each string of the elementary string set matches the regular expression,

wherein using the DFA to generate the elementary string set comprises:

adding a start state of the DFA to the state queue,

adding an empty string to a string queue, and

processing each state in the state queue, wherein processing a state in the state queue comprises:

extracting the state from the state queue,

extracting a string from the string queue,

incrementing a counter associated with the state,

updating a data structure to store the counter,

in an instance in which the state is terminal, adding the extracted string to the elementary string set,

retrieving a set of symbols that cause a transition from the state to another state in the DFA, and

for each symbol of the set of symbols, updating the state queue and the string queue based on the symbol,

wherein the data structure comprises a tree structure, each state being a key of the tree structure and the associated counter being a value of the tree structure associated with the key, and

wherein (a) a second state of the plurality of states is defined by transitioning a first state of the state queue to the second state using a symbol, and (b) wherein the second state comprises no more than two instances of the symbol;

wherein (a) each string in the elementary string set will loop no more than twice while matching the regular expression, (b) the string set is maximal having no more than one string with the same properties matching the regular expression, and (c) the elementary string set is generated to test software that uses the regular expression.

8. The computer program product of claim 7 , wherein the program code instructions that, when executed, cause an apparatus to update the state queue and the string queue based on the symbol comprise program code instructions that, when executed, cause the apparatus to:

determine a new state to which the symbol transitions the DFA;

in an instance in which the counter in the data structure and associated with the new state is less than a predefined value,

add the new state to the state queue; and

add a new string to the string queue, the new string comprising the extracted string and the symbol.

9. The computer program product of claim 7 , wherein no string in the elementary string set will include a symbol that repeats more than twice.